Wisconsin protests: Bad behavior on all sides

By Tom Giffey
Eau Claire Leader-Telegram

Let us establish, once and for all, that Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker is not a latter-day Adolf Hitler. Nor is he a Badger State clone of ousted Egyptian strongman Hosni Mubarak.

These facts may seem self-evident, but apparently they aren't to a handful of the protesters who gathered at the Wisconsin Capitol last week to denounce the new GOP governor's proposal to curtail public-sector union rights.

The state Republican Party distributed a video showing a few of the signs at the rally.

Among them were a picture of Walker with a drawn-on Hitler moustache and a poster saying "Don't Retreat, Reload," accompanied by a picture of Walker with crosshairs on his face.

The last sign is especially distressing considering last month's shooting of U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. The sign's creator probably intended irony by borrowing a phrase and imagery from Republican Sarah Palin, but joking about such things is beyond the pale.

While the way some protesters expressed themselves went overboard, the motivation for their sentiments was real.

Walker's sudden attempt to eliminate most collective bargaining rights for public employees was heavy-handed, and some of his statements and actions since the budget repair bill announcement have unsettling police-state connotations.

Consider, for example, that Walker floated the almost unprecedented idea of using the National Guard to deal with labor unrest caused by his proposal.

(His administration later backpedaled, saying he was referring only to having National Guard members fill in as prison guards, not to using them against strikers.)

Or consider that Capitol police barred one television reporter from having access to lawmakers in the Capitol.

As the most public of public buildings, the "People's House" is traditionally open for reporters, tourists, schoolchildren and other visitors who roam the halls and call on lawmakers if they wish.

Add to this Walker's categorical unwillingness to negotiate with public employees, his efforts to avoid critics and his beefed-up security detail, and it seems our new governor may be on a power trip.

While that doesn't make him a dictator, Walker's "my way or the highway" approach won't win him any friends, and that will make it even harder to solve the state's critical problems.