Howard Fineman Discusses Wisconsin Anti-Union Bill Passage On MSNBC's 'The Last Word With Lawrence O'Donnell' (VIDEO)

The Huffington Post's Senior Political Editor Howard Fineman appeared Wednesday night on MSNBC's 'The Last Word With Lawrence O'Donnell' to discuss the anti-union bill just passed by the Wisconsin State Senate.

"This story is no longer, if it ever was, really about Wisconsin. It's about the power of unions and the Republicans' effort to destroy them, if they can, politically," said Fineman.

Fineman also explained that the national Republican leadership wants "the students, and the unions, and the Democrats to take the bait of this provocation and overreact in a way that will sell poorly in swing states in 2012." He concluded that Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker is "doing what the real leaders of the Republican party want done."

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Comments

[Sheila Whitehead]

04:04 AM on 03/12/2011

These boots are made for Walker. He will be booted!

[Jim Hobson]

01:09 AM on 03/11/2011

Now the Republicans are working to defund public radio and television. If they succeed, and they may, NPR and public television will continue on the coasts, but they are likely to go off the air in the "heartland" and rural states. That will leave only corporate media outlets for much of the U.S. I don't know the statistics, but I assume much of rural and semi-rural America doesn't have high speed internet access. Any comments?

[Sheila Whitehead]

04:06 AM on 03/12/2011

We will become pawns for lies. Our country will become weak

[susanai]

09:42 PM on 03/10/2011

I am shocked at this. In Australia, we do not love the unions but we feel we need them. I cannot get over the absolute outrage of these is going to hell in a handbasket with republicans carrying that basket.
The media is has been remiss in their non-reporting on this. I get the feeling that CNN is soooo glad that Libya occurred.

[Joe4more]

07:43 PM on 03/10/2011

The time has come for the middle class and working poor to demand a responsive, representative government of the people. Millionaires represent millionaires, plain and simple. Almost half of Congress (44%) are millionaires, and do not have a clue what it is like to live on $60k/yr or less, like 93% of workers in the US. The Tea Party turned out to be shills for the GOP, so we can't depend on them.
To my fellow liberals and progressives, go to:

http://www.dailymarkets.com/economy/2011/03/09/the-principles-of-the-peoples-party/

If you like Robert Reich you will enjoy the article.

[Klad InVermont]

03:00 PM on 03/10/2011

The parroted talking point about budgets and budget cutting, is a smoke screen and a diversion to keep citizens from discussing the real cause and thereby the answer to the federal government and state governments fiscal problems is to make all the corporations and rich-elite individuals pay their fair share of taxes.
With the corporate tax rate of 35% and as an example GE paid only 4.5% last year, there is a glaring discrepancy in what some corporations owe and what they pay.
So a large chunk of this country's fiscal problems are related to the lack of tax collection, regulation and oversight on the part of the government over corporations and rich-elites, and is NOT about the middle-class and workers demanding too much for themselves.

[media4me]

02:42 PM on 03/10/2011

So you would have no problem with TEA demonstrators storming the capital, or handing out death threat emails.

[Klad InVermont]

03:02 PM on 03/10/2011

They did that 2 summers ago when then threatened various town meetings across the country with their rabid accusations, misspelled racists signs and of course showing up with guns in hand. The baggers have already done this and worse.

[Parsifals]

12:54 PM on 03/10/2011

Howard Fineman makes a strong argument for the "divide & conquer" approach the Elephants have traditionally used; however, it is difficult for "we the people" to stand by even if the elected officials are mute.

Reich makes an equally good argument that people don't like to see bullies, especially this openly, and perhaps people will move away from those using draconian tactics.

I wish the segment had been more in depth.

[Joe4more]

07:45 PM on 03/10/2011

Go To:
http://www.dailymarkets.com/economy/2011/03/09/the-principles-of-the-peoples-party/

[IWantTofu]

11:24 AM on 03/10/2011

The story is not only about the power of Republican's to destroy unions, but also how relevant unions are today, and does anyone else care what happens to unions. If other people care what happens to unions, and they get out and vote, they can vote the Republicans out of office. On the other hand, I don't think anyone else cares and there isn't enough union members to affect voting. If people are upset about union rights being taken away, but are to apathetic to vote, then these changes are the voters' fault.

[armchair subversive]

11:37 AM on 03/10/2011

The unions endorsed Scott Walker for governor, just as PATCO endorsed Reagan in 1980.

[IWantTofu]

12:48 PM on 03/10/2011

Next time he's up, if they don't like what he's doing, they can vote him out. In the meantime, vote out other Republicans to send a message.

[interlude]

12:53 PM on 03/10/2011

This needs to be trumpeted for all to hear. We have to stop being sheep.

[Jared Ross]

11:24 AM on 03/10/2011

Normally I like Howard's analysis, except in this one regard. Unlike Richard Nixon's "silent majority" in 1968, today's bomb throwers are the Tea Party Express and the Republicans themselves. Between yesterday's action in Wisconsin and the actions of the House Republicans, it will prove extraordinarily difficult for the Republicans to cast real Americans as radical. And while Howard does make a fine point about winning swing states in the south--Florida, Virginia and North Carolina, I don't see how the Republicans helped their cause in the midwest. At the rate the Republicans are going, the entire midwest, including Ohio and Pennsylvania, will be lost in a general election. In which case, it makes little difference whether the Republicans score political points in right-to-work states, because the political victory will be the Democrats. At this point, all I can say is stay tuned because I believe we are witnessing a Republican implosion.

[JB-IN]

11:44 AM on 03/10/2011

While I tend to agree with you, my fear is that it still 20 months before Nov '12, and at the rate the GOP governors are trampling and undermining our democratic system (look how much destruction they've waged in just 2 months!), we'll all be lucky to have any rights to CAST a vote if we don't sign away our souls to the T-Party and GOP beforehand.
We need a new movement, the SEA Party: Screwed Enough Already!

[Joe4more]

07:47 PM on 03/10/2011

We have a new movement listen to what Robert Reich has to say at:

http://www.dailymarkets.com/economy/2011/03/09/the-principles-of-the-peoples-party/

[changing]

11:19 AM on 03/10/2011

Over react ? What is wrong with Fineman. The reason we are where wer are at is all this adult behavior of the Dems while the Repubs burn down the buildings. Please-time for some dramatic action like a strike.

[RichieB]

11:45 AM on 03/10/2011

Agree. I think the bigger damage would be if dems and progressive independents under react.

[interlude]

12:55 PM on 03/10/2011

Definitely, but they need to react with their votes and wallets.

[IreneNH]

11:01 AM on 03/10/2011

Why aren't the national union leaders:

1. Getting the message out about all the hard fought rights that unions won for ALL workers
2. Stepping up their organizing efforts
3. Organizing a worker's rights march on Washington

[3dogman]

11:14 AM on 03/10/2011

Every union in America sat on their derrieres when Regan fired the Air Traffic Controllers. That silence began a precipitous slide into the ineffective union membership we have today. Today everyone in America should be concerned about what's happening in Wisconsin and every union worker in America should be helping their brothers and sisters in Wisconsin any why they can.

[reasonshouldrule]

11:19 AM on 03/10/2011

Well-said.

[IreneNH]

11:26 AM on 03/10/2011

Reagan's firing of the air traffic controllers still makes my blood boil. Not only should every union worker support WI union workers, but every worker who has benefited from worker rights won by the labor movement.

[interlude]

12:56 PM on 03/10/2011

Most of the media rolled over for the pugcons a decade ago.

[IreneNH]

01:46 PM on 03/10/2011

I agree. The media is either getting VERY lazy or they are moving further and further to the right as they do not refute outright lies and misrepresentations. Right wing websites are multiplying like rabbits.

However, my questions were for national union leaders. They have access as we all do to sites such as HP which they can use for organizing and getting facts out.

[7thcavman]

10:53 AM on 03/10/2011

In order to finish consolidating power in the hands of the Corporatists you not only have to give them all of the money you also have to eliminate competition from the lower class (which constitute the bulk of the population). First strip away the ability of the lower classes to have a unified voice of dissent (unions for example), second; create diversions by focusing on social issues so that the redistribution of money upwards is forgotten. This divides the lower classes and makes it easier for the Corporatists to control everything. Welcome to the Corporate States of America fellow peons.

[reasonshouldrule]

11:20 AM on 03/10/2011

Yes, sadly true. I wish someone could explain why people can't see this.

[gnosius]

10:43 AM on 03/10/2011

Does this actually prove Walker has lied all the time about his true intentions? Is this something the Republicans are supposed to be proud of?

[AlexNYC]

10:58 AM on 03/10/2011

For Republicans, the end always justifies the means.

[IWantTofu]

11:26 AM on 03/10/2011

If Republicans lie, everyone knows it, and Republicans keep getting elected to office, then people shouldn't complain.

[RichieB]

11:49 AM on 03/10/2011

I'm complaining because I don't vote for republicans. I am amazed that anyone in the middle class would, but they do because they don't know what's going on and fall for the rw propaganda.

[2curious]

10:35 AM on 03/10/2011

"Ding"..... Round 1 goes to the Billionaires For Bucks Club !

[Simplecomplexity]

10:34 AM on 03/10/2011

Howard...the Dems are ALWAYS the grown ups.

[media4me]

02:42 PM on 03/10/2011

On dope.