Not that this is a surprise or anything… The American Legislative Exchange Council is a national pro-business, anti-worker group that creates model legislation for use by its conservative members who are in state legislatures. Not surprisingly, ALEC’s fingerprints are all over the new laws that make Michigan the country’s 24th Right to Work for Less state as shown by some […]

Here we go again…

NOTE: More on this story which has been picked up by the New York Times HERE.

And even more HERE.

Yesterday, I wrote about how Americans for Prosperity representatives helped knock down their own tent on the grounds of the Michigan State Capitol building during an anti-Right to Work for Less rally there. Subsequent to posting that piece, I was alerted to comments on Reddit by user “mtalna”. You can read those comments HERE. What is evident from the comments is that there is a lot of editing that has gone on with the videos Fox News is now running in nearly constant rotation making it look like all of the violence and hostility at the rally yesterday came from union members. As it turns out, significant portions of it were faked and creative Breitbart-style editing helped it along much more.

Details after the jump.

It is done. At a press conference moments ago, Governor Rick Snyder announced that he has already signed the two bills that make Michigan a Right to Work for Less state. There was a bill for both the private sector and public employees’ unions. Snyder blamed labor for forcing this on him with the Proposal 2 ballot initiative. No mention […]

Image is everything, unless it’s a lie

There’s a video on heavy rotation at Fox News, being massively retweeted by conservatives and Americans for Prosperity, where they talk about the “brutality” and “violence” of union members at today’s rally in Lansing, Michigan to protest Right to Work legislation. The video shows an Americans for Prosperity tent coming down on the front lawn of the Capitol Building.

As it turns out, American for Prosperity (AFP) themselves were responsible for at least one of the tents coming down. Tom Duckworth watched one of the folks that had been in the AFP tent go around and loosen the straps on the tent. According to Duckworth, “the stakes came down from the INSIDE.”

Video of an interview with Duckworth after the jump.

THIS is what democracy looks like

This post will be updated continuously throughout the day. My Eclectacorrespondents Anne (my wife) and Abby (my friend) will be sending in reports, photos and videos throughout the day. I will join them this afternoon when I get out of work. Anne has a camera set-up that sends her high-res digital images straight to her iPhone so we should have some great photos throughout the day.

All the rally goodness after the jump.

Ah, geez…

I got an hysterical inanity from the Tea Party of West Michigan this morning, a group whose website tagline is still the comically and grammatically incorrect “Influence policy, effect elections, protect the Constitution.” In it, the author warns about the potential for violence from union members.

Details after the jump.

Don’t get punk’d

On March 16 of 2011, there was a huge rally at the Capitol Building in Lansing, Michigan. I liveblogged it HERE. One of the things that I uncovered while I was there was an anti-union guy trying to make unions look very bad. This is him:

This guy was an imposter. Click through for details.

Damn, son.

Think tomorrow’s rally at the Michigan Capitol Building in Lansing is going to be HUGE. Don’t believe me? The Michigan State Police do. Check out this photo posted up at the Maddow Blog:

Much more after the jump.

Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you.

In his visit to the Daimler Detroit Diesel plant in Redford, Michigan today, Presdient Obama amplified and gave full-throated endorsement of the battle being fought to stop Michigan from becoming the nation’s 24th “Right to Work for Less” state:

“[B]y the way, what we shouldn’t do — I just got to say this — what we shouldn’t be doing is trying to take away your rights to bargain for better wages and working conditions. We shouldn’t be doing that. These so-called “right to work” laws, they don’t have anything to do with economics; they have everything to do with politics. What they’re really talking about is giving you the right to work for less money.”

PHOTOS and much more after the jump.

Coming soon to a state near you

Lee Fang over at The Nation has a great piece up titled “Pro–’Right to Work’ Groups In Michigan Outspend Union Counterparts”. In it, he shows how anti-union groups are dramatically outspending pro-union anti-Right to Work for Less groups in Michigan.

Details on this and so much more after the jump.

You wouldn’t understand — It’s a solidarity thing.

When opponents of the drive to make Michigan a Right to Work for Less state rally at the State Capitol Building on Tuesday, they will be joined by some of their brothers and sisters from Wisconsin.

Details after the jump.