Labor crowd surrounds Palin's Tea Party rally

MADISON, Wis. - After weeks of relative quiet following the bruising battle over an anti-union collective bargaining bill, the state Capitol was again the scene of protests and counter-protests.

Hundreds of pro-union labor supporters are surrounding smaller groups of conservative Tea Party members attending a rally featuring former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

Speaking at the tax day rally outside the Wisconsin Capitol, Palin called the crowd in Madison courageous for having stood up to "death threats and thug tactics" of those who opposed Gov. Scott Walker's collective bargaining bill.

"You held your ground, your governor did the right thing, and you won," she said.

Referring to herself as a former union member and the wife of a union member, Palin said, "He's not trying to hurt union members. Hey, folks, he's trying to save your jobs and your pensions!"

She said union leaders don't care if their members are laid off, in order to protect their own power.

She also criticized President Obama for his budget plans, including proposals to invest in "really fast trains and solar shingles."

Prior to her appearance, labor supporters still smarting from the passage of Walker's polarizing bill eliminating most public employees' collective bargaining rights drowned out Palin's supporters, shouting, "Hey, hey, ho, ho, Scott Walker's got to go."

Some protesters circled Capitol Square with bells.

People on the edges of the rally argued with one other over the size of government and corporate power.

In contrast to the demonstrations at the Capitol in February for and against Gov. Walker's budget bill, there was no fencing or massive security today.

The Capitol police estimate about 6,500 people were on the Capitol grounds and vicinity by about 12:30 p.m. Saturday, reports CBS Affiliate WISC.

There were no reports or arrests, according to the state Department of Administration.

James T. Harris, the Tea Party event's master of ceremonies, said that the rally is meant to drive home a message.

"We are Americans, we love this country and we do not want to see if spent into oblivion," he said.

The rally is sponsored by Americans for Prosperity, a conservative front group.

Liberal leaders mobilizing the counter-rally urged people to show up with puppets to underscore accusations that Walker and Palin do corporations' bidding, said WISC, and asked supporters to bring cowbells and sleigh bells.

[truthhurts666]

On Fox News right not Right wing Nazis are talking about killing Obama. Liberals, unions, minorities should start arming themselves because soon civil war is coming, these thugs are going to kill Obama and will try to force their fascist rule on others.

[wfw3536]

I talked to someone who was at the rally in Madison. He said that there were union bums and thugs who kept screaming and swearing so folks could not hear the speakers. Some tried to keep folks from even getting closer to the speaker stand so they could hear the speakers. What is even more upsetting is a 13 year old sang the National Athem, and they kept yelling and swearing during the song. This behavior no matter how you feel about political issues is just unexcusable. How sad our country has gotten to the point where you can't go to a rally in peace.

[JV1970]

This is why there needs to be better security at those rallies before someone else is killed!

[catmomtx]

Right and that is exactly what people said when the tea party disrupted the town hall meetings. What is sad are the comments calling people thugs and bums just because they belong to a union? Also, why are people saying that there was violence during the protests? There was no, NO reported violence during the time that union members were protesting at the Capitol or at this rally. Stop trying to make something up.

It is very interesting that you would report what someone told you rather than what you actually saw. I could tell you that Sarah Palin attacked some union members, would you believe that?

Union members protesting the taking away their rights are no different than what the tea party did to protest the health care reform or their gun rights. They have the same rights as you and any other American to protest something that is important to them.

[average_joe_728]

I am a union member and don't ever forget that I, like many of my brothers & sisters, am an AVERAGE AMERICAN! We pay our taxes, we work hard, and we earn every penny that we get whether through payroll or other contributions. We also believe that everyone should have a pension & health care and be able to live the American Dream. So instead of bashing us for standing up for everyone's rights (including yours) you should be thinking about why you are not getting better working conditions and wages from your employer. All we want is what is fair! Is it fair to violate our contracts when contracts are sacrosanct for the upper class? (Think AIG & the bailout) No way! Is it fair to give away millions in tax breaks to millionaires & corporations and balance the budget on the backs of the middle class and the poor? No way! What we are fighting for is for fairness and the American Dream for all wage earners in American and this INCLUDES YOU AND EVERYONE IN THE TEA PARTY whether you realize it or not.

[Bisk1]

Agnesdeo, the unions did not chase away the auto industry from detroit but greed and republican policies that allowed these companies to outsource and ship these GOOD AMERICAN jobs ABROAD. When CEO's continue to guarantee their salaries at 300 times the wage paid for their employees, it would seem you have other reasons for siding with Republicans on this issue as your reason stated above is false.

[pwayne1]

Sarah Palin is a bordeline moron along with Donald Trump. Who in their right mind could support these two illiterates?

[JV1970]

I also like Rick Santorum too!

[crazyname]

More bullying by the left. A show of power by union backed lemings. The teapartiers are fighting for regular americans, the unions are out for themselves and teh greed of the officials which funnel money into the democratic leadership. A vicisous circle of corruption!

[formrusmcsgt]

by Nmmmng April 17, 2011 9:20 PM EDT
Give me a break. everyone who doesn't like Obama gets called a racist! the word has become meaningless. But since you give the edge to the man while I fault both, it proves your misogyny.
----
I don't give Obama any "edge", twit.

One just gave up.

The other got promoted.

And in your pea brain, it's one in the same.

You're daft.

[JV1970]

gary4205 Is right! Palin will go after Obama with no holds barred! She is going to take him apart at the seams and this time she won't be controlled by John McCain! She is going to attack, attack, attack and he's finally going to have to answer for his mistakes! It will be a fight to the finish and it will not be pretty and you Obama lovers are not going to like the outcome! I haven't smoked anything or drank anything other than a couple of sodas today and I haven't taken any drugs either! I am completely sober and I know exactly what I'm saying! I mean every word of it and I'm not being sarcastic!

__________________________


by Cinnamon21 April 17, 2011 1:04 AM EDT
How will she accomplish this when she avoids media exept for FOX, oh, she will go throuh FOX because Palin retreats when media does not ask her the easy questions - just as she quit her governershi[ because the feds were about to vome down on her. If she can go after Obama, then she better go for it face to face, not through airhead mobs who listen to her hate-filled rhetoric which they follow like brainless zombies and whose follow through is hate-filled death threats against Obama's life, which it has been proven while she ran, her rhetoric drove her idiotic mobs to --some leader!!!

_______________________


Cinnamon21 That's not true at all about her avoiding the media except for FOX and you know it! It's true that she's been burned by the media enough that she's become smart about who she grants interviews to but I distinctly recall last fall she was interviewed by Barbara Walters and Robin Roberts of ABC and I also recall she was interviewed last fall by someone from either CBN or CNN. She is also interviewed regularly by Newsmax magazine and several other newspapers and magazines. None of these that I mentioned are from FOX! What you want is not for her to be interviewed! You want her to be attacked but she's learned from experience not to allow that! She's learned the hard way to pick who she'll allow to interview her and I think that's a smart move! I don't blame her at all for that!

[JV1970]

Another thing, Cinnamon, I think you've forgotten about the thousands of death threats that she received after the Tucson shooting! It was insane! People also called her a murderer and said that she was to blame!

[EDiva75]

To JV1970,

Well all I have to say about the threats a fter the Tuscon shooting is you know what they say about karma! LOL

[formrusmcsgt]

by Nmmmng April 17, 2011 8:18 PM EDT
Quitting is quitting! They both went for greener pastures but the partisan misogynistic hatemongers only fault Palin while once again giving the quitter Obama a pass!
---
As you categorize anyone who dislikes Palin as misogynistic, it's fair to call you a racist because you dislike Obama.

[EDiva75]

To Nmmmng,

And anyone who doesn't like Queen Snowbilly or any other idiotic and bigoted conservative women are called sexist. Well you know as a woman I have no respect for women I find to be a joke and ignorant of facts and actually lack curiosity to understand all aspects of an issue. Yes Queen Snowbilly and her ilk have racist undertones with their hate so don't even LIE about that!!

[JV1970]

EDiva75 Nmmmng is absolutely right! Anyone who disagrees with Obama on these websites is called a racist! That also goes for those of us who have had the nerve to ask to see his long form birth certificate! We are called racists every day on here! And another thing, if Palin were such a racist why would she have married a man who's half Eskimo?

[formrusmcsgt]

by Nmmmng April 17, 2011 8:18 PM EDT
Quitting is quitting! They both went for greener pastures but the partisan misogynistic hatemongers only fault Palin while once again giving the quitter Obama a pass!
---
You finally lost it......

[formrusmcsgt]

You're an idiot, Nmmmng.

You make empty circular arguments and think you're doing something.

[desert8lizard]

hi libs,
ahh.....it's great to see your knuckle-dragging union commie thugs out & about to create a disturbance & knock down or intimidate some innocent little woman or grandmother that loves her country.

how do you like being associated with both knuckle-dragging union thugs PLUS a warmongering president named obah-blah ?