At the Wisconsin state capitol, the annual lighting of the state’s Christmas tree is generally a sleepy affair. Kids sing, the governor talks, an honored guest flips a switch, and everyone gets back to their business.
Not this year. Call it “Occupy Santa.”
Controversy actually began weeks ago, when Gov. Scott Walker determined that for the first time since 1985, the tree would actually be called a “Christmas tree,” as opposed to a “holiday tree.” But that’s not what the protesters who lined the capitol rotunda this morning had in mind.
Instead, they intended to send a message to Governor Walker about his plan to effectively eliminate collective bargaining for state and local government employees, which has been in effect for several months now. Union activists are currently circulating petitions attempting to recall Walker from office — they claim to have already collected 300,000 of the 540,000 signatures needed to force an election. Earlier in the year, many of these same protesters slept on the same capitol marble floor while protesting Walker; later, they would try to disrupt every one of his public appearances, including one where he handed out awards to Special Olympics participants.
This morning, a reported 200 people showed up for the ceremony, many holding “Recall Walker” signs. Even the timing of the event turned political when Democratic state senator Bob Jauch charged that Walker held the ceremony early in the morning to keep protesters away. “He has screwed up one of the finest traditions in the state Capitol … He set this up early in the morning so as few people could get here and he could protect his image,” Jauch said. (If Jauch is to be believed, protesters can’t possibly be expected to wake up before the crack of noon.)
During the ceremony itself, Walker dedicated the tree to members of the military. During this dedication, some protesters were photographed giving the “Heil Hitler” Nazi salute to the veterans.
While children sang traditional Christmas songs, protesters turned their backs on them to indicate their displeasure with Walker. Several booed Walker as he spoke to the gathering.
“They booed and protested a ceremony that honors our veterans and lights the Capitol Christmas tree,” said Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald to the Wisconsin State Journal. “Every time you think they’ve crossed the line, it’s like they invent a new line to cross.”
With the recall organizers having collected more than half the signatures they need, an election is likely to occur in May or June of 2012. That should give protesters the time they need to draw up new signs comparing the Easter Bunny to Hitler.
— Christian Schneider is a senior fellow at the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute.
“Every time you think they’ve crossed the line, it’s like they invent a new line to cross.”
Can't wait until the MSM find a way to liken this behavior to the Tea Party. How totally pathetic.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseAnother reason why these people and the politicians who support them should be politically eradicated in the 2012 elections.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseTo the left the "best" insult is to work in some Nazi angle (however inappropriate it may be).
Sometimes it seems like its Nazi's or nothing for liberals. What creativity have they.
These cretins are beyond contempt.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI love seeing this kind of thing. People shouting like Nazis during a Christmas tree lighting ceremony. For getting the public on your side of an issue, that's probably just a jot more effective than picketing a military funeral with signs saying, "Thank God for dead soldiers."
Once again: Freedom of speech is a good thing; it makes it easier to spot the idiots.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI hope I understand this correctly. Union members and their supporters in Wisconsin believe behaving like Nazis at a Christmas Tree lighting ceremony dedicated to veterans is going to attract people to their cause and encourage taxpayers to want to pay higher taxes for the benefit of union members who behave this way. And to further bolster the cause of public employees who are committed to serve their fellow citizens, a Democratic Senator complained that the ceremony was held early in the morning to keep lazy protesters away because he wanted union members and their supporters to ruin a Christmas Tree lighting ceremony dedicated to veterans by behaving like Nazis.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI think you've stated it correctly, but I don't believe most of us will ever really understand it.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse“Every time you think they’ve crossed the line, it’s like they invent a new line to cross.”
Every time you think they're finally peeling away from "stuck on stupid," they pull out the Crazy Glue again.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThe Nazis also used to disrupt public gatherings in the Late Weimar era.
I really miss the days when heckling and squatting in public spaces was out of bounds in US political discourse.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseBut heckling the President of the United States during the State of the Union address is one's patriotic duty, right?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseObviously we need a government security agency to focus on the War on Christmas. I'd suggest we get the Dept. of Ag. on it. They know a lot about trees.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseIt’s really not fair that Wisconsin is ranked 16th on the list of best run states, while Illinois is 49th, just above California. (External Link
) We in Illinois simply cannot afford to lose more jobs, businesses and taxpayers to Wisconsin. Your neighbors to the south are hoping your effort to Recall Walker succeed, so you will turn into the same kind of fiscal disaster we are, thus saving jobs here. Michigan is 48th, so no threat, but Governor Walker will take away jobs and tax dollars that belong here. Please stop him. There’s room here at the bottom for you. I will link to this from my Old Jarhead blog.
Robert A. Hall
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseDes Plaines IL
Author: The Coming Collapse of the American Republic
(All royalties go to a charity to help wounded veterans)
For a free PDF of my book, write tartanmarine(at)gmail.com
So wait, can we call the Left "Nazis" now without running afoul of Godwin's Law? Because I'm pretty sure giving the Nazi salute falls under "acting like a Nazi." What a bunch of ***holes.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseGotta love that picture. Why don't we see this in more MSM publications? (yes I know why)
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI am surprised that they have collected 300,000 signatures in only two weeks. In three months in Michigan the left barely collected that many to recall Rick Snyder who has a lower approval rating than Walker. I fear Walker WILL be recalled and DEFEATED. It would be the biggest loss for conservatism and biggest victory for the left in memory. Yet so many conservatives seem so blase about the fact Walker will likely lose and the WI senate flip sometime in the next 6 months. 2012 could go down as the worst year for conservatism in history.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbusePropaganda people. That's all this article is. Which is exactly what I stated to the person who posted this link on Facebook. It's really sad that just because something is reported on, people believe it. As I stated to said person, reporting and politics are mostly propaganda. The writers and reporters show you what they want you to see, not the actual truth. And the truth is, you can't see what or who these people are saluting. I know many people who protest Walker who would never disrespect veterans like that. In fact I know some veterans who are protesters. So unless you were there, why pass judgement? Just like in a court of law, you can't get a conviction with only circumstantial evidence.
Bottom line...don't believe everything you read.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbusePropaganda people. That's all this article is. Which is exactly what I stated to the person who posted this link on Facebook. It's really sad that just because something is reported on, people believe it. As I stated to said person, reporting and politics are mostly propaganda. The writers and reporters show you what they want you to see, not the actual truth. And the truth is, you can't see what or who these people are saluting. I know many people who protest Walker who would never disrespect veterans like that. In fact I know some veterans who are protesters. So unless you were there, why pass judgement? Just like in a court of law, you can't get a conviction with only circumstantial evidence.
Bottom line...don't believe everything you read.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI am from far northern Wisconsin (Jauch's district). The only thing I can say about Jauch is to ask.....how the heck could a guy who drinks as much as he does not get a DWI?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWhat p####s me off is the impact this has on the children. These people are cold, downright evil. If one of those jerks was standing behind my child shouting while she was trying to sing songs from what is the happiest season of the year for her, I doubt I could constrainnmyself.
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