Gary Larson writes that there is something rotten in Wisconsin and it's not the cheese:
At first, the multi-union sponsor of the annual Labor Day parade in Wausau, Wisconsin "disinvited" all Republican office-holders. No kidding. No marching for them. No open convertibles. No waving to the crowds. No tossing wrapped candies to kiddies along the parade route.
Then the Wausau-based union locals had a change of heart. Undone by nasty publicity and a level-headed mayor threatening to yank their parade permit, union bosses grudgingly gave in, lifting their silly ban. So on Monday, Labor Day, Congressman Sean Duffy (R-Wis.) of Wisconsin's Seventh District showed up, only to be taunted by jeering union activists turned out en masse for the parade. Literally turning their backs on their duly-elected representative in the U.S. House, protesters screamed at the curbs, "Shame! Shame!" as a nonplussed Rep. Duffy passed by.
Not that Wisconsin Republicans were all that keen to join Labor Day parades, suspecting catcalls and maybe flying objects -- in short, the foul play they've come to expect from rabid public employee union devotees, led by teachers, and camp followers. All this furor because GOPers acted with resolve to stop the hemorrhaging of the state finances by curbing excessive public employee benefits enacted by previous (Democrat) regimes. Finally someone stood up for ordinary Wisconsin taxpayers.
Larson goes to detail the vilefication, intimidation, and very real threats of violence that Wisconsin Republicans have had to endure for daring to say "no more" to unions and their allies. Surprisingly, most of these incidents have received little coverage in the national media.
James Hoffa's Labor Day comments about "taking these son of a bitches out" was not an anomaly. It's just the latest example of the aggressive attitude that unions have adopted toward those they view as their "enemies" ever since the 2010 election. Nowhere has that been more apparent than in Wisconsin. We can expect to see more of this as efforts to control spending and rein in the power of public employee unions continue.
UPDATE- Longshoremen storm Wash. state port, damage RR:
Police from several agencies in southwest Washington, the Washington State Patrol and Burlington Northern Santa Fe responded to the violence to secure the scene that followed a demonstration Wednesday.
"We're not surprised," Duscha said. "A lot of the protesters were telling us this in only the start."
One sergeant was threatened with baseball bats and retreated, Duscha said. "One officer with hundreds of Longshoremen? He used the better part of discretion."
The train was the first grain shipment to arrive at Longview. It arrived Wednesday night after police arrested 19 demonstrators who tried to block the tracks. They were led by ILWU International President Robert McEllrath, who said they would return.
The blockade appeared to defy a federal restraining order issued last week against the union after it was accused of assaults and death threats.
