Did anyone catch today's FRESH AIR? You gotta hear it...

[MrMickeysMom]

Here: http://www.npr.org/2011/07/21/138537515/how-alec-shapes-state-politics-behind-the-scenes?sc=tumblr&cc=freshair

Background: Terry talks first to John Nichols, a political reporter for The Nation, who recently wrote the introduction to a series of articles about the relationship that state-based legislators have with a group called the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).

ALEC is a membership-only group that brings together state legislators and representatives of corporations to draft model bills that can then be introduced at the state level of government. An archive of ALEC documents was recently leaked to the Center for Media and Democracy.

It's really her interview with Louisiana State Rep. Noble Ellington, a Republican from the 20th district and the National Chairman of ALEC, that BLEW me away. If this lap dog for the fascists isn't the kind of state legislator who makes your skin crawl, then I don't know what is... It is that interview with him, where he responds to The Nation’s report, that had me SCREAMING at the radio!

Mississippi, WTF! All I can say is you better recall this dick-weed. What a Koch brotherhood poster-boy he is!

I predict the leaked documents that were reported by John Nickols are gonna be BIG news....

edit: spell

[spanone]

1. you said it right, facists

[MrMickeysMom]

3. It's one of the interviews where you could almost hear her snicker...

... I mean, the idiot didn't know the important details, but he thinks he represents his people... He must think he's still on the plantation...

[notadmblnd]

2. I thought our legislators were supposed to write and pass laws?

If they have contracted the job out- what the hell are they being paid by us to do? They are paid good money by the taxpayer. One of the reasons used to justify their outrageous salaries is so they won't be tempted to take money from outside interests. I say cut their salaries to zero right now. Let's see if they all go looking for other work or keep their positions in their respective congresses.

[MrMickeysMom]

6. Go ahead and listen to this awful thing, and you'll realize...

It's nation-wide and sponsored by some major leaguers... the same ones endorsed by the SCOTUS.

These people are trying to move into EVERY STATE of the UNITED STATES... It don't matta what chaw momma told you...

[Blue_Tires]

28. You'd be surprised at how many state reps

1. Are constitutionally illiterate, and couldn't properly comprehend or write bills if they wanted to
2. Are just plain lazy -- All this dull work in the state house is keeping them from the country club or their 'real' job...Also, it's not a job many strive for, so in many districts, it only takes a few hundred votes to get elected.
3. Went into state politics just to enrich themselves or strengthen their standing in the business community...ALEC is the answer to all their dreams...

[cbayer]

4. It was great!

She really took Ellington on, as only Terri can do, and he didn't like it one bit.

Everyone should hear this.

:hi:

[MrMickeysMom]

11. I think so, too, cbayer...

It was clear that she knew how to ask a logical question to lead to an answer... It was apparent that he didn't understand, but what was abhorrent was he didn't think anyone needed to question the motives.. Full disclosure of the WORST government can do.

Mississippi.... PUSH THIS ASSHAT OUT OF OFFICE!

[Ellipsis]

5. I was going to post Nichols article from the "Cap Times"... but this is a better spot

John Nichols: Shadowy group thinks for Walker, Fitzgerald

One month after the 2010 GOP electoral sweep, which saw Republicans grab 650 state legislative seats from the Democrats, gaining “trifecta” control (both houses of the legislature and the governorship) in Wisconsin and 20 other states, Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald and a score of other Republican legislators from the Badger State went to the nation’s capital to consider their mission. “Never has the time been so right” for advancing the conservative agenda in the states, declared the legislator chosen to lead the group, Louisiana Republican Noble Ellington.

The hundreds of politicians who partied at the Washington Grand Hyatt Hotel did not come to define an agenda for privatizing education, breaking unions, deregulating major industries, eliminating liability and tort law protections, or erecting voter ID restrictions. The agenda had already been written behind closed doors by the group that was hosting the newly empowered Republican legislative leaders: the American Legislative Exchange Council.

Featured speakers at that “States and Nation Policy Summit” included Republican stars such as Texas Gov. Rick Perry, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor.

For almost four decades ALEC had, under the watchful eye of the most powerful corporate lobbyists and conservative donors in the country, drafted “model legislation” with a purpose defined by one of the group’s heroes, economist Milton Friedman, who argued: “Only a crisis — actual or perceived — produces real changes. When the crisis occurs, the actions that are taken depend on the ideas that are lying around. That, I believe, is our basic function: to develop alternatives to existing policies to keep them alive and available until the politically impossible becomes politically inevitable.”

http://host.madison.com/ct/news/opinion/column/john_nichols/article_dab4424f-057f-544b-aa09-5a6c0a4adadd.html

[MrMickeysMom]

8. Please... cross post... I'll rec it!

This needs to be read and heard.

[Ellipsis]

10. Feel free to post it.

[Ellipsis]

9. The Center for Media and Democracy---- ALEC Exposed Website

Shows history and what one can to help expose ALEC.

Spread it far and wide.

http://www.alecexposed.org/wiki/ALEC_Exposed

[CurtEastPoint]

7. What a porkhead dickweed. DEM till last Dec.

[onethatcares]

12. those triple chins indicate a well fed hog.

he hasn't missed a meal in a long long time and probably sold his soul long before he did.

[MrMickeysMom]

14. That's one for the dart boards...

Figures... DINO becomes water carrier for the Koch's well of fascism!

Fucking criminal.

[SpiralHawk]

13. Wow - the Republicon corruption by corporate money is total and totalitarian

and they have suckered the Freepers and the Baggers all the way on to do the bended knee bidding of their billionaire puppetmasters.

[iwishiwas]

15. ALEC Emails Are Revealing== Sunday, March 27, 2011....

The story has been getting a fair amount of traction but with the Repugs in charge. what to do about it??

http://eye-on-wisconsin.blogspot.com/2011/03/alec-emails-are-revealing.html

Sunday, March 27, 2011
ALEC Emails Are Revealing
UW-Madison history professor William Cronon has been targeted by the Republican Party of Wisconsin (RPW). Apparently they didn't like him exposing the influence of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)on Wisconsin's Republican legislators. Cronon's writing and the resulting RPW attack has sparked a national discussion regarding the influence of the special interest funded ALEC. The Capital Times' "Vital Signs" column today gives us yet another view of ALEC's influence on the extreme health care legislation quickly being churned out in Madison in the last few months.

Since the RPW is so interested in professor Cronon's emails, I thought that it might be a good time to take a look at a selection of ALEC emails to one of their Wisconsin members. They give us a behind-the-scenes look at ALEC's process, influence and the eventual policy that they produce. These emails were obtained from State Senator Leah Vukmir (while she was still a state representative) through an open records request that was made last year:


Early in 2009 Milwaukee Magazine named Leah Vukmir one of the worst legislators in Madison. They largely based this designation on observations made by several fellow Republicans. In July of the same year ALEC conveniently bestowed upon Vukmir their so-called "Legislator of the Year" award. Here is an email exchange related to that award. In it we discover that Vukmir sent the ALEC PR person a list of media to contact about the award. She emphasizes that a press release be sent to her local media. Only a few hours later Vukmir gets a big "congratulations!" from an associate editorial page editor of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Yet another series of 2009 emails to Leah Vukmir was regarding an ALEC task force meant to fight meaningful health care reform in Congress. Those emails encourage members to sign on to a form letter to Speaker Pelosi. They also tout their PR campaign against HCR, and promote an ALEC drafted state constitutional amendment against HCR. Easily the most revealing email is the one from the ALEC donor relations person. It is about "prospect outreach" and it asks the task force members to call two of the big biz interests that are fully listed in the email............................

[MrMickeysMom]

16. CALLING KEITH OLBERMANN!

Cover this!

:bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

[Sal Minella]

17. This was a great show -- I was going to go look for the link,

since I missed the first part of the Nichols interview.

Heard everything Rep. Corn-pone had to say, however, and nearly laughed out loud at his insistence that he represents the voters when he's putting forth bills written by ALEC for the benefit of the corporations.

Every time Terri nearly got him in a corner, he just yelled over her. Rude, ignorant, dishonest man!

It's a great hour of Fresh Air, yes, highly recommended -- Nichols shows us what it really is, and then Ellington shows us what ALEC wants us to believe it is (just a helpful little non-profit group).

Nice work on Terri's part.

[MrMickeysMom]

19. Agreed, SM!

She nailed it.

[Capitalocracy]

18. The Majority Report did a great show on this recently

I think it was like Monday or something... do a page search for ALEC at http://majority.fm and you'll find it. Definitely worth a listen as well.

[MrMickeysMom]

20. I'll catch it... thanks.

[struggle4progress]

21. ALEC Exposed website

http://www.alecexposed.org/wiki/ALEC_Exposed

[BrklynLiberal]

22. Fresh Air...one of the best shows around.

[iwishiwas]

24. agree!!

[scarletwoman]

23. Kick! It's playing now on MPR. (I already rec'd earlier) nt

[MrMickeysMom]

25. Another kick and a shout for KO to cover this little item...

... and use that picture of this Mississippi piece of art while you're at it, Keith!

[marions ghost]

26. That was a GREAT interview!

Told me more about ALEC than anything I've read.

:thumbsup: John Nichols and Terry Gross on this topic

Highly recommended

[alfredo]

27. Highly recommended.

[patrice]

29. K&R

[hootinholler]

30. Don't miss the chairman of ALEC responding to the show

Here. There's no arguing with his logic!

-Hoot

[MrMickeysMom]

31. With that kind of logic...

IQs are bound to bottom in the House.