Truesee's Daily Wonder

Democratic senators return to Madison to tell crowd fight isn't over

Michael Sears

Protesters flood the streets of Madison around the Capitol to welcome the 14 Democratic senators and protest the passage of the budget-repair bill.

Despite last week's passage of Gov. Scott Walker's budget-repair bill, the senators said they did the right thing by fleeing to Illinois last month in an unsuccessful bid to block the legislation.

And they vowed to fight the law in the courts and at the ballot box in a longer struggle to restore the collective bargaining that was eliminated for most public employees.

As they made their way up the steps of the Capitol, they heard the roars of a crowd that clogged Capitol Square, and listened as chants of "thank you, thank you" rained down.

But not everyone was happy to see the 14 Democratic senators back in Madison.

Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau) issued a withering statement ahead of their return.

He called the senators "the most shameful 14 people in the state of Wisconsin" and said it was "an absolute insult" to hundreds of thousands of Wisconsinites that the senators ran away to Illinois to block Walker's budget-repair bill.

Fitzgerald wrote: "To the Senate Democrats: when you smile for the cameras today and pretend you're heroes, I hope you look at that beautiful Capitol building you insulted. And I hope you're embarrassed to call yourselves senators."

The senators showed no such shame as they took the stage, one by one, and addressed the audience that fanned out on muddy ground and spilled out into State St. Other demonstrators kept up a continuous march in the square, the scene all playing out beneath cloudy skies and a brisk late-winter wind.

State Sen. Spencer Coggs (D-Milwaukee) told the demonstrators, "Thank you for being our voice while we were gone. Thank you for being Wisconsin's voice while we were gone. Thank you for being America's voice."

Coggs said it was time for the "fabulous 14" to "come back and unite with you."

"We want to unite, we want to fight, we want to get back workers' rights," he said. "The people united will never be defeated."

"This is not the end. This is the beginning of phase two," said Sen. Fred Risser (D-Madison).

In a news conference earlier Saturday, the Democrats talked about their future plans. They have returned to a Capitol that has been transformed by a bitter political battle. They had been held in contempt by their Republican colleagues in the Senate while they were away.

"They won the battle; we're going to win the war," said Sen. Dave Hansen (D-Green Bay).

Some in organized labor are seething over the actions taken by Walker and the Republicans to curtail collective bargaining for public employee unions. Several signs carried by protesters suggested the launching of a general strike.

Sen. Kathleen Vinehout (D-Alma) said consumer actions may be a better option in continuing the fight against the Republican budget proposals.

"People we're up against care about money and are very greedy," Vinehout said. "Look at the companies and products these people manufacture. When I buy something, I make my vote known."

Sen. Chris Larson (D-Milwaukee) said the thousands rallying in Madison have another alternative to continue their opposition: recalls.

"A lot of the people shut out of the process in the last two weeks will be heard," Larson said. "They'll be trading in those rally signs for clipboards as the recall efforts heat up."

Sen. Julie Lassa (D-Stevens Point) said she would use the Republicans' action to gain support back in her district, focusing on the coming fight over the budget.

Sen. Tim Cullen (D-Janesville), who spearheaded negotiations to try to come to a deal over the bill, admitted that damage was done to the institution of the Senate. He said both sides were responsible.

He also lamented the likelihood that recall elections will soon be held.

"We've gone from a 24/7 news cycle to 24/7 elections," Cullen said.

The crowd that gathered in Madison was the biggest yet during four weeks of protests. It was filled with teachers, police, firefighters, nurses, students and farmers. Those moving for a look at the likes of the Rev. Jesse Jackson and actor Tony Shalhoub pressed shoulder-to-shoulder, from curbside to the storefronts.

Labor groups and supporters gathered signatures to start recall petitions against eight Republican senators, and others collected names and e-mail addresses for a database in the event a recall is started next year against Walker. Eight Democrats also face recall efforts.

Farmers join protest

A "tractorcade" rolled around the Capitol Square; the parade of vehicles included farmers and labor supporters and, in some cases, the people at the wheel had a hand in both.

Dairy farmer Tod Pulvermacher of Bear Valley pulled a manure spreader with a John Deere tractor. Over the manure spreader was a sign: "Walker's Bill Belongs Here."

"I support all of Wisconsin workers," the 33-year-old said, while the diesel idled. "There are many horrible things in this bill: worker rights, health care, selling the rights of middle-class Americans."

Sam Anderson grew up on a dairy farm, but spent most of his working life as a Teamster.

"If the unions lose out, everybody will lose out," Anderson said from the seat of a tractor. "Gov. Walker is out to destroy municipal unions."

Charley Weeth of La Crosse led the "tractorcade" in the 1953 Ford firetruck he drove to Madison.

Weeth said farmers had reason to join with labor in protesting the budget-repair bill, even though the most inflammatory item was the elimination of most collective bargaining.

Many farmers have benefited from the expansion of BadgerCare and would lose out on health insurance in the changes pursued by Walker, he said.

"A lot of them are on the edge, especially with fuel prices being up," Weeth said. "And a lot of them are just disgusted with the process. This is not the Wisconsin they knew and grew up with."

Weeth collected money to help pay for the fuel used by the 60 tractors, and found the protesters to be generous.

There were a few counterdemonstrators, such as Mike Foht.

The small-business owner from Monroe carried a sign that read: "No More Free Rides. Thank you Republicans. Please Strike. I Could Use Your Job."

Foht said he had been defending Walker and the Republican legislators throughout the rallies in recent weeks.

"Obviously, the majority here are opposed to what Walker did," Foht said. "I support what Walker did."

He was outnumbered, but not alone. Another sign in the crowd read: "Democrats are sore losers."

Cullen Werwie, a spokesman for Walker, said those protesting Walker's budget moves "certainly have a right to have their voices heard, but we are not going to let them drown out the voices of millions of taxpayers all across Wisconsin."

John Fauber of the Journal Sentinel staff in Milwaukee contributed to this report.