It is, apparently, Day 113 of the Siege of the Capitol, Madison held hostage. Where is Ted Koppel?
My friend Charlie says he hears that Blaska has been elected mayor of the Leftist shantytown on the Capitol Square known as Walkersville, where this photo was taken. If I can't get a recount then I demand a recall!
Deke Rivers, proprietor of Caffeinated Politics, is outraged that Republicans were or are considering encouraging more Democrats to run in recall districts in order to force a primary.
From La Crosse to Fond Du Lac, from River Hills to Coloma the last thing the electorate ever wants is for an election cycle to be elongated!
Assuming he is not referencing Rep. Weiner, are not the legislative recalls doing exactly that?
A citizen tries to bank in the People's Republic
The Divine Miss Vicki shares this e-mail from a fan named Richard Stuplich:
I tried to get change at my bank M&I while I was down in Madison trying to complain about the tents still set up. The one at 1 main street.
I was trapped by 10 protesters at M&I and had a 20 minute argument about the issues, that they were really quite clueless about. Standard answers were always tax the rich. The protesters had a sign on the door that said "Thanks Walker, Closed For Business." I pulled it off, ripped it in half and threw it on the ground but when I pulled on the door it was locked and two security guards were right on the other side. I think they thought I was part of the protest.
Three cops ended up coming over and warning me that I was about to get asked to leave. I was getting quite heated trying to argue with 10 protesters. I was against a low fence with both hands on it and sort of sitting on it and they were in a semicircle around me one guy who admitted he was a state employee was about 4 inches from my face when the cops came and warned me.
Madison is lost when this situation could be interpreted that I was the one needing a warning. I can understand it is far easier to remove the one than the 10 but really? How is that fair?
I then asked the cops "Who do I talk to about enforcing the tent 7:00 am. take down rule?" and he said "That isn't going to happen."
When is Mike Huebsch going to shape up?
Next door to the Stately Manor, Ms. Emily scores DOA Secretary Mike Huebsch for his "stubborn refusal to return access to the building to some semblance of normalcy."
So, it's Huebsch banging plastic buckets? Disrupting committee meetings? Shouting down our elected lawmakers? The man must be stopped! Stubborn fellow!
At least, Emily posts a mildly discouraging word about shouting down one's opponents. ("Hardly civil.") Still awaiting a similar judgment from the Progressive Dane news outlet over at Capital Newspapers. Comrade John? Dave? Paul F.? Anyone home?
Then there is the hypocrisy of the fire department worrying about fire codes while maintaining guilty silence as 20,000 people pushed the old building wildly past capacity in February and March.
Althouse notes that protesters propped open doors to the Capitol and 30-40 people rushed into the building. Five were arrested for bypassing Capitol security. New Media Meade comments:
Rushing the building, rushing the bank, trying to block traffic the police, who could not have been more accommodating to and patient with the protesters during February and March this is the thanks the police now get. It would not be inappropriate for the protesters to now sing to themselves, in harmony, with feeling, and all together now, their well-practiced chant of "shame, shame, shame."
Or, when they chant, "Whose house? The People's house," they really mean "the people who agree with us. Not, y'know, the actual electorate."
'This is what consistent policy looks like'
No, do not F*CK with them! So advises the poster at the State and Mifflin cul de sac as the democratic debate continues.
State Rep. Paul Farrow writes a most relevant letter to Capitol Police Chief Charles Tubbs, dated Thursday, June 2.
Chief Tubbs,
I am writing in reference to recent disturbing events in our Capitol building.
… The Solidarity Singers … for the past two months and running, have commandeered the Rotunda at precisely 12 noon each weekday and proceeded to express their displeasure at the top of their lungs. For 60 minutes, the lawmakers and staff are disrupted from their daily business and visitors to the building stop dead in their tracks in an attempt to decipher the noise and lyrics that reverberate throughout the building.
The most egregious disturbance occurred this past Tuesday, May 31. As you know, the American Red Cross was scheduled to hold its annual Blood Drive at the State Capitol, between the hours of 9 am to 3 pm. Dedicated volunteers and medical professionals arrived as scheduled and began to set up the blood drive. Loyal donors and Capitol staff lined up, waiting to donate blood and potentially save a life. However, they soon found it impossible to complete the task.
In fact, this past Tuesday, the decibel level became so unbearable that the Red Cross professionals were forced to close the blood drive and turn away donors. They resorted to rescheduling for Thursday, June 2. It is a travesty to think that selfless individuals, willing to donate their own blood to help another in need, would even be put in that predicament. ...
I have read the First Amendment many times. Interestingly enough, nowhere in the Amendment does it include the word "volume." There is no justifiable reason that one group should be able to shout down the rights of another or "sing down", as the case may be. ...
... The Solidarity Singers have no such permit. ... I am further outraged to learn that the American Red Cross did, in fact, complete the permit application process. ... The reward for their prudence? To be totally disrupted, and ultimately, forced to abandon their nonprofit event.
Sadly, the American Red Cross is not the only group which has been trampled upon by the Solidarity Singers. In the spring, typically thousands of schoolchildren come from all across the state to visit their State Capitol. They travel on buses, sometimes from several hours away, to tour with fellow students and teachers and learn about our state government.
Unfortunately, over 50 of those groups had to cancel their trips this year, during the height of the protest. …
This is what consistent policy looks like.
Read Rep. Farrow's entire letter here. I checked on the Capitol rotunda this Tuesday noon and the singers were at it and the top of their lungs, much to the amusement of teachers and kids from Holy Apostles School in New Berlin who were taking the tour. (The accompanying photo of Tent City mid-day on Mifflin Street refers to another sing-along.)
Join the anti-bullying campaign
I'm on board with the schools' efforts to curb bullying. Let's start with teachers union boss John Matthews, who says "it's time to get down and dirty." But then, it's always time to get down and dirty for Bad John. (Gov. Walker thanks you for proving his point.)
Tell John Matthews to quit bullying the taxpayers of Madison!
