During the riots in Greece last year over budget cuts, a common refrain was, “There’s no Tea Party movement in Europe; America is different.” Well, now is the moment to test this proposition. If ever there was a time for the Tea Party movement to take to the streets, it’s now in Ground Zero in Madison, Wisconsin — and other state capitals, from the sound of the news that the unions want to organize rallies in Ohio and Indiana as well. Just winning a big election isn’t enough.
"Madison - Tea Party groups plan to show their support for Gov. Scott Walker's budget repair bill as they scheduled a rally for Saturday from noon to 3 p.m. at the State Capitol South Entrance.
The event was announced Thursday by American Majority, a conservative group headquartered in Virginia with offices in several states, including Wisconsin.
In a news release issued by state director Matt Batzel, the group said: "As the week has progressed, Wisconsin and the Nation have watched schools across Wisconsin close due to teachers participating in a 'sick out,' the unions busing people in from other states to inflate their rally numbers in Madison and legislators fleeing the state to avoid the vote on the budget repair bill. It's time the voices of the Wisconsin people are heard."
Tea Party groups have held several well-attended rallies in the past in Madison, usually on April 15."
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Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseConservatives need to support the elected representatives in Wisconsin right now for sure. But I don't think that we need to have our side take to the streets at the moment.
For one, it promotes an image of a polarized America which, as Stanley Kurtz notes, is what the Alinskyites want. For another, given the thuggery we've seen on the other side, violence is very likely to break out, if Tea Party counter-protests are held at the same time as the union shouting-fests. And we all well know that the media will blame our guys, not those who actually incite the violence.
So we need to find another way to visibly show our support. Maybe mass hundreds of people in every town square in the state, staying away from the capitol. Maybe a letter-writing campaign, where the entire country floods the Wisconsin capitol with postcards in support of the state's elected representatives.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWhile I agree with the sentiment, I don't believe that would be a good idea.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseTeamsters are not known to be subtle, and in my mind there is no doubt that there would be some scuffling. In that case it is inevitable that the Tea Party would labeled the instigators by the lame stream media. I think it would be better if just one brave Republican legislator went outside to discuss the issues. Again, I have no doubt he would be pummeled, and that would change the dynamic immediately.
I was at the statehouse in Columbus Ohio yesterday. All the liberal/lefty nutcases were there in full force. Do the state a favor Tea Partiers, and be there today!!! The spoiled and 'entitled' need to be shown that the well's gone dry!!
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseTea Party counter-demonstrating against union thugs.
America is starting to feel like Weimar.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbusePat is on the right track here, I'm not sure what exactly Mr. Hayward is hoping to accomplish with this silly call to arms - we don't need Team Blue and Team Red squaring off like a scene from Gangs of New York.
Let them continue to make fools of themselves without getting involved; never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI think the Tea Party should organize a "Clean up the Capitol" event. _AFTER_ the public employees have left the site the Tea Party comes in and cleans the grounds. The place looks like a garbage dump.
The message? Time for the grown ups to clean up after the spoiled children!
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWhat we need are happy, Pro-Democracy protesters! Not to protest the other side of the policies and bills in question, but with signs that urge respect for the civil democratic process. That would make these thugs look like the imature thugs they actually are. What contrast it would be on TV.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseSorry, Pat; I strongly disagree. Not is EXACTLY the time to take to the streets. And I have news for you; we ARE polarized. And if you are going to let the union thugs roll over the taxpayer without a fight- based on fear of violence, you doom this country to be in perennial poverty and entitlement. This MUST be challenged, and challenged in the streets. Or do you prefer intimidation to the voter's will?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbusePlease forgive me for being a little gnomic.
I have no problem with counter-demonstrations.
I do think the Tea Party should protest when the thugs have gone home, for the simple reason that any violence that might arise from a union thug/Tea Party confrontation would be laid at the Tea Party door by the useful idiots in the MSM.
I don't want these union thugs to become the Spartacists of the new century. Let them expend their venom on public indifference, and then let the Tea Party rally to propose a new, alternate future.
I hope I'm making some sense.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWhoops!
Sorry. I didn't realize there was another "Pat" on the thread. Being Irish and "Patrick", I'm used to the "Pat" thing. Sorry.
"It's all about me."
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseAs a former civil servant forced to give money to the union, I find this militarism to be odd. We California state employees were embarrassed to be seen marching, as we were pretty much all college graduates, many with advanced degrees, from middle-class or higher backgrounds.
These people in Wisconsin and elsewhere seem to be cut from a different cloth.
We civil servants were not downtrodden and abused. We weren't living high on the hog, but we weren't taken advantage of.
Time to get rid of these aggressive unions.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThe Tea Party should turn out for a counter protest, but they should be carefully briefed and trained before hand to be non-violent, even if provoked by the union thugs, and to have planty of people ready with video cameras.
The union thugs WILL try and prevoke violence. We must make sure that any resulting violence comes from their side, not ours, and that we have video to prove it. That way, when the MSM tries to blame the union caused violence on the TEA party, we will have proof of the MSM lies, and the union thuggery.
Glenn Beck forsaw this very possibility. He predicted violence would be blamed on the Tea Party, and used by Obama as an excuse to declare marshal law and arrest his opposition. That is the reason his program often stressed the importance of MLK style non-violent protests. We must always have absolute proof that any inevitable violence is initiated by their side, not ours.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI would like to see the teachers in WI who think this is wrong organize a counter-protest. I fear they would face retribution.
Ditto the prior comment about Tea Partiers needing to keep their powder dry. The Left will try to provoke fights, and they will also pretend to be Tea Partiers by dressing a certain way, carrying terrible posters and shouting racist epithets and telling CBS News they belong to the Tea Party.
Watch your back.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseOr, the TEA Parties could demonstrate to their school boards, demanding that all teachers who lied about being sick in order to protest be declared AWOL and ordered back to work under pain of termination.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseSteven, I have another thought. We are winning, and we are winning BIG.
Similar protests in Greece, Britain and France did not significantly alter the outcome. Greece is still somewhat in doubt, but the Brits and the French eventually passed the "austerity measures" which were the source of last summer's riots.
The riots did not work, and in most cases undermined the Left's cause. Americans are not famous for paying attention, but few people are not familiar with Greece, and the Brit (education) and French (retirement age) riots got a ton of media attention. All three contributed to the GOP landslide in Nov 10, and the momentum afterwards.
The Tea Party should be vocal, and it should be visible, but we should not go out of our way to stop the Unionistas from humiliating themselves.
You can just feel it. Angry, ignorant, fraudulent protests. Bussing in people from out of state. POTUS has weighed in. Jessie Jackson just showed up. State senators have fled (fled!) to IL. DNC and OFA are trying to help. All of that firepower against a Governor and 19 WI state senators.
We are winning, and we are winning BIG.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseAmen, Mr. Hayward. I've been saying that for days. The Tea Parties should have been out there sooner than this.
We must show the Left that we are still awake, and still ready to fight for the Republic.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWe should never be intimidated so as NOT to exercise our First Amendment rights, or any right. That is the sign of a country that is becoming fascistic.
I would not be afraid to show up in Madison if I were in the area.
Fact is, I don't get intimidated.
Tea Partiers can show up and offer respectful signs and respectful counter protesting. If the Left wants to continue to act like the fascists they are let them.
Eventually, the truth will out and it will not be helpful to the Left at all.
They will be exposed for the fascists they are.
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