June 27, 2011

The pro-Walker singalong at the Wisconsin Capitol today.

Isthmus columnist David Blaska set up a conservative singalong for the Capitol rotunda, which is usually occupied at this time by an anti-Walker (pro-union) group of singers. This video shows you what they sang, then goes outside and encounters the anti-Walker singers. I took this video. The man you see at the end is Meade, and the apt song line at the end was just a coincidence.



One of the participants is Tricia Willoughby, the 14-year-old girl who was booed and heckled by protesters at the Tea Party rally here at the Capitol last April. You see her at 0:21, 4:22 and a few other places.

Here's Blaska's post about today's event:
That was the Blaska Bloggers’ first annual Capitol Rotunda conservative sing-along. Fifty folks off all ages and sizes showed up to sing....
There's a picture of Meade and me with Blaska at the link. Meade participated. I observed and too pictures.

At 3:01, a man up on the 1st floor — probably and anti-Walker guy — asks the group to sing "This Land Is Your Land," and there's a bit of a pause, and then they sing "The Marine Hymn." That's an interesting left-wing/right-wing incident!

51 comments:

Michael K said...

The Marine hymn to guys like that is like garlic to vampires. Did he melt into a puddle ?

garage mahal said...

I thought wiunion wasn't letting children in the capitol?

Anonymous said...

Both groups were singing Civil War songs. Interesting. Not sure what to make of that impulse, but happy that everybody seemed to be having a good time.


Probably a good sign nobody was singing John Brown's Body.

Robert said...

Professor (or Meade):

Who is the blogger with whom Meade was speaking at the end of the video?

Carol_Herman said...

The acoustics are horrendous.

The spirit is very American. I think all sides in every debate can sing to their heart's content.

mesquito said...

"The acoustics are horrendous."

Marble is for Gregorian chants. Little else.

Sprezzatura said...

So, the only reason the cons chose this time and place was because they wanted to make the regular singers go outside to sing?

The con singers did this at this particular time so that they could make the libs move outside. W/o the libs to displace the cons wouldn't have sung. In other words, the cons don't want to go there to sing at times when they can't displace the libs. The cons don't really care about singing in this location, they care about making the libs sing outside.

Silly.

Lame.

Weak Tea.

garage mahal said...

Blaska at his link, lying...

But we were resolved to do this legally -- no illegal occupations

The only illegality was from the DOJ restricting access to the Capitol, which by the state constitution and a even a court order must be kept open. But instead was ignored. But miraculously reopened as normal a few days after the budget was passed.

Fen said...

they wanted to make the regular singers go outside to sing?

The "regular" singers? LOL.

Anonymous said...

"The cons don't really care about singing in this location, they care about making the libs sing outside."

Something that is nice about these two groups is that everyone was being polite and they all looked like they were having fun. It is lunch time -- so it makes sense as a time to meet.

Certainly we can say that the anti-Walker group thought of it first, but more singing is a good thing.

dhagood said...

"So, the only reason the cons chose this time and place was because they wanted to make the regular singers go outside to sing?"

got a sense of entitlement there?

bagoh20 said...

OK, now the shark has jumped the shark.

Please stop it all. It's pathetic.

Just work, eat, play, vote, and fuck.

This circle jerking at the capital is getting really tiresome, no matter who is doing it.

It really says nothing and accomplishes nothing. Go pick up some litter - ALL OF YOU!

Fen said...

Garage: The only illegality was from the DOJ restricting access to the Capitol, which by the state constitution and a even a court order must be kept open.


No dumbass. The constitution says "The legislature can not prevent an individual from entering the capitol or its grounds" (Article 1, Section 4)

http://nxt.legis.state.wi.us/nxt/gateway.dll?f=templates&fn=default.htm&d=wiscon&jd=top

It says nothing about the Executive branch or the Capitol Police. So, once again, you're busted peddling bullshit.

Michelle Dulak Thomson said...

pbAndj,

Gotta agree with Fen and lewsar: What's this "regular singers" business?

wv: preumequ. Now if you could show that the "regular singing" was in fact the Amerindian ritual of preumequ, you might have a case.

Unknown said...

Don't forget that great capitalist, Woody Guthrie:

This song ain't your song
This song is my song
From first to last verse
From here to Hong Kong
If you want to sing it
You can't just wing it
You got to pay the royalty.

Sprezzatura said...

From the bla...blog:

"No "We Shall Not be Moved."

But, on this Monday, they WERE moved -- outdoors."

And, reiterated by Althouse's comment re the video.

The cons aren't even hiding how petty they are. Not only that, they're flaunting their pettiness!

Paraphrase: "Look at us, we're small and petty, yippie! small and petty!! Want to join us!"

Hilarious.

Fen said...

Wisconsin State 947.06 (1) states: "Sheriffs, their undersheriffs and deputies, constables, marshals and police officers have a duty to suppress unlawful assemblies within their jurisdiction. For that reason they may order all persons who are part of an assembly to disperse. An "unlawful assembly" is an assembly which consists of 3 or more persons and which causes such a disturbance of public order that it is reasonable to believe that the assembly will cause injury to persons or damage to property unless it is immediately dispersed."

I can't believe you're still wasting our time with this stupidity.

bagoh20 said...

"The "regular" singers?"

He meant State sanctioned and funded.

Fen said...

PB&J: Hilarious. Its just a flesh wound. Tis but a scratch! I'm laughing. See? Hahaha! Hilarious!

Yah, right.

*kicks PB&J over*

Idiot.

Toad Trend said...

This is what boredom looks like!

wv - iness

Perfect.

Shouting Thomas said...

Good for the patriotic singers!

Conservatives have been conceding the artistic arena to the loony left for too damned long.

It's time to challenge them, and cut their legs out from under them, where they live.

Toad Trend said...

@Fen

Garage is the MASTER of the strawman.

Baseless claims. Hollow rhetoric.

Time to invoke the law.

edutcher said...

Surprised the unionistas didn't sing "Dixie" or "The Bonnie Blue Flag". They're represented by the party of slavery, after all.

PS PB&J is reduced to his usual sophistry at the sight of Conservatives actually exercising their First Amendment rights. By this time in years past, the union goons would have busted every patriotic head in sight.

rhhardin said...

Handel Walker Music adagio

Joanna said...

I love to sing. I'm quite sad that I was upnorth and couldn't attend.

As for pbAndj, I think the Capitol is Our House. I think there's room for people from both sides to sing during lunch time. One side has had their turn for awhile now. Time to share.

Or maybe pbAndj thinks the Capitol only belongs to one side. That's sad.

garage mahal said...

I can't believe you're still wasting our time with this stupidity..

Either the capitol is open to the public, or it is not. It is supposed to be, and always has been open to the public during a legislative session. It was closed, was ordered by a court to resume it's normal access, and was ignored.

Fen said...

Garage,

"case law allowed the governor to make reasonable limitations on the time, manner and place in which citizens can access the Capitol"

Now stop wasting our time with your nonsense. You're grasping at straws. You look ridiculous.

KCFleming said...

A house divided against itself cannot stand.

Shouting Thomas said...

Either the capitol is open to the public, or it is not.

Bullshit!

You and your moron friends used it for a campground.

When they did that, they deserved to have their asses thrown out.

Too bad the police wouldn't do their job and hit the bastards over the head with their clubs.

Shouting Thomas said...

But, Walker did make the right decision.

I would just enjoy watching the lefties tossed out and having their heads split open.

But, that would have been a bad tactical decision.

It would have just fed their martyrdom fantasies.

bagoh20 said...

Far more people read this blog than protest in Madison. Shouldn't they be talking about Althouse at the Capital instead of the other way around.

Sprezzatura said...

Joanna,

You're a lot smarter than the fool who arranged this thing.

Even though it was obvious that the point of the singalong was to (pettily) make the libs go outside, the leader of this thing could have maintained a bit of plausible deniability.

But, no.

He goes and makes it clear (w/ caps even!) that he was focused on making the libs go outside.

Shootin' yourself in the foot aint' smart.

Fool.

Automatic_Wing said...

Aw, the poor libs had to sing their commie songs outside for one day. So unfair.

Waaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!!!!!

Sprezzatura said...

Maguro,

That's the problem for the cons.

The libs weren't bothered at all. Their leaders were, in fact, very gracious to Mr. Bla....

If the libs had acted badly they'd be looking like fools.

But, that wasn't to be.

Ha.

Automatic_Wing said...

The libs weren't bothered at all.

Right...so what are you whingeing about again?

edutcher said...

pbAndj said...

Maguro,

That's the problem for the cons.

The libs weren't bothered at all. Their leaders were, in fact, very gracious to Mr. Bla....

If the libs had acted badly they'd be looking like fools.


They've already achieved that.

But not getting their way always bothers the Lefties.

They'll obsess about it.

garage mahal said...

He goes and makes it clear (w/ caps even!) that he was focused on making the libs go outside.

Their entire worldview revolves around one thing. Pissing off liberals. And tax cuts.

Willy said...

Just nauseating to hear patriotic songs sung by people like that....

Minicapt said...

rhhardin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=953J804OPXs

Cheers

Shouting Thomas said...

Their entire worldview revolves around one thing. Pissing off liberals. And tax cuts.

Both of those are good things.

So, they're two up on you, garbage.

Joanna said...

He goes and makes it clear (w/ caps even!) that he was focused on making the libs go outside.

I'm not sure what the problem is here. He was clear about his intentions? That's a problem?

Would it be preferable -- or perhaps more ethical -- to cloak those intentions with distracting chants and propaganda? Would it be better if this event were staged to demonstrate what-dem-o-cra-cy-looks-like?

I find it refreshing that Blaska says what he means and does what he says.

AlphaLiberal said...

WTF? David Blaska as a choir director? That's just sick and wrong.

AllenS said...

garage mahal said...
Their entire worldview revolves around one thing. Pissing off liberals. And tax cuts.

How about revolves around two things. Wouldn't that make more sense?

Sal said...

The whole singing at the Capitol thing is totally cornball. There, I said it.

dbp said...

"How about revolves around two things. Wouldn't that make more sense?"

Maybe the tax cuts are orbiting the pissing off liberals, or Vice versa.

Hoosier Daddy said...

"...garage mahal said... Their entire worldview revolves around one thing. Pissing off liberals. And tax cuts...."

Like I said, comedy gold.

Calypso Facto said...

"Their entire worldview revolves around one thing. Pissing off liberals. And tax cuts."

How about revolves around two things. Wouldn't that make more sense?


One and the same. Tax cuts piss off the collectivists because they view all of your earnings as government property, to be confiscated and spent on union support and charitable giving as they see fit. Attempting to forestall this confiscation in Wisconsin has been met with the hissy fit demonstrations of the privileged-public class we've endured for months. Now garage is hissy even in defense of the collectivists' privilege to be the SOLE demonstrators in a public space, again reiterating the view that what's mine is mine and what's yours is mine.

Godot said...

Althouse said...
"Here's Blaska's post about today's event:"

Link doesn't work.

Calypso Facto said...

Blaska (and Meadhouse pic) here.

Dust Bunny Queen said...

It is very sad that we no longer teach children patriotic songs in school. I remember loving to hear, learning to sing and performing in choir

America The Beautiful

My Country Tis of Thee

God Bless America (Kate Smith)

This Land is Your Land (by Woody Guthrie in the 1940's before the radicals co-opted it)

Star Spangled Banner (very hard for anyone to sing, but we tried)

and THIS SONG when sung in junior high choir always gave me chills with the beauty of the song the harmony, the coordination with the orchestra and more importantly the MEANING of the song in it's historical significance. (As he died to make men holy, let us die to make men free).

We no longer teach children pride in country. Appreciation of the beauty of the land (amber waves of grain). The immense accomplishments of our ancestors (from sea to shining sea).

Instead they teach hatred of the past instead of understanding of the past. Now we teach hatred and intolerance of our fellow citizens through ethnic studies. Hatred of religion. We teach the children to hate and doubt themselves.

This lack of musical patriotism is just one thing that illustrates the pure evil that is the Teachers Union.

They are purposely destroying our country and warping our children's minds. These are the reasons that the Teachers Unions MUST be destroyed and SOON.

Dust Bunny Queen said...

I don't mean I sang Woody's song in the 40's. I'm not THAT old, but it wasn't a leftist protest song until about the mid sixties.

:-D