Live Feed of WI Protests
In a half hour, the protestors in the Capitol are going to be asked to leave and/or be removed.
Free live streaming by Ustream
Stay strong!
Admirer in the News
Why does anyone care who this Congressman is having sex with?
I am forever at a loss as to why on earth I should care what anyone does sexually. It’s one thing if it’s illegal, but otherwise, really? Grownups worrying about what other consenting adults do with their bodies? Is that any of my business or anyone else’s? If it effects his job in some way – as in he’s too busy dealing with his sex life to do this work – then, maybe. But there’s no evidence of that.
That said, King voted *against* the repeal of DADT so he can suck eggs. I really don’t like hypocrites with power. However: liking trans women as dates/spouses is not kinky, perverted, or weird. It just is. Anyway, I think it’s lovely that he admires and prefers to date trans women.
Next?
What Democracy Looks Like
I can’t express how intense and amazing it has been to be here in the middle of all this, to see 500 people in front of the local hotel protesting the Republicans who were there for their president’s day dinner, to hear that the local high school students rallied in the local Houdini Square, and tomorrow, to know that 1000 people are gathering near Lawrence’s Mudd library to keep up the visibility of this… I can’t even call it a protest: maybe a testament, instead.
It’s a privilege to be in the midwest and to watch an American revolution happen, quietly and peacefully but passionately.
Two Tune Tuesday: To Madison’s Protesters
How could I not? Billy Bragg, modern labor troubador, at your service. (He’s damned good live, if you get the chance.)
For those labor geeks out there, there’s a recording of the original Florence Reece song “Which Side Are You On?” on YouTube. You can listen to Billy Bragg’s studio version of that song, too, which is one of my all-time favorites.
(thanks to my friend Cleo of the band Alright Alright for reminding me of the 2nd track!)
Thanks, NYC
Back from Madison: No Riots, No Thugs
Okay, it’s a shoo-in for my favorite of the day, but there were plenty of others I loved:
What Would Bob Do? (reference to Fighting Bob LaFollette)
Dread Scott
I Blame Favre
In Russ We Trust (alongside Feingold for Governor)
If You Can Read This, Thank a Teacher
It’s too bad the people who could run this state are too busy teaching
You can’t scare me, I teach Middle School
Don’t refudiate our education
The Superbowl was won by a union
Unions: thanks for the weekend
This private sector bitch supports unions
. . . & for me, seeing the wildcat emblem of the IWW, a portrait of Joe Hill & calls for a General Strike = priceless. Seeing so many unions out was amazing too: AFSCME, Iron-workers, Fire, SEIU (my grandma’s), and an immigrants rights’ group were shouting Si Se Puede until they were hoarse. My favorite chant? What’s disgusting? Union Busting! But the much more direct kill the bill was chanted to drown out the other side whenever they started trying to defend Walker’s power grab.
The attendance by Tea Partiers is greatly exaggerated. I’d say it was maybe 1:100. Really, they weren’t even a blip: a lone guy with a sign here, a group of five there, & then a kind of gauntlet on the way into the building, but that was it. The mood was peaceful, celebratory, determined, and full of joy and music. The 4PM rally started with the singing of “God Bless America”.
No riots, no thugs.
Off to Madison
I decided I need to be counted, granddaughter of a union member & all.
& Once I saw this guy in Egypt holding this sign, I thought: how could I not go?
Russ Feingold was on Rachel Maddow the other night explaining that Wisconsinites couldn’t be in a better mood: the Packers won the Superbowl, the Badgers (UW team) just beat a major competitor, and it’s been 50 degrees warmer than it was last week. It’s true.
& Just to clarify: it’s not about the budget.
Paging Senator Kohl
I received an email response from Senator Kohl:
Thank you for sharing your concerns about Governor Scott Walker’s Budget Repair Plan.
As part of his budget approach, the Governor has proposed significant changes in how the state government will interact with some unionized public employees. Throughout Wisconsin, citizens will continue debating the most appropriate distribution of shared sacrifice necessary to help balance our state budget. At the federal level where I serve, we are having a similar debate about budget priorities and I will continue pressing for meaningful, fair, bipartisan solutions.
Governor Walker’s proposal is a state, rather than a federal matter, and will not come before the United States Senate. As such, I have no official role. Therefore, I encourage you to contact your Wisconsin State Representative and Senator. There is a toll-free number you may call to leave a message for your state elected officials or to find out who represents you. The number is 1-800-362-9472.
Again, thank you for taking the time to contact me. Even though I am not directly involved in matters before the Wisconsin State legislature, I will keep your views in mind. Please contact me again about issues that concern you.
First: of course he has no official role. I wrote back:
Respectfully, I would like to suggest that any public statement made by Democratic leadership in favor of yesterday’s walk-out and in favor of collective bargaining – especially those from the state of Wisconsin – would be very valuable in this debate. I urge you to speak out for the workers and citizens of WI.
Thank you very much for your response.
Please do contact your own Senators, state and federal, to get them to make a public statement in favor of the walk-out and the protests in Madison and Ohio.
Go Wisconsin!
I’m wearing red today in support of Wisconsin’s public school teachers, specifically, but also in support of its many other public employees. You know, those pesky firemen and paramedics, the diversity coordinators, the mayor’s support staff, the everybody that keeps civic society going.
Our new governor is a tight-minded, tight-fisted and logicially-challenged egomaniac who has decided that he will not negotiate with the unions of WI, that he wants the right to alter the state’s healthcare plan, also without negotiation. Sadly, he ran on a platform of being this much of a jerk and he won.
So we could use your support.
Ron Johnson & Herb Kohl are our Senators. (That has to be the saddest sentence in the world, since one of those names should be Russ Feingold’s.) Contact them & tell them you’re in support of the public employees of Wisconsin.
If we don’t win this one, you can count on this bullshit’s coming to your state.
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