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(of Republican Governor Scott Walker's douchebaggery.)
http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/ ... 03286.html

Closed again tomorrow. Tens of thousands of people expected to protest tomorrow.

Can a mod re-name this thread to be more accurate? This is a really good story. Lawmakers have apparently left the state to slow down passage of an anti-union bill. Strikes and student sit ins. Right here, in the US! By gum.

I was reading an interesting little article "is Wisconsin the United States Egypt"...I sort of hope so, but know in my heart people are still too well off here to rock the boat

Yeah really, its a fascinating story.

Sounds like they are rocking the boat, though. Teachers calling in to work to protest? Lawmakers walking out to avoid the bill? I know TX tried that the last time the republican house was gerrymandering.

Major upheaval shutting down the nation's schools? probably not but power to them for what they're doing. Interesting that they elected the conservative lawmakers and are now, wait, no. What are you doing?

Please do change the title, perhaps "Is Madison, WI the new Cairo?"

Best live feed I've seen so far:
http://www.thedailypage.com/walker/

I've got to say as a public employee in WI with a husband who works in a public school, the whole situation makes me nauseous.

So proud of the people in Wi, hopefully the governor backs down or gets impeached, hopefully impeached!!

Would you mind elaborating?

It's kind of late so I'm having trouble finding the words for this, but it comes down to the fact that if this bill passes, we are both going to end up with pay-cuts and will probably end up with much crappier health insurance. Also the end of union bargaining rights sucks.

Are y'all on strike ducky? I can't tell how far reaching everything is.

I don't know much about WI politics, but how did this guy get in office? Was this part of the campaign pledge? Does anyone have links to more back story?

What North America does to its public servants (like teachers) makes me sick. I hope you guys get what you deserve, because you at least deserve to have your demands responded to in an honourable way that takes into account your work and valuable service.

I don't fully understand what's going on right now in my home state, but many of my friends and family in Sconny are in unions. They're pretty upset right now.

My facebook page blew up with this C&P status the other day:
"If you or someone you know works for the UW, state, county, city, or local government - copy this and make it your status update today. Let's see how many people would be negatively affected by Scott Walker's "nuclear option" of eliminating 50 years of peaceful collective bargaining in Wisconsin."

I don't have a link, but one of the news channels had a correspondent at the protests last night (and by correspondent, I mean a dude whose family has lived in town for about 47838 generations and was willing to get in front of a camera and hold a mic. I'm not sure if he was actually any kind of journalist; it was more of an interview between the studio and the guy in WI than "reporting").

One of the most prominent questions they asked him (and the Senator in an "undisclosed location") was why did you all elect a conservative Governor? What the hell did you think was going to happen? Wasn't this all part of his campaign? Their response was no, he never mentioned anything like this during the election process.

The other big question was what the hell are you doing to the democratic process? The people voted the Republicans in, so aren't you responsible to uphold their wishes and represent them in the Senate, not just run away because you don't agree with what's going on? The response to that one was basically that if you look at the protest, you'll see that they're obviously representing someone.

No, not on strike. Actually the majority of people at my work seem strangely uninformed and not bothered by the current political situation, although I do work in an area with a majority of conservatives, so that might be why. I am a public librarian and a member of my library's union.

ah, so this is why all my wisconsin friends' facebook pages are like firestorms. my buddies are RNs and work for various state facilities involved with special needs adults and children.

I can't believe Gov. Walker called it a "modest proposal."

I sure as hell didn't vote for him and was very disappointed when he was elected!

Go Madison! My cousin's kid didn't have school that day due to the protests.

http://www.waow.com/global/video/flash/ ... nd=1368187 right about 7:20

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011 ... hp?ref=fpb

http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/ ... mode=video

http://host.madison.com/wsj/

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/outcry- ... t-12947427

Almost everything middle class workers have, we have because of Wisconsin and its historically progressive people. Rachel Maddow explains how, if Wisconsin falls, all other states will topple, the Republicans will have won their biggest anti-middle class victory EVER, and the game will essentially be over.

I don't get it, why did they elect a republican governor.

The GOP promised jobs and to turn the economy around, and a ton of Americans were scared off healthcare reform by GOP rhetoric. I don't think anyone expected their election to be followed by a full scale assault on women and unions. Not coincidentally two groups that traditionally support the democrats.

Seriously, why are no Democrats speaking out on this? It is forked up that Obama hasn't said anything.

he has! i'm sorry that all i'm contributing here has been links, but :

http://www.todaystmj4.com/news/local/116391649.html

and walker basically told him to mind his own business. :

http://nation.foxnews.com/politics/2011 ... s-business

it bothers me that he keeps talking about the pension and health care increases, but mentions nothing about the collective bargaining, which people are upset about his bill.

Links are good. My twitter was all over the place with egypt stuff but protest in our own country doesn't seem to be making as much news. Tsk.