Herbert Hoover's treatment of the impoverished bonus marchers who came to Washington asking for help at the start of the Great Depression became a metaphor for the 'heartlessness' of Republicans. Could the Wisconsin brouhaha likewise become a metaphor for the 'greed' of Democrats? One can only hope. Regardless, as Glenn Reynolds says: "Clarity is coming to our politics". About damn time. Byron York has more:
“Walker has stood firm in the fight, but the truth is a lot of Republicans were nervous last week when crowds of protesters showed up and Democrats headed for the hills. What if the public supported the unions? After going home to their districts over the weekend, Republicans are feeling better. Many heard from constituents telling them to hang tough, and voters were especially unhappy with Democrats for hightailing it out of state. . . . In fact, for many Republican supporters, the big question is not whether the fight is worth the trouble but whether there’s some way the GOP can steamroll over the Democrats. But that’s not going to happen, at least for now. Republicans believe they are going to win without using extraordinary measures. . . . At the heart of all this, Republicans and Democrats are realizing there might be a gap between them that is bigger than they realized. To Republicans, the budget fight has involved the widespread shirking of responsibilities: teachers walking out on students, legislators running away from their offices, even doctors abandoning medical standards to make excuses for perfectly healthy teacher/protesters. To Democrats, the fight has touched a core issue; anything is justified to preserve union benefits.”
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