National Progress Now ‘March Badness’ Tourney Reaches Finale

MADISON, Wis. and HARRISBURG, Pa. — The NCAA College basketball tournament is not the only high-stakes contest being played this weekend. The Progress Now network’s “March Badness” tournament — featuring twenty of the most outrageous, radical, out of touch right-wingers in an online contest decided by social media likes and shares — has reached the championship round. Squaring off in the finale as the baddest of the bad are defending champion, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett, and Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker. Adding to the drama, Progress Now affiliates One Wisconsin Now and Pennsylvania’s Keystone Progress are wagering a selection of their state’s craft brews that their Governor will prevail as the worst of the worst.

One Wisconsin Now Executive Director Scot Ross commented, “Gov. Walker brings a complete game to the finals with his record of cronyism, corruption and incompetence. He can get down and dirty, with multiple criminal investigations of his administration and convictions of close aides and associates, or he can hit the ‘tre’ with his radical attacks on the rights of workers, women and voters.”

Walker’s tour de force of failure includes 2 secret “John Doe” criminal investigations of his administration, the creation of dozens of new political appointee positions he’s filled with cronies of questionable qualifications and unprecedented attacks on workplace rights, the repeal of a state equal pay law and attempts to impose a racist voter ID law and signing into law a roll back of early voting. On the economic front, Walker’s trickle-down economics have taken the state economy from 11th nationally in job creation all the way down to 35th.

Michael Morrill of Pennsylvania’s Keystone Progress replied, “Tom Corbett may be seeded number one, but he’s the underdog. The whole country knows about how bad Scott Walker is. Tom Corbett’s unique brand of right-wing lunacy has somehow stayed under the national radar. It will be tough to beat Walker, but we think Corbett will prevail as the most outrageous right-winger in the nation.”

Gov. Corbett has ridden his shocking homophobia to the finals this year. Corbett’s attorneys, in a filing to stop Montgomery County from issuing marriage licenses, compared gay marriage to allowing 12-year-olds to get married. After being chastised by equality advocates and editorials across the state, Corbett doubled down, comparing the marriage of same-sex couples to incest.

For more information about the players or to get in the game, go to www.marchbadness.org. People can cast a vote for their pick of worst of the worst by liking, tweeting, or sharing the comment they think deserves the “win”. Voting is open through Monday April 7 with the “champion” being crowned April 8.