Ironically, just as these rallies were heavily attended all over the country--the lead corporatist Caesar--namely Koch Industries organized and sponsored counter-rallies, especially in Madison. The counter-rallies were the work of the Koch funded tea party group--Americans for Prosperity. In fact, the true goal behind Koch allies such as Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin (Walker received some $43,000. dollars in campaign contributions from Koch Industries); was articulated at the recent CPAC conference in D.C. CPAC's 'Panel for Labor Policy', featuring Americans For Prosperity Executive Director Scott Hagerstrom gave a talk explaining the strategy specifically designed to destroy unions and 'bring them to their knees.'
"It's easy to go out there and fight taxes and increased regulation, you know we send out an action alert on taxes to AFP and we get thousands of people to respond. You send out one on a more complicated issue and it just doesn't resonate...We fight these battles on taxes and regulation but REALLY what we would like to see if to take unions out at the knees so they don't have the resources to fight these battles." (Source : http://alternet.org/newsandviews/article/486568/koch_front_group_americans_for_prosperity%3a_t)
In fact, Hagerstrom admitted in his talk that he comes from a 'union family.' He very cleverly explains earlier in the talk the soft-sell strategy employed by AFP, ie. Koch Industries. In Hagerstrom's own words he describes how ..."you say 'Right to Work' and the first thing people do is they just shut you down." After admitting to extensive work with various tea party groups in Michigan--Hagerstrom adds that ..."you really can't demonize the union workers, as the former speaker said, you really have to go after the leadership." (Source : http://alternet.org/newsandviews/article/486568/koch_front_group_americans_for_prosperity%3a_t) In other words, the strategy to 'knock unions to their knees,' is to destroy the leadership by whatever means available. No mention or concern about fairness, justice is present at CPAC--just cold-blooded strategies designed to legally rape us out of our rights.
Apparently, the protesters in Madison and elsewhere didn't get CPAC's memo. As Governor Scott Walker systematically turned the capital building into a makeshift jail, by closing upper floors to sleeping, restricting what could be brought inside--protesters were holding strong. Saturday, Walker did not permit any food to be brought inside. Responses from protesters were defiant.
Steelworker Roy Vandenburg explained;
"First Governor Walker tried to take away worker's rights, now he is trying to take away our CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT AS AMERICANS to peacefully assemble. I have a message for Governor Walker, your plan to silence us won't work. WE ARE NOT GOING AWAY, AND WE WILL NOT BE SILENCED."
Another protester, Reverend Leah Lonsbury of the Memorial United Church of Christ, put it in terms even Walker as a modern-day Pontius Pilate could understand;
"Clearly, this is about far more than a budget. It's a moral issue, and the rights at stake here are so basic to our common good and our common humanity, to the very idea of justice, that we are willing to risk arrest to protect them and have our voices be heard. OUR FAITH CALLS US TO STAND WITH THE VULNERABLE AND SPEAK TRUTH TO POWER. This is what we are called to do."
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