This week in the world of progressive state blogs: The cognitive dissonance just keeps adding up

This Saturday feature spotlights a dozen examples of what's been written in the past seven days at progressive state blogs. Just as states with progressive lawmakers and activists have themselves initiated innovative programs over a wide range of issues, state-based progressive blogs have helped provide us with a point of view and inside information we don't get from the traditional media. Those blogs deserve a larger audience. Standard disclaimer: Inclusion of a diary does not indicate my agreement or endorsement of its contents.

At NorthDecoder, Chet writes Republicans Built This:

I can't help but grimace when I see how Republicans don't see what they are doing to themselves and to North Dakota. It's like watching someone giving themselves a round-house punch to the face. They elect these corporate sell-outs who are destroying Western North Dakota, and then get mad that Western North Dakota is being destroyed. In a tragic, sick and sad way, it's funny. It's unfortunate.  Let me draw you a map.

The Mayor of Watford City is a fellow named Brent Sanford.  He's mad as hell and he's not going to take any more.  What's he mad about?  He's mad that the North Dakota Highway Department isn't doing anything to stop the slaughter of people on our Western North Dakota highways. [...]

He's mad because our state's leadership has failed to build and maintain infrastructure that can handle the kind of industrial pressure being put on the entire western half of the state.  He's mad the state's leaders haven't prepared to handle what they've let loose on his town and county. At the same time, Mayor Sanford supports the Republicans who are doing this to us. Makes sense, right?

At Calitics, Brian Leubitz writes Roll Call Peers Into the Future of California Congress Delegation:

Congressional seats don't come up often, and when people get there, they tend to stay. The California Congressional delegation is no different. Except right now, the delegation has several septuagenarians, and as Pete Stark learned, there are always a few people spoiling for a fight. And so Roll Call, a publication that caters to DC insiders, takes a look at some of the potential replacements.

At Raging Chicken Press, Sean Kitchen writes, Rep. Madeleine Dean: Tom Corbett's Budget is Misguided and has Missed Opportunities:

Representative Madeleine Dean scolds Governor Tom Corbett's budget and attacks the governor's plans for shot's for tots, the lack of a medicare expansion plan and the LACK of a real Marcellus Shale Tax.  Watch the video here.