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Intense Protests in Wisconsin as Governor Sends State Troopers After Dem Senators in Hiding

Melanie Nathan – Feb 18-2011.

MADISON, Wis. — With many schools closed in Madison Wisconsin for the third day and tens of thousands of protesters filling the Capitol hallways, Republican state lawmakers on Friday were still pushing to call a vote on landmark legislation that would slash collective bargaining rights for public workers.

While democrats have refused to board – outraged protesters have gone to the homes of the Governor and lawmakers.

The Republican Senate leaders dispatched state troopers to begin looking for the Democratic senators who disappeared on Thursday, effectively preventing a vote from taking place; and now for an apparent standoff —While Gov. Scott Walker, insisting that their only wish was to balance a crippled state budget, and Democratic leaders, union supporters, and state workers complaining that the real agenda was to outlaw unions.

Republic Rep. Michelle Bachman made a panicked appearance on Fox news, moments ago, expressing her “outrage” at President Obama, stating that his political campaign machine “organizing for America” has bussed in over 25,000 protestors to the Capitol in Wisconsin.

She alleges that   President Obama is “wrongly” ordering the bussing and that the President has no place taking sides and supporting the teachers and Unions who fear being stripped of these rights.

Well, Bachman – a few things are clear to me – First off your mouthing off does not serve as proof that President Obama made any such specific orders of Organizing for America – and if he did I say “Mr. President YOU rock.”    Bachman, you have no right to tell the President who or what he should support, he has been elected by the people of the U.S.A. and citizens in Wisconsin are citizens of the U.S.A.   Hail Mr. President!

The Democratic State Senators are made up of  19 Republicans and 14 Democrats  and the Republicans need one more vote to make the  quorum -of 20 -  sources report that the Democrats could possibly remain in hiding for weeks.

Fox news is accusing the protests of being mostly made up of outsiders and not those from Wisconsin asserting this is a budget issue for the State only.  However surely the Senate make-up  is indeed a reflection of what the Wisconsin people want and so the very representatives – all 14 of them have gone into hiding in representation of the people of Wisconsin who voted for them.

The crowds, whether from out of State or not, are there to express support and American values – for freedom and for the rights of bargaining so heard fought.

Goodness knows – I wish gays and lesbians and transgender rights could get those kind of protests every time a State legislature messes with our rights…  Gays and queers and LGBTQI and allies it is time to win hearts and minds and to plant seeds of change so that we too can earn such huge crowds supporting our rights.  Let us focus on what is great about being gay and lesbian and not on what the right wing is saying about us.

President Obama did issue a Statement saying that while public servants should be willing to make sacrifices it should not be at the expense of “collective bargaining” power.

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By Melanie Nathan
nathan@privatecourts.com
Facebook Melanie
twitter @oblogdeeoblogda

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