Wisconsin Gov. Walker Threatens To Deploy National Guard As ‘Intimidation Force’

[cal04]

Wisconsin Gov. Walker Threatens To Deploy National Guard As ‘Intimidation Force’ Against Workers’ Unions
http://thinkprogress.org/2011/02/14/walker-anti-union-bill/

Last month, Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) said that if employees strike, “they should be fired,” and former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) wrote in an op-ed that the moral case for unions “does not apply to public employment.” Now, facing a $137 million budget deficit, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker has proposed a “budget repair bill” that would severely limit collective bargaining, eliminate the right of unions to negotiate pensions, retirement and benefits.

Walker is facing fierce criticism for this all-out assault against state workers, especially after he insisted that the “National Guard” will be used against a walkout:

When asked by a reporter what will happen if workers resist, Walker replied that he would call out the National Guard. He said that the National Guard is “prepared…for whatever the governor, their commander-in-chief, might call for. … I am fully prepared for whatever may happen.”

(snip)
“Maybe the new governor doesn’t understand yet – but the National Guard is not his own personal intimidation force to be mobilized to quash political dissent,” said Robin Eckstein, a former Wisconsin National Guard member, Iraq War Veteran from Appleton, WI, and member of VoteVets.org. “The Guard is to be used in case of true emergencies and disasters, to help the people of Wisconsin, not to bully political opponents. Considering many veterans and Guard members are union members, it’s even more inappropriate to use the Guard in this way. This is a very dangerous line the Governor is about to cross.”

[FreakinDJ]

1. History of using National Guard to suppress Unions

3 Killed, 31 Shot in Widespread Rioting
SCORES INJURED, GASSED AS POLICE BATTLE MOBS; CARGO MOVING CONTINUES

Officers Pour Gunfire Into Crowd; Women, Children Periled by Bullets;
2000 National Guardsmen Get Arms

[FiveGoodMen]

2. The war is on.

Are we fighting back?

Can we, even?

[AnneD]

7. Look at...

Tunisia, Egypt. A nice nonviolent walk out to make this gov shit his pants. Call the bully's bluff. He will be weeks cleaning the egg off his face and poop from his BVD's.

[Dappleganger]

3. What collective entity can call on the tanks as backup?

"Union thugs", my white ass.

[FreakinDJ]

11. Memphis sanitation workers strike:

National Guard tanks try to intimidate marchers in the Memphis sanitation workers strike:

[Dappleganger]

13. Yep, those certainly aren't union tanks.

I hope this is all televised so the world can see what hypocrites our government is with regard to free speech rights.

[FreakinDJ]

14. Only Corporations have Free Speech Rights now

[Dappleganger]

17. Unfortunately true.

Which is why standing together in high numbers is so important!

[gratuitous]

4. What good is being commander-in-chief if you can't call out the troops?

Cashiers all over Wisconsin had better watch their asses, and make sure nobody shorts Gov. Teenydick so much as a nickel, or there will be hell to pay.

[Fuzz]

5. Bad time to be acting like middle east dictators. Fuck these thugs.

[Hannah Bell]

6. good for eckstein.

[packback]

8. I wish i could say i was surprised

People forget how much the neocons love to use the police state every chance they get. The electorate was so caught up in the economic woes of the country that they forget the nightmares that the hard right brings along with their ideology of lower taxes. Here we go.

[OHdem10]

9. These RW Govenors are showing their Fascist Tendencies.

[madmax]

10. WTFAW??

Where The F*ck Are We? The Middle East?

The US is freakin hopeless. :mad:

[TheCowsCameHome]

12. This crap by Repuke governors is going to turn ugly.

Just wait and see.............

[NNN0LHI]

15. Did a lot of voters in Wisconsin stay home last election as a show of protest?

How did this thug get elected?

Don

[old guy]

22. There was a huge" throw the bums out" movement.

Since the former Gov. was a Dem and did not run for reelection, the low information voters fell for the ruse in huge numbers without actually paying attention the candidates qualifications. Feingold is another example. My wife is a member of the election board and in the ballot counting other members bemoaned having to count ballots for Dem candidates. Wi. is now a "red state" for all intents. Hopefully enough will get buyers remorse in two years and start changing this foolishness.

[Odin2005]

16. This is what Fascism looks like.

[Blue Owl]

18. Walker = POS

I hope this is a wake-up call to Wisconsin so they never elect a fucking corpowhore like Walker again.

[JoePhilly]

19. All the state workers need to do is, nothing, just stay home.

They don't need to march.

They just need to disappear for a week or so ... get sick. Take vacation.

Let this idiot run the state with no people.

And when citizens get hit, he is the one who caused it.

[Bandit]

20. They use Reagan's breaking the air traffic controllers union as an example but

Even Reagan did not use those troops to fight people. He used them to fill in and do the jobs the Air Traffic Controllers did. I doubt the National Guard is prepared to do all the State government daily chores....

[lunatica]

21. If he continues he's going to get a big whupass of karmic adjustment

He sounds so macho!! Ooooh! The big cojones!!! Look at them. they'll blind you with their brilliance!