Mob Does Not Rule

It looks like Gov. Walker in Wisconsin won this latest standoff against the unions. The Republicans passed Governor Scott Walker’s budget-repair bill virtually intact, and did it without having to split out controversial provisions that limited the ability for government employees to collectively bargain.

This is how he did it.

Gov. Walker gave the Democrats weeks to return and work this out, but the Democrats refused. What led to this last night was this. The Governor was negotiating with two Democrats, and the miniority leader put a stop to that. Then one of the Democrats hiding in Illinois had requested an absentee ballot for an election happening April 5th. The Governor knew then the Democrats were planning on this going on forever. So he took action.

As Obama reminded us after he won the Presidency, “elections have consequences.” If the Democrats don’t like this, then they make sure they win the majority next time. They don’t run away from Democracy because things aren’t going the way they like.

What is sad to me is what happened afterwards. Senate Republicans were shouted at by swarming crowds. The protestors rushed the chamber. The Republicans had to be escorted out by security through a tunnel system to another building. Sen. Randy Hopper told NRO this: “after being tipped off by a Democrat, they mobbed the exit at that building, and were literally trying to break the windows of the cars we were in as we were driving away,” He also said this, “I got a phone call yesterday saying that we should be executed. I’ve had messages saying that they want to beat me with a billy club.”

Here is some more love for Gov. Walker with the “new tone” from the liberals on twitter (warning! Bad language alert!).

I’m just grateful the Senators were able to leave without injury. It was a dangerous situation. I never again want to hear about the Tea Party and disrespectful behavior. None of the millions of Tea Party members have ever acted like this at a protest. We were just as angry at how the health care bill was shoved through with back door deals, but we didn’t mob the Democrats who voted for it.

The bottom line is that this standoff couldn’t last forever. Running away was never the answer. Gov. Walker tried his best, but it was clear there was no compromise.

Josh Barro at NRO gives us the bottom line:

The fundamental question had to be joined somewhere: Are the people’s elected representatives in charge of the government, or are public employees and their unions a permanent government, deigning to make tactical concessions to the occasional politician who challenges its control? The fury and hysteria of the demonstrators opposed to the Wisconsin restrictions on public-employee unions inadvertently proved the point. Mere politicians elected by mere voters had no moral authority, in the demonstrators’ opinion, to challenge the permanent government’s prerogatives.

Simply put? Mob does not rule in this country.

Update: Here is a look at what the officers are having to put up with.

Gov. Walker cuts through all the rhetoric and explains simply what he is asking and what the Democrats refused to compromise on.

While it might be a bold political move, the changes are modest. We ask government workers to make a 5.8% contribution to their pensions and a 12.6% contribution to their health-insurance premium, both of which are well below what other workers pay for benefits. Our plan calls for Wisconsin state workers to contribute half of what federal employees pay for their health-insurance premiums. (It’s also worth noting that most federal workers don’t have collective bargaining for wages and benefits.)

For example, my brother works as a banquet manager at a hotel and occasionally works as a bartender. My sister-in-law works at a department store. They have two beautiful kids. They are a typical middle-class Wisconsin family. At the start of this debate, David reminded me that he pays nearly $800 per month for his family’s health-insurance premium and a modest 401(k) contribution. He said most workers in Wisconsin would love a deal like the one we are proposing.

The unions say they are ready to accept concessions, yet their actions speak louder than words. Over the past three weeks, local unions across the state have pursued contracts without new pension or health-insurance contributions. Their rhetoric does not match their record on this issue.

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