Wisconsin And Ohio Worker Movements Making It A Long Hot Summer For Republicans

[Omaha Steve]

FULL title: Wisconsin And Ohio Worker Movements Making It A Long Hot Summer For Republicans Who Attacked Collective Bargaining

http://www.laborradio.org/Channels/Story.aspx?ID=1460350

By Doug Cunningham

Red hot movements in Wisconsin and in Ohio this summer are keeping the heat on Republicans who have attacked collective bargaining rights. In the first Wisconsin state senate recall election sparked by the Republican attack on public worker collective bargaining a Democratic senator defended his seat this week by trouncing the Republican challenger. We Are Wisconsin’s Kelly Steele says a strong grassroots effort is likely to lead to the recalls of several GOP state senators August 9th. And despite an unlimited and anonymous corporate flood of cash Steele says Republicans see the writing on the wall.

: “I think they realize that their message and what they’ve done is not competitive from an electoral standpoint. I think they see the writing on the wall. I think that’s why they’re doing all this re-districting stuff as fast as they can - because they know at the end of the day the people in this state stand with the workers who are in these districts. And they stand against the senators who are helping Scott Walker with his attack on these working families. We will be outspent by these corporate interests that are flooding the state with anonymous money. I can promise you that we will not be outworked in any of these districts. People who are in these districts are turning out in record numbers to volunteer, turning out in record numbers to make phone calls, canvassing doing these things. As much money as they want to pour into this they can’t buy that kind of ground operations."

In Ohio, more than 900,000 petition signatures have been validated to repeal the Republican attack on collective bargaining there. That means SB5 will be on the November ballot and the anti-union measures can’t be implemented until the people of Ohio vote on them. We Are Ohio’s Melissa Fazekas.

: “It is really a historic effort. We’re really excited. Our base is energized and engaged and they’re ready to keep this fight up and make sure we repeal it in November.”

[iwishiwas]

1. There is NO doubt in my mind that Repugs would have taken

the same undemocratic approach (NO input from others)no matter what. It is in their nature to be ideological and crude.



....I think they see the writing on the wall. I think that’s why they’re doing all this re-districting stuff as fast as they can - because they know at the end of the day the people in this state stand with the workers who are in these districts. And they stand against the senators who are helping Scott Walker with his attack on these working families.....

[Scuba]

2. When you can't win on policy...

...voter suppression and election rigging are your strategies. To wit:



...redistrict your opposition out of their districts, strenghten yours

...eliminate the Statewide Registration Deputy Program

...increase residency requirements

...require a picture ID

...shut down ID-providing sites in Dem districts

...use outside money to smear your opponents with falsehoods

...and when all else fails, fall back on the Waukesha County Clerk.

[qb]

3. A re-energized union movement is the one good thing the Tea Party has given us

:bounce: