Say It Ain't So Already

Tea Party FAIL in Madison

February 19, 2011 at 7:45 PM 1 comment

This is such good news:

(Image via.)

Police say nearly 70,000 people have converged on the Wisconsin Capitol to join in protests over a Republican bill that would strip public workers of most of their collective bargaining rights.

According to the Madison Police Department, 60,000 people gathered outside the building with another 8,000 inside on Saturday — easily the largest crowd yet as the protest stretched through its fifth day. The demonstration was far more intense on Saturday, though, as hundreds of tea party supporters staged a counter rally outside the Capitol.

Police spokesman Joel DeSpain says there have been no arrests. He refused to say how large the tea party contingent was, but union supporters clearly outnumbered them.

So, what is that, something like 35 union supporters to every one Tea Partier?

Maybe the “grassroots Tea Party movement” is beginning to realize that it’s being used (this from Forbes, no less):

The Americans for Prosperity group, a Tea Party group that is a Koch Brothers front, has put up a website and petition called www.standwithwalker.com. The website attacks all collective bargaining – not just for public employees’ unions. Americans for Prosperity is also organizing a rally tomorrow in Wisconsin to support Gov. Walker.

Why are the Koch Brothers so interested in Wisconsin? They are a major business player in the state.

–  Koch owns a coal company subsidiary with facilities in Green Bay, Manitowoc, Ashland and Sheboygan; six timber plants throughout the state; and a large network of pipelines in Wisconsin. While Koch controls much of the infrastructure in the state, they have laid off workers to boost profits. At a time when Koch Industries owners David and Charles Koch awarded themselves an extra $11 billion of income from the company, Koch slashed jobs at their Green Bay plant:

[...]

You really have to wonder how long it will take for Tea Party devotees to realize just how badly they are being used.

Governor Walker, you just might be the stooge we have been waiting for.  You’re doing more to educate the public about what unions do than anyone — in years, if not decades.

And don’t forget, Gov. John Kasich in Ohio, Gov. Mitch Daniels in Indiana and Gov. Chris Christy in New Jersey are waiting in the wings to do the same thing.

Entry filed under: 2010 Election, Corporatocracy, Education, Fascist America, Fear, Financial Crisis, Progressives, Repression, Republicans, Including Wingers & "Moderates", Teabaggers, Unions, We the People, WingNutO'Sphere. Tags: .