"Badgers" Boffo Box

For visuals, see post by Kadie at Democratic Underground and Kodiak 54 at the Dailykos.

After ending my shift on the Paul Krugman Suicide Watch,I checked in on the Wisconsin protest rally yesterday.

First we interrupt this program for a word from the managers, Wisconsin State Senator Majority Leader Fitzgerald, who vowed on Friday to arrest the 14 returning Democratic Senators and again on local news yesterday morning. He said they were in contempt of the Senate. The State Governor Scott Walker told the people of the state what he just did was something progressive and innovative. The Republican Senators will be coming to D.C. this week to pick up their checks from lobbyists. I kid you not.

As one protestor's sign read,"Faux News--We Distort. you Decide."

Politics is largely social. It really comes down to who would you like to hang around with and be like. Sad but true considering the types of problems we are facing.

So, who would you choose to be with--corpulent aging white people in law chairs wearing tricorner hats or people marching dressed as cows. If you chose the cows,you would be associating with the "union goons". But it's good choice. Politics also has to capture our imagination and play on our dreams of what America is really like and what it can be. It also should amuse. It also should expose the nonsense of your enemy. Wisconsin did that.

If you have ever been in a demonstration,Wisconsin taught us how it should be done. I guess we should have guessed something different was going to happen. Friday night, the marquee at the Emporium theater in Madison read in bright lights,"Governor Scott Walker in 'Recall'". According to police estimate, between 85,000 to 100,000 citizens rallied at the Capitol, making it larger than the largest demonstration against the Vietnam War.

Before the marching Cows, there was the Farmer Labor Tractorcade with combines, tractors and manure spreaders circling the square outside the Capitol. One man with the manure spreader had a sign saying this is where Walker should have put his bill. Another farmer pulled a huge hand-carved wooden leg with a sign "The Giant has Awakened". One Marcher had a sign,"Farmers know a Load of Crap when they see one."

There were singers like the Raging Grannies and the bag pipers from the fire-fighter unions. The many American flags looked alive. And indeed the signs, "This is what democracy looks like", were right.

It's really not a good idea to attack teachers. They tend to be more creative than you are. As one protesting teacher's sign noted,"90% of those protesting here today have a higher education than Our Governor." Governor Walker has the distinction of being thrown out of Marquette University for plagarism.

The Art workers marched dressed in the blue tape that had been used to secure the protest signs in the Capitol. Observers knew the reference was to the charge that protestors committed several million dollars of damage in the Capitol because of the tape and the signs. A charge the State has retracted.

The Fab 14 as the Democratic Senators are known were honestly surprised that people came out of the crowd and addressed them by name. A State legislator usually goes though life rather anonymous. A former diary farmer, a school teacher and small town lawyer, they were all greeted as rock stars for their stance against the bill.

The chant of the protestors went from "Kill the Bill" immediately to "What's the Word? Kloppenberg", referring to the Democrat running for the Supreme Court on April 15. It's the Supreme Court where the union-busting bill will be decided. Even Jesse Jackson got in the action with a chant about April 15th.

A row of demonstrators dressed in black with monk's cowls with painted faces,looking like the painting "The Scream". They said they were Freedom.

My favorite sign was "Fighting Bob Wants His State Back" referring to Robert LaFolette.

Another sign read "Governor Walker--How do you spell Pyrrhic?"

Someone now has a license plate that reads,"WLKR SUX".

The police, who have not been happy about the Governor's actions and his erratic commands, had signs, "Wisconsin Police Drink Coffee, not Tea." The police union has lawyered up because they are concerned that they will be liable for some of Walkers' orders.

There were a handful of "Stand With Walker" signs provided by the Koch-funded group Americans for Prosperity. A couple of individuals supporting the Governor were seen about--usually as isolated figures.

My basic point is that this is what real grass-roots activism looks like. The Right-Wing radio, especially Rush Limbaugh, portrayed the protestors and demonstrators as "union thugs and goons". But the creative imagination and good humor of the demonstrators just tears all this down. These people know how to put on a show. They followed the old showbiz maxim," Save the Best for Last." Leave the audience wanting more. And they made you feel that if you weren't there, you were missing something.

The events of the past three weeks in Wisconsin have been seen as so important that the Wisconsin Historical Society has been collecting the protest signs and now are evaluating which ones to keep to document this episode in their history. And all the signs have correct spelling--another advantage of having teachers protesting along with you.

Another aspect of these demonstrations I liked was that the so-called celebrities were dwarfed by the people themselves. Susan Sarandon is old hat,although the scene in Atlantic City will always be fondly remembered. Michael Moore always acting in the Cassandra role was visibly shocked to see the persistance of the people in Wisconsin. Oh my God, real Americans actually went to the streets. And Jesse Jackson who always knows a good thing when he sees it, showed up twice.

Our own corporate media failed dismally in its reporting. For most of the period, it framed the issue as being one of a budget crisis. People like Rachel Maddow shined in explaining this had nothing to do with it. This was an artifical crisis ginned up by Walker to pay back his financial supporters. The demonstrators made it clear yesterday that the Koch Brothers will always be remembered in Wisconsin.

The first effects of these demonstrations were seen throughout the regional print press, which captured the essence of the issue and raised the question whether America retained any imagination left to advance in the areas of education and innovation in the economy. Gov. Quinn of Illinois appeared on the local Fox News channel and was asked about Wisconsin and he calmly explained that average Americans have every right to bargain over their salaries, the conditions of their jobs and their future. A poster to the channel's Facebook asked,"Whether Governor Quinn might want to be Governor of Wisconsin." This was all on Fox News, mind you, without editing.

Massive demonstrations, particularly of teachers,went on in Indiana, Ohio, Iowa and in Texas, where Governors want to make massive cuts to education and to end collective bargaining by unions. In Texas, they had a huge cowboy boot saying give Perry the boot.

The national debate has been engaged. The pushback against the teabag Know-Nothing politics has begun in earnest.

No wonder Richard Trumpka is so happy. Who would ever think unions were "hip","sexy" and "funny"? For years labor was perceived as corrupt as politicians and businesses. Now all the local and national polls show overwhelmng--in the 70%--support for the essence of trade unionism--collective bargaining.

The Left kept asking the question about "Where was Obama?" The Fab 14 were interviewed about this yesterday and said that he had been briefed twice a day and that he had been supportive. But they said it would have been counter-productive for him to appear. They thought then the debate would have shifted to 2012.

I think there was another reason Obama's absence was wise. We received a clear, unadulterated contrast between the people of Wisconsin and Walker's ideology and strong-armed tactics. It is a stylistic contrast that exists today in Washington. The events in Wisconsin made it even sharper.

But the take-away was the image of the Marching Cows.