Anti-war movement reappears, briefly

"When the bombs began dropping on Baghdad last Wednesday, an antiwar movement, with roots in the civil rights/Vietnam era and the perspective of 20 years of hindsight and political work, coalesced in Madison," writes Isthmus intern Abigail Goldman. Several rallies drew more than 500 people, and Madison Mayor Paul Soglin, who opposed the Vietnam War, confronted protesters blocking traffic near the City-County Building. With the president's actions polling 85% favorable, Soglin argues that attitudes toward the war must change before Madison takes up measures like declaring itself a sanctuary for draft resisters. The Gulf War ends quickly, and the protests peter out. Goldman goes on to win a 2004 Pulitzer for her reporting on "The Wal-Mart Effect" while at the L.A. Times. Soglin is campaigning to return as Madison mayor.