Let's see: There were so many union supporters that Sarah Palin was drowned out at this Madison rally yesterday, yet the AP just can't estimate how many of the thousands of people who attended were supporting unions. Here's a clue, guys: They're not the ones with the misspelled signs:
Capitol Police estimated about 6,500 people converged on the building Saturday, but said it was impossible to tell how many were tea partyers and how many were labor supporters.
Tea party activists are a loose coalition of community groups largely made up of people with conservative views who believe government has grown too large. They take their name from a 1773 protest in which activists in the then-British colonies in America boarded ships and dumped their cargo of English tea into Boston harbor.
"Loose coalition of community groups." Nothing about Dick Armey or the Koch brothers' money that's funding this, not even a mention of where these demonstrators came from -- and who paid for their buses. Even though the media always makes a point of saying unions bused in their members!
The tea partyers appeared clustered in front of the building, waving "Don't Tread on Me" flags and signs that read "Public workers — the party is over," ''Thank you, Scott," and "Tax and spend brings the end."
Counter-protesters surrounded them, banging drums, bellowing into bullhorns and ringing bells. Bitter arguments broke out along the edges of the two groups over everything from the size of government to corporate power. At one point conservative blogger Andrew Breitbart took the stage and told the labor supporters to "go to hell."
"I'm serious!" he screamed. "Go to hell! You're trying to divide America!"
Carl Jung, genius. Talk about projection, eh?
Palin told the tea party rally that Walker is working to solve Wisconsin's long-term budget problems so it can honor pension commitments to public workers.
"This is where the line has been drawn in the sand and I'm glad to stand with you in solidarity," Palin said.
Oh, Mrs. Palin. Are you simply woefully misinformed, or shamelessly cynical? (I'm going with the latter.) Wisconsin's public pension fund is fully funded.
Just keep shifting the goalposts. That's why you get all that money, after all.
Oh, and by the way, Proud Defenders of the Constitution: Gov. Scott Walker plans to get rid of any elected officials he wants, just like the Republican governor of Michigan did. Freedom!
