Protesting in the falling snow in WI. What an amazing bunch of people!

[madfloridian]

Run time: 01:06 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Tw1Pbb5__o   Posted on YouTube: February 28, 2011 By YouTube Member: NorthwoodsWi Views on YouTube: 9   Posted on DU: March 03, 2011 By DU Member: madfloridian Views on DU: 1610

 
Thanks to a special WI teacher for sharing this moment.

If they lose their battle, we all will lose.

Dear President Obama, if you are not going to put on your shoes and go walking....at least stand more firmly with the workers. Shout it out if you have to do so.

And please Mr. President, do not hang out with Jeb Bush in Florida while teachers and other public workers are fighting for their very existence. It's truly insulting.

Obama's mistimed Miami school visit -- with Jeb Bush

At a time when Wisconsin teachers are protesting to keep their collective bargaining rights, President Obama is traveling to Florida to share a stage with former governor Jeb Bush, the king of corporate-driven, standardized test-obsessed school reform that devalues teachers and their unions.

What a tag team.

Obama is scheduled to speak to the students and faculty of Miami Central Senior High about the importance of out-educating the competition to secure America’s future. (That’s highly unlikely, with states cutting billions of dollars out of school budgets and with a reform agenda that is focused on expanding charter schools, assessing teachers based on students’ standardized test scores and the like, but never mind.)

Obama is appearing in Florida as state legislators move toward passing legislation (Senate Bill 736, HB 7019) that:

* Ties at least half of a teacher’s salary to how well his/her students perform on standardized tests

* Prevents consideration of many advanced degrees and special training to be considered in determining a teacher’s salary

* Eliminates tenure for teachers hired after the summer of 2014

It's insensitive, and it hurts. FL teachers are in the process of planning their rallies to protest these very things that Jeb stands for....and our president appears with him. Not a good idea.

Our Democrats need to stand firmly with public employees, now...not later. Now. Governor Dean, can you hear the workers who helped build the middle class in this country? You spoke of them often during your campaign and in your book.

[snappyturtle]

1. They are tough! Love 'em!

♥♥♥ & :applause:

[madfloridian]

2. Me, too.

So impressed.

[MNmom]

16. There's no way we lose - the sleeping giant has been awakened!

[pacalo]

3. Madfloridian, tonight Rachel showed the video of Obama promising to stand with union labor

on the picket lines. She said he needs to be in Wisconsin -- they are alone.

I remember years ago when Jeb slashed funding to the disabled & elderly to provide a financial incentive for a corporation that he was pushing to relocate to Florida. Wish I'd kept that link; I had intended to find out how it ended. He's heartless to the vulnerable & thinks nothing of stepping on them if it benefits his rich friends.

Obama is consulting him about how to run schools. The Wisconsinites are fighting in part for their right to maintain decent wages & benefits for their teachers under harsh, despotic conditions & there is nothing more than a couple of tentative passing comments from Obama.

[madfloridian]

12. Good for Rachel.

[doc03]

4. How could there be snow, Fox News showed

palm trees in Wisconsin on O'liely today? How can it be snowing in a tropical climate?

[Populist_Prole]

5. Flabby frail baggers wanted to get back to the sunbelt

Fox news wants to make them feel at home after all.

[democracy1st]

6. K & R

[mikeburetta]

7. its time!

Its time for the prez to make a trip to wisconsin and state the case and stand with "community organizers", that have stood by him. WE ALLL need to stick together on this.

[madfloridian]

8. Yes, it's time. Leave FL and state the case for WI.

He should not be appearing with Jeb right now.

[lutefisk]

9. Amazing that the temperature was 14F (-10C) on Saturday and 100,000+ showed up.

I think the snow actually made it feel warmer.

[Plucketeer]

10. These folks are HEROS!

Heros of a magnitude I've never achieved. How I wish I could ship them some of my California oranges! I just don't know where I'd ship them to. It's just AMAZING - to me - that they face this sort of adversity for what they hold dear and are so persistant about.

And this Governor-directed restriction of entry. We all KNOW it's wrong - there's a court order to cease and desist, but this stubborn ass-hat governor is DEFYING the laws and owners of the building. WHO has the power to FORCE his hand??? It's really scary. A governor who's TRULY gone "rogue"! Like a deranged bull elephant. IS THERE grounds or precedent for a federal shove here? Anybody know? Anyone???

[madfloridian]

17. Yes, they are heroes.

I hope Florida teachers have a big showing on the 8th. They are about to get screwed as well.

[Overseas]

11. K&R! //nt

[Iwillnevergiveup]

13. Loved the Russ Feingold sign

These badgers are just awesome!

K&R

[Myrina]

14. I can't view the clip from my cube, but what does Gov. Dean have to do w/ it?

:shrug:

[madfloridian]

15. Nothing to do with the video. I just think he should speak out.

Just like I think others should stand up more strongly for unions. He made a point of it during his campaign and when he was DNC.

[Deep13]

18. Well, there's power in a union.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pb-EgsaGDqU

[bertman]

19. AMEN!! They are amazing and our President should be supporting them loudly. Rec.

[madfloridian]

21. Yes, he should.

:hi:

[Jakes Progress]

20. True Americans and true Democrats in the cold fighting

for the rights of every American.

Others at a party in balmy Florida with Jeb.

[54anickel]

22. Not just Democrats in that crowd. I've been there several times now, and have met

people that admit they voted for Walker. That's been difficult for them to face, and to be honest, I think having Obama inject himself at this time would be a mistake. It would scare these newly freed Republican thinkers back into their holes. Continued support from a distance-yes, getting the hell away from Jeb and that NCLB crap - absolutely, coming to WI - not yet. That's just my personal take on it.

[Jakes Progress]

23. Some were Democrats and Americans,

and the ones you mention are true Americans. Perhaps they will also become Democrats.

As for support from the distant WH, I can see why the President isn't in WI. I can see the storm that would produce. But I would like to see him say why he isn't there. He could say that he supports the protest, that he wishes he could be there but knows that would make things harder. I would like to see him at least say, in a believable fashion and with the same vehemence he uses to denounce progressives, that he does support workers rights and that, like all good Democrats, he sides with the unions. Then a nice lesson from the bully pulpit about what unions have done for the country would be in order. No one could get the message to the public about the why unions are being attacked and why that is not good. Those would be actions that he could take.

He could also run away from teacher-hater jeb and tell arne to stop trying to demonize teacher unions.

But alas. I fear that his heart is with the busters and the corporate types. That is where he seems to place himself over and over.

[54anickel]

24. You'll get no argument from me. Those are all great points!