But the People were not intimidated ... and they prevailed.

[Scuba]

(If you hadn't heard, Dane County (Wisconsin) Judge John Markson dismissed charges against political dissidents arrested during Scott Walker’s failed crackdown on unauthorized singing in the Wisconsin State Capitol. The arrests were ruled unconstitutional.)

[malthaussen]

1. "Prevailed" how?

Last I looked, Walker and his cronies were still merrily trashing Wisconsin despite the People.

-- Mal

[Scuba]

2. We've prevailed in this battle. Other battles remain.

[malthaussen]

3. Again, how?

By not being convicted of a bogus charge? Well, maybe I'm being a spoilsport. It just seems a tad overblown rhetoric to me. The protesters already prevailed -- by protesting.

-- Mal

[WhaTHellsgoingonhere]

4. I'm still at a loss for how this guy won the recall election...

...there was enough dirt on him then. He's such a Koch brothers tool. I heard there was talk of fraud but as with everything, Dems got intimidated into not pursuing it. Any truth to that, or was this clown "re-elected" fair and square, which I find incredible?

[xfundy]

5. My guess is voting machines controlled by repigs.

[Scuba]

6. Because they bought every newspaper, TV and radio station in the State, spent ....

... a zillion bucks convincing the poorly informed that a) Walker was a Saint and b) recalls were a bad idea. This was all completed before our side even picked a candidate.

Worse, our side pushed for an early election (June, 2012) instead of waiting until November to ride in on Obama's coattails )which worked for the very liberal Tammy Baldwin). With 20/20 hindsight, this was a grave error, one which, in my opinion, the "professionals" in charge of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin should have seen coming and avoided.

[WhaTHellsgoingonhere]

7. Amazing how that money works...

I felt like we in Chicago knew what he was all about.

[Scuba]

9. Over a million of us knew too.

[Lefta Dissenter]

8. Thanks for sharing that, Scuba

It's not at all insignificant that the Walker Administration has spent countless hours and dollars arresting and prosecuting over 400 cases (actually over 600 cases if we go back to 2011), trying to strip us of our First Amendment Rights. They have SEVENTEEN Assistant Attorneys General working on these cases! Can you imagine? Seventeen State Attorneys who should be prosecuting child abusers and sexual predators, and they're having to waste their time on these cases?

ANYWAY, Judge Markson dismissed the 29 cases that were before him because the Administrative Rule under which the people were arrested was unconstitutional. We have yet to hear from the other judges who are handling the other cases, though about a week prior to the Markson decision, Judge Anderson demanded that the Department of Justice, representing the Department of Administration, provide a cost-benefit analysis for prosecuting these cases - for a rule that is no longer being enforced. After all - it was an emergency rule. Where's the emergency??? Why is singing ok now, yet two months ago it was an offense punishable by handcuffing and citing citizens?

Both of these rulings are enormous victories for us, and a smackdown of the Walker Administration.

Department of Administration Secretary Mike Huebsch has indicated that the State may appeal the Markson decision, which will waste even more resources and tie these cases up for months or years to come. I'd sure hate to see these cases before our current State Supreme Court.

[Scuba]

10. My very great pleasure Lefta.

Thanks for all you do!

[butterfly77]

11. K&R..