New Orleans Yesterday was the first day of our future and from all reports it was much, much scarier than Halloween might have ever hoped to be.  Look at the cases in point.

In the federal hearing on immigration madness in Arizona, Governor Brewer took time out of her campaign schedule (ok, that’s a lie; the hearing WAS her campaign schedule after all!) to rubberneck at the federal judges parsing the hate from the law in SB 1070.  From NDLON tweets at the trial and the story, it seemed many of the questions went to the issue of exactly why the state should be doing the federal government’s job.  With the Republican Tea Party explosion, how many pieces of anti-immigrant can we now expect?  Certainly, the hope for reform needs a total retooling to mount a push back from our base in progressive cities and states to offset the madness.

Our friend, Joe McCartin, labor history professor at Georgetown, was quoted liberally in the New York Times, on the coming attacks against labor unions with Republican Tea Party ascendancy, but all that did was put a little sugar in the coffee, because it was a bitter drink to swallow.  Card check has been dead, but

they intend to bury it to no one’s surprise.  Prevailing wages for construction workers is on the chopping block, but the Republicans may not have gotten the word on how much that has been eviscerated in many communities already.  They must be just positioning to take early credit for some of what they have already done.  The only good news is that there may be a stalemate, but given the decline in labor strength, a stalemate is another nail in our coffin, unless we finally shift directions and change strategy.

There is a great scene and line in the new movie, Social Network, where then Harvard President and always arrogant Larry Summers, turns to an aide, while meeting with the whining crew roaring elitists, and says, “punch me in the face, now!”  This is how I felt this morning reading the Times story on the bailout bankers positioning themselves after their economy collapsing performances of recent years and their disaster tour on foreclosures.  These guys are coming back to power.  They are exulting at the prospects of defunding regulation under the Frank bill, SEC, and other regulatory agencies.   They are buying each other t-shirts to wear under their silk ties that say:  “F**k you – We Have Learned NOTHING!”

It’s one thing to go to the polls holding your nose.  It’s another when you have to make sure you have a bag packed by the time you come back from voting, so you are ready to roll and run at any moment!