February 21, 2011

Highlights of the last 8 days of following the Wisconsin protests here on the Althouse blog.

The light, low-key demonstration on February 13th: "It was a beautiful, unseasonably warm Sunday, and our new governor has just dropped a shocking union-busting proposal that our newly Republican legislature is likely to step up and pass. This is the push-back from the unions?"

February 16, when the Madison schools first closed for the protest: "Okay, now, everybody go to the demonstration! The kids won't have school, but you can learn a lot of things outside of school. Some of these things are even taught by the teachers who are not there. For example, it's okay to call in sick when you're not actually sick, but you just have something that you think is really important."

A lady lets Meade know — via face — that he's an idiot not to understand the comparison between Scott Walker and Hitler.

Another lady holds up a Scott-Walker-is-Hitler sign and tells me fascism is coming to America.

On February 18th, I wonder what's really happening: "Why wouldn't the Republicans embrace a strategy hostile to the public employees? Why wouldn't they drive a wedge between the public employees and all the other citizens in the state?"

I talk to a man who likens Walker to Stalin and a young woman who likens Walker to the Wicked Witch of the West.

I don't like Jesse Jackson grandstanding here.

I'm wary of the Tea Party rally if it insufficiently Wisconsin.

I encounter the doctors who are handing out sick-day excuses to protesters.

Video: faces in the Tea Party crowd (with audio of Breitbart speaking).

I confront a woman with a "Please don't teabag our children" sign.

The Judas/Brett Favre/Scott Walker thing.

The nefarious honking salt trucks.

I'm irked at the lack of journalistic vigor from the New York Times.

11 comments:

Richard Dolan said...

My, take a week off to go skiing and come back to all manner of strange doings in the Great Middle. The political pot may be bubbling away in Madison, Washington and elsewhere, but it's nice to know that there are still places you can go where no one talks about any of this (for me, it was Lake Placid).

Ann Althouse said...

"My, take a week off to go skiing..."

The snow melted, unfortunately, or I'd have had a dilemma.

Unknown said...

Yeoman service, Madame. I think your place in Heaven is a little more assured.

You told the truth and that's all we asked.

Toad Trend said...

Journalistic vigor from the NY Times?

I think not.

Methinks the old Grey Lady assumed room temperature long ago.

Matt Apps said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
chickelit said...

Highlights of the last 8 days of following...

8 Days a Week!

pfennig said...

I had the opportunity to come to Madison Friday night from the Wisconsin hinterlands for a long planned business meeting. (Stayed at the Edgewater which was also hosting a DAR conference!)

A few observations from Friday night and Saturday afternoon wandering around the Capitol:

1. Nightime demonstrations are edgier. Fewer children--more alcohol.

2. Fewer tea-partiers than the news media reported. Maybe 5%.

3. Little vitriol on the part of the tea-party people. Mostly pro-Walker. Distain for the 14 AWOL Dems.

4. There was a conscious effort to encourage civility on the part of the organized crowd. The student types and the usual crazies were not reigned in. Nastiest sign: "Somebody give Walker a blow job so we can impeach him."

5. As Saturday wore on, many more out of staters were coming in with many more preprinted signs. How do I know they were out of state? Less Packer and Badger garb.

6. The protesters yelled that it is not about the money, but many privately complained that it is about the money.

7. Two general moods in the crowd--carnival atmosphere among the college kids and dispair among the union types.

8. Protesters did not seem to understand that if Wisconsin doesn't like what Walker is doing, they can vote him and his allies out in the next election cycles and restore all of the "lost" union rights.

Placeholder said...

Ann, how about a poll about your getting a $10,000 pay cut? I am all in favor of it, you parasite on the taxpayer! Ha ha!

Fen said...

Wow Amanda..er Placeholder, what a petty little bitch you are.

You keep posting that to every thread. The only thing it does is make you look small.

Derek Kite said...

I want to say how much I appreciate your reports. These reports are an example of citizen journalism.

Let me put it this way. Everything I read about Wisconsin is measured against what you have written.

Thank you.

spunky said...

Great job, Ann and Meade. Absolutely great.