Luntz: WI union action is backfiring
Overheard on Fox, so no link yet. But pollster Frank Luntz just said that the government unions’ protest in Wisconsin is “the worst thing they could’ve done.” Luntz also said that even a big number of Democrats oppose these government unions.The Tatler is eager to see some numbers on how the public is viewing Wisconsin.
Overheard earlier on Fox – a reporter at the statehouse in WI tried to interview a protester, only to have the guy yell “Fox lies!” in answer to every single question. It’s difficult to think of a more moronic approach to one’s chance on national TV, to convince a skeptical audience that you’re worth listening to.
Our local NPR (St. Louis Pub Radio – constantly warning us that their fed $s are on the block [that months ago didn't amount to squat]), had a segment on Gov Quin (IL-Dem) praising these “refugees” for doing such a great job [hiding in foreign lands] – in IL. It will be fun to watch what happens in Springfield when SHTF for his own junkies.
The aggressive defense of their position is exactly what one should expect from a powerful interest group. It also goes right to the heart of why public-sector unions are corrupting influences.
I heard Quinn on KMOX belching the same nonsense. The irony of the governor of a state headed down the insolvency track at light speed lecturing another governor taking steps to keep his state from the same fate is just too, too much. Illinois can’t implode soon enough.
The protester who shouted “Fox Lies” over and over was on Fox Business. Here’s a YouTube link.
Tonight they’ll be just over the Indiana line at a casino. Tomorrow, they hit the campaign trail for Rahm.
I understand there is going to be a counter demonstration of Gov. Walker’s supporters tomorrow; it’s about time that we hear from the people who are paying the bills. The unions need to get real and realize that the days of Cadillac benefits and guaranteed annual raises are gone. Any private company in the financial shape these states are in who continued paying these kinds of benefits would be out of business – or the management would have been kicked out by the shareholders.With so many people out of work and hurting the states can’t just raise taxes to fund these benefits. Enough already!
This will make Scott Walker a national figure. I just hope he hangs in there as I suspect the unions are making a fatal mistake.
Politico cited a poll showing 64% of the public says public employee unions are a bad idea. Among democrats, 42% of them thought the same.
If they can’t get 60% of DEMOCRATS in line in a definitely non “right wing” poll on a left-leaning politico website, they are in deep doo doo.
Every speech they make, every lurch leftward, is just PISSING OFF THE PUBLIC. Wow. They think it’s their time to move and seize power, but they’re just burning up in the atmosphere like a flare or a firecracker.
I hope Governor Walker does this. It would send a strong massage to all Democrats, including the President, that we the people are serious and that they can not run away from the issues, but must deal with them honorably.
February 18, 2011 at 12:24 pm
doriangrey commented:
The only way Gov. Walker can send the State Police after those Dem legislators is if a court has issued a Writ of Mandamus. See Section 3455 of the Wisconsin State Law. Once a Writ of Mandamus has been issued fleeing the State to avoid being compelled to appear in the State Assembly becomes felony Interstate Flight to Avoid a Court Order.
While the Wisconsin State Police do not have the Jurisdiction to arrest those Dem Legislators in Illinois, the Wisconsin State Attorney General can then issue a Felony Interstate Flight arrest Warrant and send it to the Illinois State Attorney General and request that the Illinois State Police execute it and extradite those Dem Legislators back to Wisconsin.
If that happens and those Dem Legislators are arrested they face a near certain Felony Conviction and removal from office according to Wisconsin State Law.
Gov. Walker isn’t screwing around with these guys…
I had a robo-call from rasmussen last night. In the questions there was at least one about gov’t unions. So at least one of the big names is polling on that.
First time I ever had such a call.
These people have learned something about astroturfing from their battles with the tea party earlier on. Notice how their signs this time around have the appearance of being homemade instead of being churned out at a factory? The look of their signs lent credance to the charge of astroturfing. They want to look spontanious! I’ll bet if somebody looked into it they would find the same “factory” churning out signs, only this time the look is homespun.
Actually I suspect most of the homemade signs were done by college students. They don’t have anything else to do after all! My niece attends UW-Madison and probably hasn’t been in class all week. She posts daily pictures under the heading “democracy in action!!!”. Useful idiots.
Walker/Christie or Christie/Walker 2012. Draft them…
We NEED Walker!! How about Feingold, he’s available….. JUST KIDDING!!!
A little observation from Battleground Wisconsin:
Today after work, I went grocery shopping and ran a few other errands near a busy intersection in Shorewood WI. Shorewood is a well-to-do, lily white and generally very liberal suburb of Milwaukee.
There was a small band of high school students, in obviously high spirits because of their extra long weekend, jumping around and waving signs saying “Support Worker Rights.” They were accompanied by a few older people, teachers I assume, holding similar signs.
This is what struck me: it was rush hour, plenty of cars were going past and during the course of 15 or 20 minutes or so, I didn’t hear one single honk of support from any passing cars. This is a ‘burb where there is no storage of Volvos with Obama/Biden and “Co-Exist” bumper stickers. I remember the anti-war rallies during the Bush years. The honks and cheers of support and encouragement the “Bush = Hitler” protesters got were constant. “Walker = Hitler” doesn’t seem to be going over nearly as well. The silence struck me.
I don’t blame the kids for being clueless because they are kids, but their elders are another matter. Did any of those bozos pause to consider that even a wussy Volvo-driving Obama voter, driving home after a long, hard work week, might have glanced at those signs and thought “Worker rights? Hey, I’m a worker too – been busting my butt all week. Had to scramble to find sitters for the kids today and it made me late for work. Nobody will stand on the corner waving signs if I get laid off, or take a pay cut. Screw these people.”
Some otherwise pretty apolitical friends were furious at having to take two days off to watch their kids. They’ve become big Scott Walker fans. Keep making friends and influencing people, lefties, it’s working so well!
My husband saw protestors at one of the few stoplight corners in our small town two hours north of Mad City. Based on a few facebook posts that I read, I suspect high school students were in the group. He didn’t hear any honks of support either.
Fox Lies! and so do you.
So compelling. One thing though: what did Frank Luntz lie about?
IMHO, Obama just lost 2012
These so-called community action groupsshow the hand of the First Unionist putting into action his community organizing skills.That is the only thing he seems to have a knack for.And I don`t think he learned it at Harvard
The union is jumping the shark.
Vote for Vouchers if you care about children.
These thugs are threatening the children. That is why they brought in Trumka and Jesse Jackson. Rent-a-Riot
These thugs are the reason every level of government is bankrupt.
They are rioting over 12% contribution for their health benefits. That is how much ObamaCare increased their premiums. They should be rioting at the White House.
Taxpayers fight back! Stand with Governor Walker on FaceBook
I love donna v’s report–volvo’s with coexist and obama bumper stickers in lillynwhite suburbia. I see it every day on i-40 driving thru raleigh-durham. Mainly white women ans hipsters with the occassional old pensioner thrown in.
What is it with the white gals? Is this the “i voted for a uber cool black guy for prez” thing? It’s a hoot to see what’s occupying these vehicles on the way to work.
How well did the air controllers union do in dealing with Reagan?
No lesson learned. Have the teachers who called in sick bring doctors’
notes or get fired. I’m sure there will not be a dearth of applicants
for their positions.
The union is doing its best to disabuse the citizens of their oft-repeated blather “it’s for the children”. It is hard to imagine how they can try making that claim again and not get laughed off the stage after the crap we’ve seen this week.
Well the teacher’s union is following what Al Shanker once said: “Children don’t vote, teachers do so we work for them.”
I couldn’t believe Voting Vic’s quote, so I looked it up. It was actually on Wikipedia, and it’s somewhat different, but the gist is the same:
“When school children start paying union dues, that’s when I’ll start representing the interests of school children.”
He was the president of the American Federation of Teachers at the time he said this. Apparently there’s a quote in a Woody Allen movie where someone goes to the future and discovers that the world has been destroyed; he’s told it happened because Al Shanker got ahold of a nuclear warhead…
Fox Reporter missed a great opportunity-
“FOX lies!”
“But sir, you’re on FOX right now. Are you lying?”
“Yes! No! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH” (head explodes)
The streets in Wisconsin verge on a mob. Same thing in the Middle East. A mob can be called a form of “democracy” but a mob is dominated by emotion, is susceptible to violence, and a mob cannot govern. Mobs are very dangerous.
Destruction of democracy by mobs is one thing the framers of the Constitution greatly feared and they debated how to avoid it quite a bit. That is a major reason why the Legislative branch was originally set up with two parts – a House and a Senate. It’s also why the Electoral College was established that actually elects the President (the people technically vote for Electors).
It’s also the reason Ben Franklin said “[You have] a republic madam, if you can keep it”.
btw, the US Congress was originally designed to represent both the people and the states. The House represented the people and its members were directly elected by the people. The Senate represented the States and senators were elected by the State Assemblies – not by the people. I say “originally designed” because the 13th Amendment made election of Senators by direct vote of the people. Now the only difference between Representatives and Senators is that Senators have 6-year terms instead of 2-year terms. Think of this: If Senators were still answerable to their state houses . . . would there be any chance in Hell that Obamacare would have passed?
I live in Milwaukee and work in Madison. I know Scott Walker well – he will NOT back down. Not only is this bill necessary but it is a HUGE political winner…..and Scott happens to be a very savvy politician.
It’s wonderful to see them speaking their minds in such an honest manner.
Pelosi is expressing “solidarity”. I fell to my knees and thanked God when I heard it.
Let’s hope that the trend continues. If it does, the country is saved.
“Never interrupt your opponent when he’s making a mistake.” Napoleon
Greetings from northern Wisconsin, where we are sick and tired of public employees who are overpaid. Taxpayers pay the bills, not public unions. It’s time to give Wisconsin public employees the same collective bargaining rights as federal employees–NONE.