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Democrat Legislators Go On Strike in Wisconsin, Phone in Demands to CNN

When did the U.S. policy change on negotiating with two-bit terrorists?

It’s getting harder to write a post without pausing to chuckle at the absurdity of the Democrat-led protests in Madison. The first day of protests was sort of a shrug. The second day produced some interest. Thursday, though, was like watching an alligator trying to eat an electric eelfunny, but in a freakish sort of way.

Walk Like an Egyptian. At some point during the day on Thursday, even before it was discovered that the Democrats’ Organizing for America has been helping to mobilize the Madison mobs, Rep. Paul Ryan compared downtown Madison to Cairo.  Meanwhile, socialists (yes, socialists) were urging an Egyptian-style uprising while high school students were taken by teachers to the protests (presumably with parental permission), yet had no idea why they were there.

Then, the Democrats who were supposed to be voting on Scott Walker’s budget decided to go on strike in solidarity with the union protesters by shirking their legislative responsibilities, sneaking out the back door and fleeing to Illinois—to stay at a non-union Best Western Resort—only to be caught on camera as they were routed by Tea Party activists and forced to flee once again.

Somewhere during all this mayhem, the funniest event of the day transpired, when one of the fugitive lawmakers called into CNN with a list of demands.Via The Daily Caller:

State Senator Mark Miller, a member of the missing band of Wisconsin Democratic lawmakers who fled Madison Thursday to avoid a vote on a budget bill, called into CNN with the group’s list of demands for Republican Gov. Scott Walker.

Miller, a state senator since 2004, would not disclose where he and his colleagues were hiding out, saying only “we are in what we consider a secure location outside the capital. We are not all in one place at this time.”

Miller’s demands focused on the collective bargaining portions of the bill.

We demand that the provisions that completely eliminate the ability of workers… to negotiate on a fair basis with their employers be removed from the budget repair bill and any other future budget,” Miller said.

He also demanded legislative oversight on changes to the state’s medical programs, which are targeted for changes in the bill. The bill would also require union members to contribute to their health care and pensions.

Miller and 13 other Democrats went missing Thursday morning when a vote on a budget-repair measure was imminent in the Republican-controlled Senate. It would have passed the Senate after getting out of committee on a party-line vote late last night, so Democrats left the building to stall a vote on the measure.

And, to top off the day, even the queen of forcing votes, Nancy Pelosi, chimed in on twitter saying “I stand with the students & workers of #WI, impressive show of democracy in action #solidarityWI.” [Her aides apparently have taught her how to use #hashtags.]

It’s been argued that America is quickly becoming like a third-world country. On Thursday, Wisconsin unions (with the mobilization support of the Democrats’ OFA) demonstrated the same tactics as the State Department-inspired uprisings in the middle east: Organize a mob, ensure that no business is done, make demands known on Al Jazeera CNN, and keep pushing and pushing until, as Saul Alinksy instructed, the the desired outcome is accepted.

As comedic the Democrats have become, the fight in Madison is a game of high stakes. Unions have chosen the path to lead the charge toward financial ruin, and they are willing to (as they have in Tunisia and Egypt) remove any semblance of civility in their path. The Left knows that if they can break the will of Scott Walker and the GOP in Wisconsin, they will succeed in the other states. And, as Alinsky taught them, they will begin trying different tactics to break down the resolve in Madison’s statehouse.

_________________

“I bring reason to your ears, and, in language as plain as ABC, hold up truth to your eyes.” Thomas Paine, December 23, 1776

X-posted.

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COMMENTS

  • http://thesandsinstitute.org Vassar Bushmills

    Keep the heat on. This one can change everything.

    • Spartan4Life

      I truly believe(I have been posting on this for at least three years) that pulic sector unions should be illegal. It is one of the things we could do to return our country to greatness.

      Everyone here knows that SEIU/NEA/AFSCME/OFA are going to pull out all the stops in Wisconsin. We need to be prepared to stand with the taxpayers of that state who had the courage to say, “No More!”..

      Just assume that the media coverage is going to be biased. Just assume that the “poor” teachers are going to be trotted out as victims. Just assume that Barack Obama is going to try and subvert the Democratic process.

      But prepare ye’ well, me hearties, because this is going to get much bigger.

  • reggie1

    The correct analogy is to Greece, and not to Egypt (or any of their Arab brothers).

    Wisconsin’s babies are arguing against austerity, not for democracy.

    • reggie1

      I endorse every thing else about it.

    • http://www.laborunionreport.com LaborUnionReport

      For this reason:

      http://www.redstate.com/laborunionreport/2011/02/18/democrat-legislators-go-on-strike-in-wisconsin-phone-in-demands-to-cnn/

      This is not about austerity, this is about control…specifically union control. According to the union bosses below:

      http://www.redstate.com/laborunionreport/2011/02/18/wisconsin-labor-leaders-not-about-wages-or-benefits-its-all-about-the-unions/

  • pamela1631

    Can they be charged with abandoning their posts and refusing to preform their sworn- by- law duties? Can Fugitive Warrants be sworn out?

    What are the penalties if any? An immediate boot- to- the- butt- to- the- curb by their Bosses -the Voters of their State.

    • earlgrey

      of any pay that they recieve as being a member of the State Senate (if there is any) and any other benefits that come wiht the position for the duration of their holdout.

    • Common_Cents
      • blooch

        but then again so was the first time:

        http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2463425/posts

        And note the reference to HillaryCare…althoough in this case, the first time was a farce and the second time is a tragedy.

  • marshmom

    If teachers or lawmakers tried that crap in Alabama, there would be hell to pay.

    I can’t understand why the parents in Wisconsin aren’t furious–or maybe–if they are, why they aren’t telling these teachers and the people they elected to their congress to get back to work or else.

    The lie perpetrated by the left for so long that they “care about the children” now shows itself as the garbage that it really is. Instead of doing their job and teaching, they’re throwing hissy fits and acting like babies. If the state elected a R governor, I’m sure the majority of parents have to be feeling more than a little ticked off at those who are defying his attempts to govern.

    I’d say it’s time for some ultimatums for those ungrateful teachers AND the worthless lawmakers who ran away from their duties.

    • blooch

      of my kids’ school every day–with the kids–doing my own protest. I’d have a chalkboard, a couple of chairs and big signs saying things like,

      SCHOOL IS IN. COME AND LEARN ABOUT THE GREEDY TEACHERS UNION.

      HOMEWORK: ARE YOUR BENEFITS AS GOOD AS YOUR CHILD’S TEACHER? YOU DO THE MATH!

      I’d probably get arrested or harassed by Union thugs.

      Thank God I live in a place where it hasn’t come to that yet.

  • Marcus_Traianus

    So let me see if I have the facts;

    - Wisconsin is in serious debt and can’t afford to pay 100% of the retirement and health-care benefits for teachers

    - Wisconsin is asking teachers to pay a small share of those benefits which is less than what most of the private sector pays

    -Wisconsin is below the US average for almost every single educational proficiency measure (save one where they are slightly above average)

    - They want to continue to fleece the taxpayers of Wisconsin, watch them lose their jobs and houses, rather than pay their fair share. They would also rather risk losing their jobs then pay this small percentage

    - Democratic Party lawmakers in the state, don’t really like democracy or representative government unless it works in their favor (by the way that’s called tyranny). So they have scurried away from a vote which the citizens of Wisconsin elected them to vote on. They would rather hide like rats than fulfill their duties under the state constitution for which they were elected.

    - Obama supports both the undemocratic behavior, bankruptcy of Wisconsin as an option and feels that teachers paying a small part of their benefits. Is. Unreasonable and wrong?

    Yeah, I think that about summarizes it. Wisconsin and Democrats must be so proud.

    • themarathonman

      …I sure as hell ain’t proud of it.

      And you’re right on all accounts, BTW…..

      • Marcus_Traianus

        and other taxpayers in the majority.

        There are lots of good folks up that way, and believe it or not some of them are also teachers.

        It is just a shame those with the loudest voices and destructive intent are destroying the state for their own parochial gain and to the dismay of most Wisconsinites.

        Oh yeah, and Obama supports Unions who are destroying and dividing the community. Very shocking.

  • ciscoguy

    On a side note, I sometimes like to take the temperature of the opposition by stopping by huffnpuff. Just to give you an idea of how toxic this has become for them, their headline is about GOP blocking backdoor net neutrality, with this story 3 down from it.

    • sharonmcp

      .

  • sharonmcp

    High Speed Rail? It makes it much easier for a cowardly Dem to skedaddle out of town.

    Then, the Democrats who were supposed to be voting on Scott Walker

    • jmimac351

      That’s friggin’ awesome! LOL.

      Gov Walker is not going to back down from this. This is a losing issue for Obama and the Dems and they know it. It puts unions in exactly the proper light: whining about keeping overgenerous benefits they expect everyone else to pay for.

      • sharonmcp

        And by bringing in school kids, most having no idea why they’re even protesting, it shows the American people what depths they will sink to to get what they want.

        I have a feeling Obama is going to wish he had never given OfA the go ahead to get involved in this. Because he’s shown he condones exploiting kids to get elected again.

  • NeoKong

    He called in his demands from a “secure location”? They are all not in the same place at the same time…?
    What next ? Will they kidnap Patty Hearst.
    No wait . I’m dating myself. In this day and age they would most likely kidnap Bristol Palin.

    The lefties are cracking up.

    • sharonmcp

      Don’t give them any ideas.

      BTW, check out this video of 2 WI’s Democat elected officials caught on tape by a member of the Rockford Tea Party as they were trying to avoid being detected. It’s a hoot!

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxKk3DSW6Sk

      • NeoKong

        It was pretty good.

    • Common_Cents

      How fitting! Fleeing to OhBummers town.

  • roguebeaver

    There is a way to pass this without the infants. Separate the labor legislation from the budget, and that can be passed by a simple majority. Then the Dems wll have to come back to face the fate of the Texas Dems in 2003, who have never recovered from that cowardly stunt.

    Being in willful violation of their duties is a Class 1 felony under WI law. A felony conviction automatically vacates the seat, mandating a special election, without any need for the legislature to expel the member. So the AG should get cracking.

    If this goes on past the weekend, start firing them until they return to work, Reagan-style. Just like PATCO in ’81 or the NUM in ’83-’84, unconditional surrender is the name of the game. Never again will a peep be heard out of them while the legislative neutering goes through over the next few years.

    • sergios

      The Republicans whould announce they will employ this method if the Cowards don’t return to work by Monday.

  • http://www.FranBaker.com frankieb

    And not just them, but also BOzo (Obama) and the other Dems and RINOs who want to keep spending money we don’t have?

    • http://www.scragged.com petrarch

      There’s still money in WI, isn’t there?

      What, you mean, that’s not “their” money? There’s your first bone of disagreement, right there – and what distinguishes socialists from conservatives.

  • http://www.ArchitecturalShots.com mdyou

    …where the bank robbers demand a helicopter and a pipe organ, among other things.

    • youngsterz

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDtEHL4EMiE

      It IS a funny commercial. Hey, these knuckleheads could be replacements for the Wisconsin Dem legislators. They couldn’t do any worse.

  • JadedByPolitics

    let him know that you are in SOLIDARITY with him. Let him know that this cannot stand, that Democrats MUST act as if there is a Republic and the voters votes counted in November!

    • YnotNOW

      Support the cause and sign up for updates.

  • scipio62

    And it’s going to backfire on them.

  • usadying

    Yet he says it’s “an assault on unions”. Code for “Calling all union thugs. Report to Madison immediately.” I wish I could go to Madison for a counter protest.

  • macbookben

    on SNL’s Weekend Update

  • JoeG

    Did those kids get to the rally on school buses?

    I’ve been at our state legislature and watched schools bus in a bunch of kids to lobby. Not take a tour, but to “Show the legislature who they were affecting when the cut the budget.” This was during school hours.

    Our public employees are not supposed to use any government resources or time to conduct political activities. Using school buses to haul kids to lobby the legislature when those teachers were supposed to be teaching the kids sure sounds like a violation to me.

    Of course in a democrat controlled state no one will do squat about it.

    • proudgop

      I am so glad I sent this guy money from over here in NYC during campaign he looked like rising star and my God he is

      I just sent flowers to his office and hope others do as well

      I wonder who is paying for the bus? Who is paying for them to stay at that resort they now fled? Figures they go to Illinois the only people actually moving to that Socialist state

  • http://thecorruptworld.blogspot.com/ wayneinnh

    Now – Get back to work.

    • YnotNOW

      in support of Gov Walker. Because real people actually have to WORK during the week!

      http://michellemalkin.com/2011/02/17/support-wisconsin-trumka-storms-madison-tomorrow-walker-supporters-to-rally-saturday-a-disgusted-teacher-calls-out-unions/

  • Tbone

    No one will hear them. He should have called American Idol. More reach and more fitting.

  • Douglas Erley

    We don’t negotiate with terrorists.

    • idahoboy

      …they have not done anything to be called terrorists, you know like the people that flew jets into buildings or behead americans. You and I may disagree with what they are doing but dont compare them to Islamists as they arent even close.

  • proudgop

    Its probably not legal but if I saw one of those bastards who fled I’d grab their behind and lock them in my car and drive to Wisonsin

  • toothpick

    According to reports, many teachers who called in sick brought their students to the capitol for the protests. Is it realistic to think that every one of them got explicit permission from all parents to do so? Since they were not on duty, they were acting as private citizens, not as teachers.

    I wonder if there are any Wisconsin parents out there who would be justified in filing a kidnapping complaint against their local union thug – er, I mean, teacher.

    • http://www.laborunionreport.com LaborUnionReport

      Let’s see if anyone acts on it.

    • Deskpilot

      and sue the pants and skirts off off them. (A ‘homeroom’ class of 30 = 30 parents sueing 1 teacher, x 40 homerooms. Best filed as class ‘room’ actions)
      In that they were obviously off-duty, the school / district for which they work is not liable. “FIELD TRIPS,” are sponsored, insured events promoted by the school district, which normally require the signature of an ‘OPTING IN,’ parent for consent of participation by their minor child.
      A teacher who compels their students to participate in this protesting action is acting under false color and protection of the school and needs to be summarily fired.
      Equally important, is that the teacher must be held PERSONALLY accountable and the union must be specifically excluded from representing, or funding the legal representation of the teacher. This was not an event finacially sponsored by the unions, ie as a union meeting in a hotel conference room would be an authorized union event.
      Then sue the unions for coersion for they are responsible for coercing teachers to drag their students into this fray, and subjecting them to unknown perils.

      • http://theminorityreportblog.com Repair_Man_Jack

        the class-action lawsuit would already be getting drafted.

  • johnt

    The stuff is hitting the can a little earlier then the ’12 elections. In my opinion this probably is only a forerunner of worse to come, and with Obama & his creators in the media encouraging this destructive rage we ought to be both wary and prepared. Insanity rules the left.
    A report out today says libscum were demonstrating right at, the US House Speaker’s home, accompanied by the usual raving hate.
    I’m sure our media moralists will be outraged,[ smirk]

  • swvapatriot

    have provisions for re-call elections? If so, the movement should start today to rid the state of these vermin. The Gov. & Atty General should also pull out all the stops and hit back hard. Scour the state constitution and pass laws immediately passing laws fining and/or otherwise penalizing the Marxist teachers, where possible, without the Dem senators. Maybe selective firing of the leaders for inciting illegal work stoppage by calling in sick.

    Secondly, wherever possible, Tea Party patriots should counter-demonstrate.
    I would give up a vacation day to participate in my state. You know we could put overwhelming numbers around a state capital.

    • roguebeaver

      Yes, I mentioned it earlier. Willfully failing to discharge their public duties is a class 1 felony under WI law. A felony conviction automatically vacates the seat without any action from the Legislature being required to act, then you hold special elections to fill the vacancies. Soon they’ll start getting slapped with parent lawsuits. WI is not yet RTW so they cannot bring in replacements.

      • idahoboy

        lawmakers in WI cant be arrested while the legislature is in session.

  • Common_Cents

    and other governors should be asking him for advice!

  • http://pocketchangeproductions.net/ anotherindyfilmguy

    This is essentially an insurrection against the state government there being aided and abetted, if not coordinated by the POTUS through his statements and helping out with his political organization. It is more of an attack on the representative democracy form of governance than anything the Republicans have ever done.

    This is an attempt at mob rule when all else has failed by the left.

    Those responsible for pushing the insurrection both inside and outside of the state should be investigated and charged by the state to include the state’s reps filing a measure to impeach the O for inciting and supporting an insurrection against the lawfully elected officials and state etc etc.

    Actions have for to long had to few consequences for the left – it is way past time that changed.

    • idahoboy

      these are American citizens protesting their government, not unlike what the Tea Party did in Washington DC not to long ago. After all the argument could be made that what they were doing was insurrection against the duly elected President. That is a dangerous precedent to set.

    • Raven

      I could get behind a move for impeachment…

      • idahoboy

        what exactly?

  • ctpsb

    Spoke to a gentleman in her office and I congratulated and urged them to continue to stand up to the union thugs stating they were the tip of the arrow to start turning the tide against this bully corruption.

    Any shows of support even if not from Wisconsin would be greatly appreciated I believe. Also sent him and told him about the Freedomconnects website to get the word out to all Wisconcinites (did I say that right)?

  • earlgrey

    I have spent some time at HuffPo reading about this topic. It is very revealing.

    some of the posters are saying this is “our Egypt”. They claim that this will turn off independents so they will support Democrats. They see this as a huge opportunity for them to make big gains. They claim the kids marching are all going to be future Democrat voters.

    I guess I wonder what the mushy middle things about it (although according to Doc Holliday’s quiz I am a member of the mushy middle).

  • runner12

    This is a line in the sand that we must draw and stand firm. Take the unions down and fire the teachers, if necessary.

    BTW, could the Dems make themselves any more ridiculous? Good grief.