And There Will Be Blood

The Republican Senators had to flee last night from the State Capitol in Madison, being protected by State Troopers against the shouting demonstrators. Within 15 minutes they made their way to Milwaukee where they gave their interviews with Fox News.

Late last night Governor Walker ordered that the state troopers remove the demonstrators from the Capitol. One video I watched you could hear,"They've gotten past the perimeter."and then there were film shots of demonstrators scrambling through the windows. By then the State Troopers didn't feel like hassling anyone and they stayed.

By this morning, all the Republican Senators had received e-mailed death threats.

What was so interesting last night was when the news broke that the Republicans were going to pass the union-busting bill, people actually left their living rooms without any coats and hurried to the capitol building. School teachers were still in their classrooms but were informed via Facebook by their students and then they hustled down to the Capitol.

Last night Greta Van Sustern perked up about the breaking story and a local Fox news reporter was in Madison and objectively reported on the sneaky move by the Republican senators and how shocked people in Wisconsin were about this. Then we had a cut away to a Republican Senator, who claimed that "No Republican was safe in the Capitol now."

What a state--The Democrats have to flee to the safety of Illinois and the Republicans had to move south to Milwaukee because of the tension in the air. A Walker appointed farm bureau director said that the scene in the Capitol was a "holocaust". I guess he hasn't experienced free speech before.

I felt the Democratic response in exile was weak about urging everyone to work on the recall motions being circulating. So far signatures have been secured for the recall of two Republican Senators. Today, the recall movement has gone into high gear as evidenced by my receiving at least five fund-raising e-mails on the subject.

Democratic leader, Assemblyman Barca, who read the Attorney General's letter out to the Republicans last night, has filed with the Madison District Attorney a complaint that the bill violated the open meeting law and therefore should be declared null and void. Republicans are arguing that because it was a "special session" the rules don't apply.

This morning Governor Walker announced that indeed the bill was fiscal in intent--thereby undermining his future case in court. The bill will now be contested up to the Wisconsin Supreme Court. The Unions' lawyer is the last Attorney-General of the state. It will be a slow process--certainly slower than the 15 minutes it took to end collective bargaining.

The good news is that the public sector workers of Madison are on a wildcat strike today. Wildcat strikes haven't been used in the United States for years. Technically with the new law, all the strikers could be fired instantly. This seems somewhat unlikely since the Mayor himself is leading their demonstration.

There was an AFL-CIO meeting in Wisconsin to discuss the idea of a general strike.

The Capitol was sealed off today as legislators had a very difficult time trying to enter the building. Today was the day the Assembly would then vote on the Senate's bill. Apparently,Republicans were having the hardest time getting into the building.

Short of travelling there yourself, donate to the repeal campaigns. They are coming after you next.