In a victory — at least a symbolic one — for Wisconsin’s public employee unions, the Capitol authorities announced on Sunday that demonstrators could continue their all-night sleepovers in the building and would not be forcibly ejected or arrested.Well, yes. A decision was made that it wasn't worth the drama to oust these people who've been clean and orderly enough. Plus, the police are — it seems to me — sympathetic to the protest. As for the GOP politicians who dominate the state government: Why would they want to make martyrs out of the folks who've worked so long and hard to demonstrate how strongly they care? They've been hanging out in the Capitol, enduring the cacophony of their own drumming and chanting and sleeping on the hard stone floor for 10+ days. They're punishing themselves. Why not let them suffer, unmolested, and continue to generate images that disturb the Wisconsinites who voted the Republicans into office 3 months ago?
February 28, 2011
The NYT strains to find a "victory" for the Wisconsin demonstrators.
Its story today begins:
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60 comments:
Drum Circles!!! We need more Drum Circles!!!
That will play well in Appleton and Rhinelander!
Victory is right around the corner, comrades!
That's a real Special Olympics type of victory, there, folks.
WV: foaker. Really.
It does remind one of a crowd trapped in an airport terminal during a weather related flight cancellations. We should feel sorry for them. The Lord looks out for fools, drunks and little children.
Hooray! We won a sleepover!
How about we set up a rotation of drummers at the capitol building around the clock to keep the protesters from getting any sleep? Lets see how long they keep up the vigil when they get no sleep.
The order went out for the cops to clear out the building. The cops didn't. Obvious sign of weakness when an administrator can't administrate.
Drum Circles!!! We need more Drum Circles!!!
If they had used cowbells they'd have won our hearts.
It was my impression, based on coverage here and elsewhere, that the demonstrators were hoping for a low-level confrontation with police. It's a propaganda war and video of the protesters being physically removed, even if quite gently, would have been very helpful in turning public opinion to their cause. Nobody (well, very few) on either side wants to be seen as provoking any sort of physical confrontation. The decision to not oust the protesters is no "victory" for the insurgents.
My recollection from grade school "Wisconsin studies" back in the 50s is that Wisconsin has no state police force. Except the highway patrol which, at least then, did not have general police authority. Is that still true? Is there a state law enforcement agency that the governor could have used to enforce the closing of the Capitol building or must the State rely on county and city law enforcement in a situation such as this? Short of calling out the NG, of course. If the State must rely on the locals, is there a method for State authorities to exercise control?
Yes, the longer it goes on, the sillier they look. If they want to be taken seriously, it's time for a new strategy.
For my kids, winning a sleepover is a real victory. The stakes are smaller when you're under 10.
Plus, the police are — it seems to me — sympathetic to the protest.
"The enemy of my enemy is my friend."
You keep saying that the protest was clean and orderly. I don't know exactly what you think other protests look like in terms of order and cleanliness, but there are many orderly and clean protests.
It really sounds like you're trying - desperately! - to push this idea that Wisconsinites, even union thug Wisconsinites, are more clean and orderly than your average protesters, which I'm not sure is the case.
As we've seen, Wisconsin is no bastion of anything resembling anything particularly "good". Many of the public "servants" are obnoxious, spoiled, thuggish, and frankly, ugly.
You may think that the protests are some sort of example of civil protests, but I've been to protests in New York, for example, that are cleaner, more orderly, and much more civil.
Time for a vuvuzela concert.
This is an excerpt from the article in my WSJ this morning (strangely deleted from online edition):
"In the late afternoon, a spokeswoman for the capitol police indicasted the protesters refusing to leave would not be arrested - bringing relief and some disappointment.
"We thought we'd be dragged out," said Jacob Crawford, 30, who had driven about five hours from Urbana, Ill."
Martyrdom denied Jake!
lol Henry.
And, via Kevin, this deserves a re-link
Does the Capitol police even have the manpower to oust the sleepover crowd?
I understand the City police are refusing to help out with any crowd control and will not receive arrestees.
The Governor could call in the Highway Patrol and/or the National Guard, but then the MSM would go positively giddy with visions of Kent State, etc. dancing in their heads. Much better to keep it as low-key as possible, and let these wear out their welcome with the public with their tiresome foolishness.
Well, it's not much of a strain -- just a little rhetorical color, really, a way to get you interested in reading past the opening -- and at least has the upside of a factual basis.
That the NYT coverage is decidedly Dem and pro-union is par for the course. Next thing you know, some one will notice the same thing about CBS and NPR, while the usual suspects will make a crack about the opposite perspective at Fox.
The criticism -- that the NYT (and CBS and NPR and Fox and ...) have a thumb on the scale in favor of their favored political team -- draws an implied contrast with an Eden that never was, a time of objective, politics-neutral journalism. Even as an imagined ideal, that's at least 30 years out of date, and definitely pre-internet. Truth be told, a politics-neutral journalism would lack an organizing perspective, offering up only a thin, vapid and tasteless mush. Boring. We all know where the NYT (and CBS and NPR and Fox ...) are coming from, so just relax and enjoy it (or enjoy hating it, which amounts to the same thing).
One thing for sure: Ann does enjoy it, an enjoys even more poking fun at its pretensions (that 'all the news that's fit to print' stuff is always a good place to start, as is 'fair and balanced').
The Gray Lady has to make the best of a disaster. Everyone now knows what the public sector unions are about and the popular heroes in this have been people like Christie and Walker and Kasich.
This little go at intimidation has been the death knell of public sector unions and all the happy talk in the world won't change it.
Victory is a way off for labor. Reaganites have been planning a long time to rid the nation of unions. Do people really think that one protest will save the day?
If the protesters defend their bargaining rights, it would be a victory for sure. Better yet, impeach Walker. That is yet another reason we need a parliamentary sytem: it's easier to get rid of crooks, sometimes.
Peace,
Tex Shelters
As any experienced parent will readily tell you: whenever a sulky and irrational child is simply bound and determined to have that kicking, screaming full-bore tantrum, come hell or high water... you simply wait 'em out, until they've finally (and inevitably) exhausted themselves.
I have a funny feeling there's a certain number of protesters eager for the government to crack down and push them out so they can go home and stop sleeping on the floor. If you're a crazy leftoid proto hippie protester, you don't want to be the first one to suggest going home.
For my kids, winning a sleepover is a real victory. The stakes are smaller when you're under 10.
The problem with a sleepover always is the day after.
What will the protestors do now?
I note that midterms are coming up.
Time is running out on saving $165 million...
http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2011/02/028486.php
New rules for going into the Capitol.
Link.
Fun Fact: Did you know you can buy live hornets on the Internet and have them shipped overnight to Madison, Wisconsin? I did not know that. Bees, yeah, sure. But hornets in winter, did not know.
as AA strains to find more relevant, interesting topics for her majority conservative audience ...
What should AA focus on I wonder? Given she's a Wisconsinite and all...
Oh *SNAP* of course! She should dig into the Walker-Koch Industries connection, follow the dirty money!
am I right, am I right! Do I get a prize now Mommy?
texshelters said...
Victory is a way off for labor. Reaganites have been planning a long time to rid the nation of unions.
Try again. The unions have been destroying themselves since V-J Day. The public sector unions are all that's left and the public has soured on them.
shiloh said...
as AA strains to find more relevant, interesting topics for her majority conservative audience ...
She succeeds. This is the biggest issue facing this country - and Walker is its hero.
shiloh/PB&J may hate it, but Walker is looking more and more like another Christie - and another strong candidate for POTUS in '16 or '20.
No Alex, but as one of AA's fav lemmings, you will get some lovely parting gifts and a version of AA's RNC home game.
thanx for playin'
What should AA focus on right now? All of left-wing pet peeves like creationists, abortion bombers, Wall Street crooks? Yeah let's pretend the Wisconsin labor thing isn't happening and focus on THOSE things to satisfy shiloh.
instead of constant snark - what should AA be focusing on like a LASER beam. Give specifics.
Alex, anything she wants as America is still a free country, much to cheney/bush's chagrin.
btw, didn't you get the word ?!? I'm a troll lol and all of AA's lemmings should avoid me at all costs. Or so I hear ...
take care
shiloh - buzz off. All we get from you is 100% snark, 0% content. FOAD you freak.
a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest ...
Alex, anything she wants as America is still a free country, much to cheney/bush's chagrin.
Jump? Meet Shark.
/ignore on
The order went out for the cops to clear out the building. The cops didn't. Obvious sign of weakness when an administrator can't administrate.
I would agree with Jim on the gist of this comment though I think I have a different take on why its concerning.
If the Governor can't count on the police then what does say about the power of the State Government as the employer to direct its employees, the police? Still a long way from Greece but getting a little closer.
anything she wants as America is still a free country, much to cheney/bush's chagrin.
Coming from the supporter of government mandated health insurance no less!
Obvious sign of weakness when an administrator can't administrate.
I didn't know the Gov had oversight of the local police department.
Thanks for clearing that up!
Shiloh seems to have taken over the role of deflector in chief. If you don't want to talk about what he wants to talk about expect to be called names he gets from his snark dictionary.
Shiloh's comments: "...tale[s] told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing".
"Why not let them suffer, unmolested, and continue to generate images that disturb the Wisconsinites who voted the Republicans into office 3 months ago? "
Because of the added security and maintenance costs to keep them in a 24-hour hold.
Somebody's paying those bills, Althouse. Think it through?
(and I think too much Madison living has lowered your definitions of "clean and orderly enough".)
I saw on national tv this morning, video of two protestors ... "spooning" under sleeping bags. Out with them, already!
Conservative alternate reality world:
If you're a crazy leftoid proto hippie protester, you don't want to be the first one to suggest going home.
Reality - Hundreds of firefighters at Capitol entrance, demand to be let in
This is of course why Walker exempted cops and firefighters. He didn't want them visibly protesting against him.
Hundreds of firefighters at the Capitol entrance demanding to be let in. That plan of exempting them so they wouldn't protest against him ain't working out so good.
Hundreds of firefighters at the Capitol entrance demanding to be let in.
What have they done with their trucks? Seriously, proximity to trucks is important.
I assume these are off-duty firefighters.
I didn't know the Gov had oversight of the local police department.
Thanks for clearing that up!
You misunderstand. The Capitol has its own police force that is responsible for securing buildings in Madison and Milwaukee.
Division of Capitol Police
WI Dem Threatens Female Republican Rep. After Assembly Vote: “You Are F***king Dead!”
For those unfamiliar with the name: Hintz is the same anti-taxpayer, pro-leech leftard busted last week during a prostitution sting.
"I didn't know the Gov had oversight of the local police department."
Jay, I'll give you the opportunity to correct yourself. Go do a little research and come back and tell us what you find.
Oops. Too late. Sorry Jay. I really wanted you to have the opportunity to do that for yourself. It always means so much more when you do it that way.
AA, your lemmings are doing a fine job ignoring me ...
Congrats!
Walker has just given the craven fleebaggers a 24-hour "drop dead" deadline. Excerpt:
"Walker addresses a joint session of the legislature tomorrow night, in what will surely be showdown moment between himself and the fleebaggers. If they don’t send someone to provide a quorum at that point, Walker will almost certainly announce layoffs and blame them on Democrats who won’t participate as a minority, but instead insist on dictating to the majority. Unfortunately for everyone, there seems to be no way for fleebaggers to save face at this point. Walker is obviously not retreating from his position — and since he has the votes necessary to pass the bill, he doesn’t have to retreat."
Game Over. ;)
According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the druggies are on the ledge!
I don't see a lot of conversation, or even mention, of the poor precedent that fleeing to a neighboring state sets up. It strikes me as negotiating with kidnappers. As soon as you start paying ransom, you will start getting more of that behavior.
If the Democrats "won" on this issue by force the GOP in Wisconsin to cave on collective rights issue, they would have to expect, and forever more expect, any vote requiring a quorum to be subjected to minority hostage-taking.
In the face of that, regardless of the issue and regardless of the party holding the majority, I don't see how someone in the governor's manse could possibly change course without inviting this "fleebagging" behavior to happen again and again.
Game Over. ;)
Because he gave an ultimatum? LOL
I bet they're quaking in their boots! Nobody is listening to this jackoff anymore, if they ever did to begin with.
It is certainly time to hand each one a citation for trespass for each day they remain in the capital building overnight.
The proceeds from the citations would at least start to cover the incremental costs, and if they were for say, $1000 per day per person, not sure of the citation limits in state statutes, this would give the ones that have assets that can be attached both a reason and an excuse to leave.
It is also time to quit allowing materials to enter the capital that can be used to attach signs to the walls, etc. The protestors have freedom of speech, but do not have the freedom to deface the building or to block the normal operations gong on within it.
Drag them out. This is absolutely ridiculous that these bums are allowed this silliness.
I could get them out. Just play a loop of "It's a Small World Afterall". After about 12 hours of that they'd all be gone.
Also do not allow them to use any of the electrical plugs at all.
Its was the NYTs Eric Lipton that targeted the Koch brothers with this unsourced quote:
Even before the new governor was sworn in last month, executives from the Koch-backed group had worked behind the scenes to try to encourage a union showdown, Mr. Phillips said in an interview on Monday.
Mr Phillips (Koch rep) never said this. Lipton has failed to back it up. But the NYTs wanted a narrative so they created the "quote" out of thin air.
http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2011/02/028470.php
I've said it before, I'll say it again: If you found out your stock broker had lied to you about Enron, would you use him again? And yet, people continue to use the likes of CNN and the NYTs as their information brokers.
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