Althouse: Wisconsin street theater: "Come along, Scottie."

April 5, 2011

Wisconsin street theater: "Come along, Scottie."

The Koch Brothers and their puppet, Scott Walker. (Video recorded by Meade yesterday.)

58 comments:

Chris said...: Wow, I didn't know the Koch brothers were such big Obama fans.; 4/5/11, 10:32 AM
Joaquin said...: And those self-absorbed, twits are supposed to be taken seriously?; 4/5/11, 10:35 AM
Stan said...: Never, ever, ever let reality intrude on leftist talking points. After all, truth is only a construct anyway. We are all entitled to our own truth.; 4/5/11, 10:37 AM
traditionalguy said...: Karl Marx would be so proud of them.; 4/5/11, 10:39 AM
Unknown said...: These guys undoubtedly think they're the next Noel Coward and Oscar Wilde.; 4/5/11, 10:40 AM
Hoosier Daddy said...: Did this take place on a weekend? Assuming these folks have jobs, where do people find so much time to protest?; 4/5/11, 10:42 AM
Carol_Herman said...: A free country at its best.

Here? That's called a "turn out" in Wisconsin?

Today's the 5th. Hope people are voting. Hope they care enough. And, both parties don't just look alike to many.; 4/5/11, 10:44 AM
Fred4Pres said...: That is stupidly funny.; 4/5/11, 10:48 AM
themightypuck said...: This is pretty awesome if somewhat misguided.; 4/5/11, 10:50 AM
Kensington said...: Good grief!

I've mentioned before that a good friend of mine is an intimate acquaintance of the Koch family, and according to him all these notions of the Kochs as right wing puppeteers of Scott Walker are just asinine. The Kochs themselves are quite mystified as to how they became boogeymen, apparently.; 4/5/11, 10:52 AM
Wince said...: "Blame Wall Street - No Concessions"

First, I thought the unions voluntarily made concessions that made Walker's bill unnecessary?

Second, somebody tell these idiots that Koch Indutries is privately held, and that the stock is not traded on Wall Street.

Third, these guys don't even realize they represent "the establishment."; 4/5/11, 10:53 AM
MayBee said...: The puppets are the people dancing on the strings of the anti-Koch brothers propagandists.

Obama wants to raise a billion dollars for his reelection campaign. $1,000,000,000. Money in politics is obviously not scary to Democrats. But these people repeat "Koch Brothers" like a bunch of zombies. Like...puppets.; 4/5/11, 10:53 AM
X said...: in democratopia, taxes are always going to land on the rich, but end up hitting the middle class instead. where's the billionaire tax?; 4/5/11, 10:57 AM
Phil 314 said...: Is this the liberal version of
Preaching to the choir?

And I just gotta know:

Do "thinking" liberals honestly belief Gov Walker's policies are underwritten, if not directed, by the Koch brothers?

Do liberals really need a wealthy "boogeyman" (men) to motivate their masses?; 4/5/11, 10:58 AM
Smilin' Jack said...: Ah, yes, those evil libertarian Koch brothers and their nefarious libertarian plot to...ummm...well, to leave me alone, I guess. They must be stopped!!; 4/5/11, 10:59 AM
Bushman of the Kohlrabi said...: At least they were entertaining. Much better than the dude with the blow horn.; 4/5/11, 11:03 AM
Toad Trend said...: Ah yes, the band of misfits are a staple for any leftist demand.

Now that MLK has been employed, I'm expecting Jesus Christ wearing a union t-shirt to come walking down the road with the cross, followed by Pontius 'Scott Walker' Pilate not far behind.; 4/5/11, 11:07 AM
Chuck66 said...: Do any of you think some of the Koch hatred is due to anti-Semitism? The left has portrayed them as the greedy Jew businessman.; 4/5/11, 11:15 AM
Robin said...: These people are just insane.; 4/5/11, 11:17 AM
Real American said...: just more proof that leftists aren't very serious.; 4/5/11, 11:18 AM
Original Mike said...: This is interesting. I think the judge has a point. (via Instapundit); 4/5/11, 11:24 AM
SteveR said...: This is long past stupid. There are people with real problems these dopes can help, if they have so much time.; 4/5/11, 11:26 AM
Mike said...: Nasty little kiddies playing in the mud--not much content there, but it keeps them off the street---er wait a minute they are playing on the street.

Let's just say that it keeps them from their day job--if they have a day job.; 4/5/11, 11:39 AM
cubanbob said...: Chuck66 said...
Do any of you think some of the Koch hatred is due to anti-Semitism? The left has portrayed them as the greedy Jew businessman.

4/5/11 11:15 AM

Wiki doesn't say anything about them being Jews.; 4/5/11, 11:40 AM
Chip Ahoy said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 4/5/11, 11:44 AM
Chip Ahoy said...: I wonder, so where are Wisconsin Tea Party protesters play acting Wisconsin teachers as ridiculous puppets with their unions pulling the strings?

Hang on. * thinks *

They're probably seeing to their herds, producing milk, butter, cheese, growing cranberries, corn, snap peas, scrounging for ginseng, harvesting cherries, carrots, potatoes, oats, and connecting hoses to Maple trees right about now and boiling down the syrup. They're making sausages, pizzas, and beer. They're busy working at their manufacturing jobs making sinks and bathtubs, boat motors tools and motorcycles. They're making paper for me to use in pop-ups. That reminds me, I must get busy myself. The point is, being pragmatic, apparently they see it a colossal waste to engage in these little reindeer games right now. I guess we'll see a year at the next scheduled bloodletting.

Hahaha. I had 'among otters' up there ↑.; 4/5/11, 11:47 AM
cubanbob said...: Come January 2013 when the new republican president and congress come in to power I hope the first thing they do is repeal the Wagner Act, the Davis-Bacon Act, the tax exempt and anti-trust exempt status of unions along with passing a national right to work act and a ban on closed shops and outright ban of civil service employee unions.

In the meantime the republicans in WI might as well do the same at the state level. It's not as if the communist parasites are going to hate them any less if they didn't.; 4/5/11, 11:48 AM
The Crack Emcee said...: By now, it should be clear, the puppets are any Leftist who mentions the Koch brothers.

They're incredible with how tightly they'll cling to something.

You know, almost like guns and religion.; 4/5/11, 11:50 AM
Alex said...: Vomit time.; 4/5/11, 11:57 AM
Lincolntf said...: I'd like to somehow insinuate myself into that parade of the clueless and then rip off a sweatshirt to reveal a pro-Walker T-shirt underneath. It would be like Pamplona, but with a bunch of effete twits and obese ignorami instead of bulls.; 4/5/11, 11:57 AM
TosaGuy said...: Those of us who work for a living a pretty much done with this stuff.; 4/5/11, 12:02 PM
coketown said...: Why is the Victorian merchant still the prototypical example of the Wealthy Man? Top hat, frock coat, white gloves: They must be rich!; 4/5/11, 12:12 PM
Chuck66 said...: Cubanbob, go to Google or Yahoo, and type in the words "Koch" and "Jewish".

You'll get directed to a site called "Jew Watch". Haven't checked it out for a while, but it echos what WEAC/AFSCME is saying about them.; 4/5/11, 12:18 PM
LordSomber said...: In the extension of self-reflexivity by puppetry participants, any cultural references are veritably steamrolled by the facilitation of exhibition-attention/psychosocial projections.; 4/5/11, 12:24 PM
Known Unknown said...: Monocle FAIL.

Attention to detail isn't the protesters strong suit.; 4/5/11, 12:57 PM
tim maguire said...: I generally like political theater, puppets and all, but in the last decade or so it's gotten so trite, overdone, predictable, boring.

Progressives haven't had a dramatic idea any more recently than they've had any other kind of idea.; 4/5/11, 12:58 PM
Steve M. Galbraith said...: When I become King (I'm working on it), I will order the beheading of anyone wearing tricorne hats or using puppets in protests.

There: a shot at the Tea Party kooks on the right and a shot at the kooks on the Progressive left.

Tis' good to be King.; 4/5/11, 1:02 PM
Phil 314 said...: Here's the intersection between Government employee unions and Obamacare

I can assure you that this is a nationwide phenomenon. Governmental workers cost more to insure medically.

Are they sicker? Probably not.

Are they incentivized to consume more (via low co-pays etc)? Probably so.; 4/5/11, 1:57 PM
Ann Althouse said...: I thought these guys were good. The head is well made, the puppeteers are well costumed, and the more animated of the 2 puppeteers is expressive and funny.; 4/5/11, 2:09 PM
Michael said...: Well, I have been complaining for months that the Madison protests lacked puppets and thus lacked authenticity. And here we are with rather good ones. They will last for years so long as sympathetic people are willing to store them for the protesters of the future who will, in turn, need them to authenticate their deeply held beliefs about the injustice in the world, in Madison.; 4/5/11, 2:12 PM
Michael said...: Also, have there been no mime troops in Madison, because mime troops mean you are really serious, deeply serious, about the protest at hand. Haven't read of any but then maybe they no longer exist since it is such a taxing and poorly paid and non-union profession.; 4/5/11, 2:16 PM
Lincolntf said...: If a mime whines in Madison, does anyone hear it?; 4/5/11, 2:24 PM
jerryofva said...: Cubanbob:

If you go beyond Wikipedia you will find that they are indeed descendents of Dutch Jewish immigrants. Leftists only like Jews who help send their brothers to the gas chambers.; 4/5/11, 2:27 PM
Rialby said...: "The Kochs themselves are quite mystified as to how they became boogeymen, apparently."

Pick a target. Freeze it. Personalize it. Polarize it.; 4/5/11, 2:40 PM
Bushman of the Kohlrabi said...: Wisconsin Democrats are puppets for the unions.; 4/5/11, 3:23 PM
Curious George said...: "I thought these guys were good. The head is well made, the puppeteers are well costumed, and the more animated of the 2 puppeteers is expressive and funny."

I suppose, but only if you judge in regard to "theatre" which is what a high percentage of this protesting is. It's not about "the cause" but about "how much fun it is" and "boy am I ever edgy and cool." But in the end you vote alone which is why I think Prosser will prevail. Voting isn't theatre.; 4/5/11, 4:04 PM
PaulV said...: A Koch Brother's front organization (the ACLU) wants to blow up the military commisions!!!
Such a lack of civility.

WV: faill as in epic faill; 4/5/11, 4:37 PM
Toad Trend said...: @SMGalbraith

"There: a shot at the Tea Party kooks on the right..."

Um, yeah...its 'kooky' to be against taxation, debt and generational theft.

You are that dense.; 4/5/11, 4:57 PM
Lincolntf said...: The "kooks" in the Tea Party are wholly imaginary, while the kooks in Madison are real, violent and just getting started.
The equivalency myth is an old favorite of the Left.; 4/5/11, 5:02 PM
foxtrot said...: So if I did something similar with a huge Obama cutout, being led by people dressed up as Hillary, Pelosi, Soros, Buffett, and the leader of the AFL-CIO, the liberals wouldn't have a problem?; 4/5/11, 6:56 PM
Ritmo Re-Animated said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 4/5/11, 7:19 PM
Ritmo Re-Animated said...: What are you talkin' bout, Chuck. People who hate Jews and implicate them in crazy conspiracy theories go on about George Soros, like that teabagger nutjob Glenn Beck and the rest of y'all.

The Kochsucker Brothers could not be Jewish. No way. No Jew who is seen as mainstream in his community has that greedy and destructive an agenda.

Jews didn't come from a feudal system that taught them to each aspire to be the sorts of kings and lords that white European-American conservative gentiles fancy themselves as.; 4/5/11, 7:21 PM
Synova said...: I'm getting really upset at blogger.

Does anyone know why it has started eating comments? Can not complete your request, let me help you by emptying your buffer?

Is there a variable I can control to avoid it?; 4/5/11, 8:14 PM
Synova said...: I would be a happier person if I could think "oh, how adorable!" instead of thinking about how these people are lying on purpose while thinking of themselves as good people because they're on the right side.; 4/5/11, 8:17 PM
Toad Trend said...: @C4

"Jews didn't come from a feudal system that taught them to each aspire to be the sorts of kings and lords that white European-American conservative gentiles fancy themselves as."

Did you make that up yourself? Or is that the recitation of some other deranged individual???

Pathetic.; 4/6/11, 7:19 AM
Toad Trend said...: @Synova

The comment-eating has happened to me as well. I have started to copy/paste some comments into a text editor (Word, etc) before submitting as a workaround. Pain in the ass, yes, but necessary!; 4/6/11, 7:21 AM
Unknown said...: They are desperately drying to take the attention off of Soros. I was at a counter-rally against the unions here in Denver and some moron had a Koch sign, I yelled at him, what about your SOROS.. He didn't know what to say.; 4/6/11, 9:07 AM
sarge said...: " thought these guys were good. The head is well made, the puppeteers are well costumed, and the more animated of the 2 puppeteers is expressive and funny.

sarge here ifn this altmeade got out some or wuz from these parts she/it would know the animated one wuz the singer from thar Rousers; 4/7/11, 4:17 AM