February 27, 2011

New Media Meade catches protesters leaving the Capitol and the scene outside — including the scoop from police that anyone who wants to stay will be allowed.

Video by Meade, edited by me — all done today...



0:01 — People line the front walk of the State Street exit to the Capitol, preparing to honor the protesters who file out after the building is closed, as promised, at 4 p.m.

0:30 — Protesters file out to the chant of "Thank You... Thank You..."

1:45 — Meade asks a man with an "Ask Gandhi" sign if he's Gandhi.

2:13 — People lined up as if to ring the perimeter of the Capitol and sing "We will be peaceful, we will be strong."

3:16 — Dane County Sheriff's deputies tell Meade that no one will be arrested and, in fact, anyone who doesn't leave will be allowed to stay. They'll just have to get out of the way when the floor scrubbers come through.

4:53 — Meade talks to the woman with the "Greedy Obfuscating Plutocrats" sign.

5:35 — And older man questions the woman's ideological credentials.

6:24 — "What is a legal observer?"

7:02 — "Unions are hot."

128 comments:

Meade said...

A+ on the edit.

M. Simon said...

Excellent!

Fred said...

A clar image of the economic, intellectual, and ethical decline of America in one short video.

Christopher said...

Meanwhile one protester informed a Fox News reporter "I will break your neck," and a Fox News reporter (not sure if it's the same guy) said he was hit by one.

Revenant said...

I wonder what orders the police received. Their chief is a Democrat and supporter of the protesters.

Rose said...

Awesome! We were just discussing whether or not they would leave - discussing on Blogmocracy's Blog Talk Radio show and in chat - whether or not they should, and would.

somefeller said...

Legal Observer: "Are you a reporter?" Meade: "No, I'm just talking to people."

So much for that "citizen journalist" thing.

garage mahal said...

Must be driving the right and fox "news" nuts that there have been zero arrests in 14 days, and not only that, the cops and protesters are getting along with each other. By the looks of it Meade may be the first.

Revenant said...

So much for that "citizen journalist" thing.

"Reporter" is a term generally applied to people who are paid to report the news.

Peter V. Bella said...

The police are cowards. They must be Democrats. As a former police officer, I am embarrassed.

Carol_Herman said...

Great work! Such a joy to watch the videos. While I suspect it makes no sense for Governor Walker to play into the media's hands. And, provide the videos that would run in a loop till the election of 2012. Much better just to wait. And, at some point (perhaps 3AM), those in the Capitol will be removed. The media will have left the building.

Anyway, on a previous posting Palladian put up a "media pass" that was such a hoot!

Up ahead? Yes. To gain access to public buildings there will be new enforcement. Perhaps the most clever will use features that Disney would use?

Anyway, thank you so much for this excellent blog reporting.

Mike said...

"New Meadeia". Kind of like Seinfeld's "Newmainium".

Fen said...

And I think its past time to review what "credentials" you need to be considered a member of the press.

Because if two citizens with a flip-cam can outperform the media...

Revenant said...

Must be driving the right and fox "news" nuts that there have been zero arrests in 14 days

Yawn.

MadisonMan said...

Oh My God.

The woman who said Wisconsin isn't for sale, we're not selling Wisconsin to the Koch brothers said

WESCONSIN.


AAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHHAAHHARHRHGHHRHGGGGH.

My ears are bleeding.

(Some of those people look really really tired)

Fen said...

Garage: Must be driving the right and fox "news" nuts that there have been zero arrests in 14 days, and not only that, the cops and protesters are getting along with each other.

Hardly. If anything, this collusiuon between police and protesters only underscores our argument that PSUs should be banned. The police clearly have a conflict of interest. And its trumping their duty to enforce the law.

MadisonMan said...

(at 2:24)

shudder shudder shudder.

somefeller said...

"Reporter" is a term generally applied to people who are paid to report the news.

Oh, but this is the brave new media world. That's such a Walter Cronkite era definition, and we shouldn't be limited by that! Certainly citizen journalists should be able to proudly call themselves reporters. After all, if you want the benefits of being part of the press, you shouldn't have a problem identifying yourself as such (with all the multifarious terms used for that fine profession) when asked.

Revenant said...

Certainly citizen journalists should be able to proudly call themselves reporters.

Certainly. But your claim was that if you don't call yourself a reporter, you're not a citizen journalist.

That's obviously wrong.

Fen said...

@ Somefeller - I'm curious to hear what your definition of "the Press" is. Do you have to be employed by a network? Do you have to have a degree in Journalism or Communications? Define it.

somefeller said...

No, my claim (which was pretty obvious) is that Meade seems to be happy to call himself a citizen journalist / press person / whatever when it suits him but backs away from those titles and becomes just an average guy when it doesn't suit him. This is just word-parsing and language games.

Anonymous said...

Curious what/who the "legal observer" actually was?

Revenant said...

No, my claim (which was pretty obvious) is that Meade seems to be happy to call himself a citizen journalist / press person / whatever when it suits him but backs away from those titles and becomes just an average guy when it doesn't suit him.

Meade is a citizen journalist. That's an objective fact -- you're reading an Althouse news post about the protests.

He is not a professional journalist, which is why he answered "no" when asked if he was a reporter.

I hope that clears up your confusion, but you'll probably keep whining about how it isn't fair to call yourself a member of the press unless you collect a paycheck from a media conglomerate.

somefeller said...

@ Somefeller - I'm curious to hear what your definition of "the Press" is. Do you have to be employed by a network? Do you have to have a degree in Journalism or Communications? Define it.

Ask that question to those who want to be defined as members of the press, and want to reap the benefits of that. I don't have a dog in that fight, and my entry into this discussion came from the standpoint of policemen controlling crowds. In that context, a press person is someone who has a press pass. Nothing more and nothing less. But obviously, what degree you have is irrelevant, and I don't think even Mr. Cronkite would have focused on what degree someone has.

Palladian said...

I actually own a press. Does that make me official?

somefeller said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
somefeller said...

Curious what/who the "legal observer" actually was?

Probably a local attorney who was there to make sure people in general and his side in particular don't get roughed up. That's another thing that isn't uncommon in big gatherings, regardless of the political stripe.

I hope that clears up your confusion, but you'll probably keep whining about how it isn't fair to call yourself a member of the press unless you collect a paycheck from a media conglomerate.

Where did I say you need to collect a paycheck from a media conglomerate to call yourself a member of the press? Cite, please. Perhaps you are the one who is confused.

retire05 said...

Quick someone tell Michael Yon he is not really a journalist.

somefeller, you're an idiot.

Fen said...

Somefeller, "reporters" do the same thing. They reveal or hide their identity when its suits their purpose.

I think you're still exercising a double standard. Damning Meade for something that's routine amoung reporters.

Thats why I have asked you to define "reporter".


/btw, thanks for keeping it civil, you'll find that I respond in kind

Ann Althouse said...

"Must be driving the right and fox "news" nuts that there have been zero arrests in 14 days"

Or is it driving the left nuts? Who's more driven nuts by this no arrests thing, hmmm? I think it's magnificent judo. Scott Walker looks like the beleaguered decent man and the protesters have to keep sleeping on the marble floor... for the rest of their lives, apparently.

jkmack said...

The whole camera on the prowl thing has been fascinating, unfortunately it has unmasked your state as about 3 steps away from the Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei, at which time unions will be considered redundant and abolished as an organization due to the fact that as a citizen you are a defacto union member, congrats.

lets see, in english that would be National Socialist American workers party. have fun.

garage mahal said...

Yawn.

I didn't see anything about protesters being arrested, or what they were being arrested for. Nice try though.

Skay said...

The woman won't "sell Wisconsin" to the Koch Bros -- but she will sell it to Soros.

somefeller said...

I actually own a press. Does that make me official?

As official as you want to be. But you probably still need to get a pass if you want to get at the press section at the Oscars or the Wisconsin Capitol. Something tells me the former option is a better one.

Fen said...

somefeller: In that context, a press person is someone who has a press pass

Then our only disagreement is whether its an outdated standard. They'll give any idiot a press pass.

Ann Althouse said...

As for whether Meade is a reporter... this scene occurred shortly after the police would not accept his media credentials.

It depends on what the meaning of "reporter" is. If the lawyer wanted to control the definition of the term, he should have been clear.

Fen said...

retire05: Quick someone tell Michael Yon he is not really a journalist.

Spot on.

somefeller said...

Somefeller, "reporters" do the same thing. They reveal or hide their identity when its suits their purpose.

Fair point, but it seems a little hinky in this context. It's not like this is dangerous undercover journalism here.

/btw, thanks for keeping it civil, you'll find that I respond in kind

I have the same rule. If someone wants to dish it out, I respond in kind. If they don't, I don't.

And on that note, retire05, did I say anything about Michael Yon or his status as a reporter/journalist/whatever? No. And don't sell yourself short, you never retire from being a moron.

somefeller said...

Then our only disagreement is whether its an outdated standard. They'll give any idiot a press pass.

Perhaps so. But the purpose of the press pass is as much a matter of crowd control as it is anything else. It isn't a professional certification or a statement of a job well done. It's just a way to manage an event and it's a necessary one.

David said...

1. Overwhelmingly white.
2. Can't sing (may explain Peter Yarrow).
3. Can't even get themselves arrested.
4. Many taxpayers? Perhaps no.
5. Know that Koch is pronounced "Coke."
6. Overwhelmingly white.

traditionalguy said...

The first sudden community uprisings and popular political movements started circa 1735. They were the result of Papers and Pamphlets that were written, printed and distributed quickly. The players in this new game had to have one thing...a printing press. Freedom to enter the political discourse started to be called Freedom of the Press, but might as well have been called Freedom of Printers. So although Meade and Ann are doing that job paperlessly, they are The Press. Their credentials will have to be shown on a Kendle or an I-Pad.

Rob said...

Now I know where all the hippies went. Seriously?

Brian Crouch said...

Hi Ms. Althouse,

I was wondering if in any of the videos you've had the chance to ask any protesters who specifically vilify the Koch bros. about their $20 million donations to the ACLU?

I really wonder why the ravers have picked these guys as the Emmanuel Goldstein for their two (million) minutes' hate, considering how the Koches have really donated relatively very little to Walker, and have supported gay marriage, pro-choice causes, etc. I mean, I would figure they'd vilify some arch-conservatives rather than them, I don't get it. I keep seeing the word "oligarch" pop up from time to time, which scarcely seems to fit either.

Irene said...

Art Gallery plans to showcase protesters' signs.

And Althouse predicted the museum display.

somefeller said...

I was wondering if in any of the videos you've had the chance to ask any protesters who specifically vilify the Koch bros. about their $20 million donations to the ACLU?

Hah! That would be an awesome question, actually! Here's a source for that story. And they gave the donation together with, drumroll please, George Soros. That's going to cause some heads to explode on all sides. Stories like this remind me of why I like my liberalism tinged with libertarianism. Or is the other way around?

Revenant said...

I didn't see anything about protesters being arrested, or what they were being arrested for.

And your lack of perception is my problem because...?

somefeller said...

Anyway, it's been fun. Off to bed. Busy week coming up.

Fen said...

Brian Crouch: I really wonder why the ravers have picked these guys as the Emmanuel Goldstein for their two (million) minutes' hate, considering how the Koches have really donated relatively very little to Walker, and have supported gay marriage, pro-choice causes, etc.

It started because Eric Lipton of the NYTs targeted the Koches with an unsourced quote.

Powerline has the details:

"That interview led to what turned out to be the key paragraph in Lipton's story:


Even before the new governor was sworn in last month, executives from the Koch-backed group had worked behind the scenes to try to encourage a union showdown, Mr. Phillips said in an interview on Monday.


This paragraph was seized on by the Left as evidence that the Koch brothers and their company, Koch Industries, are some kind of shadowy force behind Governor Walker's effort to get Wisconsin's labor costs under control.

I was struck by the fact that there was no direct quote.
Elsewhere in the article, Lipton did quote Phillips, and so indicated in the usual way with quotation marks. The absence of an actual quotation in the story's key paragraph was striking, to say the least. Others on the Left remedied the deficiency by simply adding the quotation marks."

/full article with more depth at:
http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2011/02/028470.php

Lipton has been challenged and cannot back up his work.

mike said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
shiloh said...

Or is it driving the left nuts? Who's more driven nuts by this no arrests thing, hmmm?

hmm indeed at AA's total non sequitur.

So AA teaches law, hmm ...

mike said...

garage mahal said...

I didn't see anything about protesters being arrested, or what they were being arrested for. Nice try though.

Not sure what point you're trying to make here. That none of the union members at Madison have been arrested is somehow a victory for your side? OK. I guess you gotta take what you can get. But, Walker's bill just passed in the House and will certainly pass in the Senate once the fleabaggers come back from their Illinois vacation. If that doesn't happen soon then massive layoffs of teachers will ensue. Some victory you libs have there. Nice try though.

Anonymous said...

Conservative patriotic Americans have not rights whatsoever, and leftist socialists run can just shit all over us. It is now time for middle America to understand, we are finished, done. We are slaves to the socialists. They rule, we are the slaves.

vnjagvet said...

The layoffs will effect the demonstrators who already are vehemently against Warner and the republican legislature. Once the demonstration has run its course, what are these unions and their supporters going to do for an encore?

I suspect we won't hear any substantive, rational response from our resident trolls. Time and political power are on Warner's side.

Fen said...

shiloh: So AA teaches law, hmm ...

Hah, its the old "you, a law professor" jab. And you thought you were being original and clever.

I actually hope you are lying about being 60ish. It would mean you are a failure at life.

Anonymous said...

I've asked before on other blogs - and my main concern is - 'if it's OK to break the immigration laws, will the liberals give me a list of the other laws it is OK to break?'

With this demonstration by the Madison PD - my question is - 'what other laws will the Madison PD allow me to break?' Can I now deface a squad car if I first put a pro-Walker sticker on the bumper?

At some point in time this collusion between the law-enforcers and the law-breakers will force everyone to ignore the law.

I have always know the professional left was advocating for this - but are rank and file Democrats now advocating it?

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

It depends on what the meaning of "reporter" is.

I don't want to hear anybody here tell me that a Clintonian fallacy is obsolete..

If we have Althouse using them then thats all the credential I need ;)

Chip Ahoy said...

Halp, I got shaky-cam eyeballs!

Onions are Hot!

Anonymous said...

Skay - "The woman won't "sell Wisconsin" to the Koch Bros -- but she will sell it to Soros."

Soros pays better; and it is clearly known how far he will go to support himself (example: sending others to the gas chambers so that he may live.)

The Koch brothers aren't so clear. Soros will sell anyone to the gas chambers - and not apologize. That's why the left loves him so.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

And Althouse predicted the museum display.

shhh.. Everybody knows Althouse prefers the museum to the capitol ;)

Art b4 Politics.

Tiny Bunch said...

If they aren't arresting protesters who stay inside overnight, why can't homeless people sleep there every night?

Tiny Bunch said...

If they aren't arresting protesters who stay inside overnight, why can't homeless people sleep there every night?

BJM said...

@Somefeller @10:43

You really must try to keep up.

Sofa King said...

We are slaves to the socialists. They rule, we are the slaves.

Steady, man, steady. Patience is a virtue in all things. Hold fast! Remember Fort McHenry.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

If the protest fail.. as they seem headed that way.. We are likely to witness Obama have a Sister Souljah moment..

Now.. bear with me.. for Obama's Sister Souljah moment to happen we need Madison to get a little rowdier (sorry Meade ;).. to get a little bloody, like the Union guy in Mass called for.

Unless the timing is all wrong for Obama.. the election still 20 months and 9 days from now.. the political thing to do is in Obamas blood.. sit back and wait.. meaning the police stands down.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

The reason why Obama takes his time to respond to events is because it seems other people are always there to say that his non response response is the right thing to do..
After people say that he is doing the right thing he makes a flimsy pronouncement saying waht everybody already expects hes going to say.

Obama has repeated this pattern.. repeatedly.

kent said...

"This is what mob rule looks like."

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

What if Obama seeing the numbers and the unlikely possibility of his reelection decides to withdraw?

The only problem with that is.. nobody knows the strength of the opposition yet.. the republican potentials seem also weak.

Unknown said...

It's really unfair to criticize the 'legal observers.' The law school, who's actually trained a bunch of students to walk around (on top of the attorneys), stressed that we'd need to make sure to look out for both sides and that no one's First Amendment rights were being impeded. Everything seemed quite civil, so there wasn't much for us to do.

Now, if you guys would like the "fun" view (well, my own personal view) of this whole thing from someone who's actually neutral on the whole issue--I'm sick of the protesters. I'm sick of Madison, which has turned into an absolute circus. We (law students) spend all week doing tons of reading and found ourselves pretty much unable to unwind this weekend. Why? Well, the bars were packed with protesters. Damn those kids.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

While there is no clear Reagan in the horizon..

there will be Jimmy Carter like hostages everywhere.

Lombardi Chick said...

"I didn't see anything about protesters being arrested, or what they were being arrested for. Nice try though."

I did. There were nine arrests - it was earlier on, when someone tried to gain entry where they were not allowed. I believe some glass got smashed. My impression was that the persons arrested were protesting the bill.

Interesting that you hadn't heard about it. That ought to tell you right there it wasn't a bunch of tea partiers. Had it been, the media would have been talking about it every fifteen minutes.

Lombardi Chick said...

Police hand-cuffed one protester after he apparently tried to charge into the state Assembly.

Thousands of protesters have jammed the Capitol for days to complain about the bill.

Moments before a roll call began in the Assembly on Thursday, reporters heard a crash outside the chamber. They rushed out and saw a man on the ground. Police officers were on top of him. They handcuffed him and led him away.

A legislative aide said he saw the man rush from the line of protesters and try to charge into the chamber. The man tripped and the police captured him.


And since I know this snip won't be good enough, here's a link.

Don't say I never did anything for you. (I really do find it amusing that so few people realized anyone was even arrested. That says a lot about the media.)

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Interesting that you hadn't heard about it. That ought to tell you right there it wasn't a bunch of tea partiers.

Sometimes I wish our message (tea partiers) was a massage in a bottle.. that aside from catching on will eventually make people believe that unsustainable debt is.. anathema?

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Don't say I never did anything for you. (I really do find it amusing that so few people realized anyone was even arrested. That says a lot about the media.)

I find it hard to believe you are a 'chick'.. Who says you need to do anything for anybody?

you are are either trying too hard.. or your element of control is unconvincing.

Lombardi Chick said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Zombie..

The protesters are trying to convince us that they are less than Zombies?...(for the sake of argument lets propose that the british troops in northern ireland were worst than Hitler)..

How do we appease Zombies?

Another head hangs lowly,
Child is slowly taken.
And the violence caused such silence,
Who are we mistaken?

But you see, it's not me, it's not my family.
In your head, in your head they are fighting,
With their tanks and their bombs,
And their bombs and their guns.
In your head, in your head, they are crying...

In your head, in your head,
Zombie, zombie, zombie,
Hey, hey, hey. What's in your head,
In your head,
Zombie, zombie, zombie?
Hey, hey, hey, hey, oh, dou, dou, dou, dou, dou...

Another mother's breakin',
Heart is taking over.
When the vi'lence causes silence,
We must be mistaken.

It's the same old theme since nineteen-sixteen.
In your head, in your head they're still fighting,
With their tanks and their bombs,
And their bombs and their guns.
In your head, in your head, they are dying...

In your head, in your head,
Zombie, zombie, zombie,
Hey, hey, hey. What's in your head,
In your head,
Zombie, zombie, zombie?
Hey, hey, hey, hey, oh, oh, oh,
Oh, oh, oh, oh, hey, oh, ya, ya-a...


A Zombie cannot be reasoned with ;)

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

It's all clicks and buzzes over here, weird little man. I'll have to remain a mystery to you, I guess.

Keep Moving Ivy

Lombardi Chick said...

Note to self: Just ignore the weird ones.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Note to self: Just ignore the weird ones.

You spoke to a dog b4 and you call me weird?

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

the weird ones..

crazy

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

But then if you are really Lombardy? ..
I wouldn't know much about violence..
I enjoy baseball.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Surrender - Single Gun Theory

Together. As if in silent prayer.
And whenever I looked out, you were there.
Love flowed from our hearts.
How could we ever,
Stand to be apart?

Don't throw your faith in others away,
Because we have ended this way.
Don't ever think I don't care about you,
What you've always know is true.

It always seems sad, things have to change.
Like our feelings, let's not look for blame.
Don't throw your faith in others away,
Because we have ended this way.
Don't ever think I don't care about you,
What you've always known is true.

After all is said and done, I am the sorry one.
Why must we hurt the people we love?
It's like my destiny falls on me from above.

I love you but I can't hang on anymore.
I love you but I can't stay anymore.


Its really sad when I cannot even seduce a girl over the intertubes.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

On my own (no lawyers) she started it.. with that alluring avatar.. I was seduced..

I plead guilty.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

I should just stick to my small circle of friends..

its the best thing.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

havent heard form her.. maybe I should call..

Hello - Poe

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

I want to give up but..

No vengo ni voy

Me da lo mismo.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Only the lonely.. The Motels

we are on the intertubes at the 4 in the am..

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

But then I never give up..

Voices Carry - that's the good thing about the Internet..

voices carry..

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

There is something about her.. so waht if shes a fake..

We are all fakes according to Burroughs.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Waht is Love anyway?

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Diving in too deep?

Overkill.

ok the internet is overkill.. is too strong for some people ;)

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Its just my way..

Love My Way

I rather die alone than succumb to a loveless, unromantic, mediocre facade.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Fade into You

I need to keep it together.. I told some girl she was nice and she nearly told me to piss off.

I think I'm lucky... like FLS said earlier.

Unknown said...

Thank you, Meade, for giving everyone yet another argument against public sector unions.

I know it must have been more than a little scary out there.

PS shiloh/PB&J/some phony folksy are all wound up over the fact Meade doesn't work for the Establishment Media, but calls himself a reporter.

That old centralized media was a God-send for the Lefties, but now it's gone forever. And people get to see what's really happening.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Ok one mor call to that Babe in the aether..

please come back I was just kidding, i didn't mean any of it.. I was drunk.. vice versa.. still Am.

I was just using you as some kind of inspiration to play music... dont hold it against this great site, nor the people that come here.. I just needed you to work for me..

I think I needed to apologize so I behave.. shes new, she had no idea what she was in for.. I'm sorry about that.

please dont let my behavior disuage you (Lombardi Chick) from coming back.

Roger J. said...

a bit off topic but Lem brought it up before the effects of demon rum addled his brain :)

The so called prime contenders for the republican nomination for POTUS have been, as far as I can tell, notably absent from this contretemps--am I in error on my observation? Seems to me they might want to be riding the coatails of the republican governors who are in the vanguard of this fight.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

the professor is stuck with her Madison stravaganza.. its not her fault.. But really.. I hate "protest music".. its just not for me.

so i made up a situation and ran with it.

I dont mean to say its the professors fault.. but when it comes down to it who else is it?

I mean, even Gwyneth Paltrow had to stop and mention her ;)

Roger J. said...

Lem--and yes, Ms Lombardi chick is hot; conservative/libertarian women are always hotter than liberal women.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Lem brought it up before the effects of demon rum addled his brain :)

lol.. I love you too.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

conservative/libertarian women are always hotter than liberal women.

You are right.. I think I talked to her all wrong.

I hate the internet.. I think.

Got to go.. Ill see you guys later.

Anonymous said...

garage mahal said...

Must be driving the right and fox "news" nuts that there have been zero arrests in 14 days, and not only that, the cops and protesters are getting along with each other.


Only someone as stupid as you would make this comment on a thread where proof is offered that the police are supporting these "protesters."

It must be hard to get through the day being so dumb.

GMay said...

Lem, dude. Come on man.

GMay said...

Professor,

Any chance of a story on the Fox news guy getting assaulted and threatened? I'm eager for some input from our resident lefties on that.

Anonymous said...

This current episode is a glaring example of why police public sector unions should be banned.

The conflict of interest is striking, right here they are working for a small sliver of the public while the public at large pays for their existence.

This must end.

Anonymous said...

"Reporter" is a term generally applied to people who are paid to report the news.

And you would find one of those where? I mean, as opposed to someone who looks at what's happening and then shades the story to support her agenda.

Fen said...

oooh. Irony before 9 AM.

...because "reporters" never shade the story to fit their narrative.

Bushman of the Kohlrabi said...

The union workers need to add taxpayer subsidized singing lessons into their next round of contract negotiations.

Jim S. said...

I want my MeadeTV.

Fen said...

Well, the Teacher's Union is already demanding Viagra:

"In 2002, through collective bargaining, MTEA won the inclusion of Viagra in its members’ health plans, and by 2004, 10% of union membership (which isn’t a male-dominated set) was subscribing to the benefit — at a cost of more than $200,000 per year to the Milwaukee school district. Not until 2005 was the school district finally able to convince an arbitrator to drop the coverage.

Last year, while the school district faced a $10 million dollar budget shortfall, the MTEA decided it was time to revisit those drug benefits and filed a lawsuit demanding their reintroduction to union health plans—at a projected cost of $786,000 in 2010."

http://patriotupdate.com/3650/wisconsin-union-collective-bargaining-a-teacher%E2%80%99s-fundamental-right-to-viagra

So singing lessons is not much of a stretch.

KCFleming said...

"someone who looks at what's happening and then shades the story to support her agenda."

Do tell.
I have long had a difficult time discerning an agenda of Althouse other than sparking conversation, often by questioning what people are saying and doing.

I gather she's been a skeptic since at least age 2, as one can tell from her Santa photos.

Skeptical inquiry isn't an agenda, but a method of approaching the world. As such, it "shades the story", but in a less limiting way than wearing marx-colored glasses does (see Zinn, Chomsky, Obama, 14 Wisconsin Democratic Senators, the Madison protesters).

KCFleming said...

And be careful when wearing marxist lenses when driving.

They make you veer left all the time.
Ba dum bum.

Fred4Pres said...

These protests are borning now.

I am not even sure what they are arguing about anymore, other than Scott Walker is Hitler.

garage mahal said...

I did. There were nine arrests - it was earlier on, when someone tried to gain entry where they were not allowed. I believe some glass got smashed. My impression was that the persons arrested were protesting the bill.

You're full of shit.

bagoh20 said...

It's clear why these people chose to whine for a living. I can't imagine a single person I saw there doing any physical work, and I sure as hell wouldn't want any of them in my foxhole.

These are people who "CAN"T HANDLE THE TRUTH"!, depend on others for virtually everything in there lives, and succeed by knowing where the scams are and filling out the right forms.

tim maguire said...

So homeless people get to sleep in the capital building anytime they want? Or do we have an equal protection problem here?

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

..."The public sector labor movement has reached a historical dead end. Cities and states that yield to labor demands have higher costs, higher taxes and higher debt than places that don’t. Over time, those states stand to lose revenue, jobs and population to cheaper and more efficient jurisdictions."

-Walter R. Mead

Here in CO - Our teachers make more and more while our state sinks into debt, and our children get the cuts.

Tom Spaulding said...

Is she now?


http://bit.ly/gEuAPY



Google search Page 3.

RE: Your Feces quotient? 100%

test said...

"4:53 — Meade talks to the woman with the "Greedy Obfuscating Plutocrats" sign."

I've always enjoyed this particular talking point. If you're speaking to a leftist, there are two people in the conversation who want your money. And the one who put in zero effort calls you greedy. I don't doubt leftists sincerely think they're right. But the complete lack of understanding their own talking points shows they parrot whatever they hear despite their inability to understand the issues.

Humperdink said...

Was that the worst singing ever? I would quit the protest in a heartbeat after hearing that crap. It appeared they were deliberately singing off-key.

Bushman of the Kohlrabi said...

New Meadeia strikes again!

WTMJ radio in milwaukee discusses Meade's interview of the protestors at the Veterans Memorial!

Good job Meade!

Triangle Man said...

You're full of shit.

She posted a link Garage.

KCFleming said...

"So homeless people get to sleep in the capital building anytime they want?"

They just need a protest sign, apparently.

Unknown said...

I've been follow your blogs on the protests and they're great. Keep up the good work!

A couple questions that you might want to ask:

I've seen reports of the hundreds and maybe thousands of protestors inside the state house. Is it safe to jamb that many people in such a space? There should be a sign somewhere indicating the maximum occupancy? It'd be interesting to compare the legal limit to the estimated number of protestors. If there are too many people in there, why hasn't the Fire Marshal enforced the law?

From the looks of the building it's mainly stone and so probably has light fire sprinkler coverage. All the flamable junk that the protestors have left around creates a fire hazard. What does the Fire Marshal have to say about that?

Sofa King said...

She posted a link Garage.

Don't bother, TM. Garage is off in fantasyland. He's picturing tangerine trees and marmalade skies.

test said...

"If there are too many people in there, why hasn't the Fire Marshal enforced the law?"

It's be a shame if the protests turned Greek. Many would die, but at least Frances Fox Piven would be satisfied.

blythe_masters said...

Ann,

Can you elaborate an the reasons why the Dane County Sheriff Department is policing the State Capitol? This makes no sense and appears to be a major failure of leadership by the Walker Administration.

State Capitols are generally protected by a dedicated Capitol Police Force or by State Troopers who are accountable to the State Government.

Did Walker fail to order the Wisconsin State Troopers to secure the Capitol?

Does Wisconsin lack laws governing jurisdictional coverage for local versus state police forces?

The presence of the Dane County Sheriff Department policing at the State Capitol is one of the most bizarre I have ever seen.

Phil 314 said...

Where do all of these folks go to learn the song lyrics?

Phil 314 said...

When Meade asked "What is a legal observer?" and the guy responded later by asking "Are you a reporter?" I was waiting for him (not Meade) to declare "Then you are an illegal observer?"

I love the guy who's "Obfuscation" poster was telling the GOP its problem but it wasn't "his job to fix the GOP". And I assumed this "problem" fit perfectly with his worldview and in fact wasn't a problem but a benefit.

Was it truthful? Well that's another matter.

I'm just amazed the resonance the Koch Brothers get with liberals. If only they could connect them with Sarah Palin. That would be like
convergence

Unknown said...

Are the protesters claiming the Madison Capitol Building as a residence in their tax returns? Surely they should be held to the same standards as Republican Congressmen who sleep on their couch- I'm sure CNN will be right on that story...