The verdict is clear: Americans support public employees in this standoff. Whether that will impact the outcome of the fight, of course, remains to be seen. But the bigger story -- one that will ripple far beyond what happens in Wisconsin -- is that public employees are not proving the easy scapegoat many predicted they would be, and when faced with the question of whether their fundamental union rights should be taken away, Americans have stepped up and answered with a firm No.

"These new charges are dangerous to Bradley -- as well as to the transparency movement, the free press, and the foundations of open democracy in general -- because they carry with them the penalty of death. Through some bizarre series of events we have arrived at a point in which our nation, once a beacon of Enlightenment-era ideals, has put the death penalty on the table as a viable method for dealing with whistle blowers. If you aren’t concerned, you aren’t paying attention...."

Radio host and author Thom Hartmann has a new book, Rebooting the American Dream. Hartmann has a progressive reputation, and his book supports unions, calls for eliminating tax cuts for the rich and advocates other sensible ideas. But like many liberals, when it comes to immigration his tune changes, repeating many of the stereotypes and falsehoods that gave Lou Dobbs a reputation as one of the most anti-immigrant commentators in U.S. media.