The Rising: ‘There is going to be a backlash’

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

The concerted effort by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and its coterie of right-wing think tanks and newly elected Tea-Publican governors to destroy unions has proven to be overreaching on a grand scale, with far-reaching unanticipated consequences about to befall Tea-Publicans.

The heavy-handed tactics by Tea-Publicans, reminiscent of the corporate “bully-boys” Pinkerton guards at the turn of the last century, has only served to reinvigorate the unions under attack and to reinvigorate old alliances between unions that at times had them on opposite sides of the political spectrum since the 1960s.

It has also reinvigorated citizen participation in democracy with massive protests, recall efforts, and referendum efforts (the "People's Veto") in several states. The Tea-Publicans have awakened a slumbering giant that has been apathetic and on the defensive for years. There's going to be a backlash for their authoritarian overreaching.

In Wisconsin, the so-called "budget-repair" bill has been stopped dead in its tracks in the courts. On Friday, the court entered an order staying the bill until May 23, 2011 to allow lawyers to make additional arguments in the case. Wisconsin union rights law on hold for 2 months. Even when the judge does rule in the case, one or the other side will file an appeal in an attempt to get to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, resulting in futher delays. Two other separate lawsuits are in court over the so-called "budget-repair" bill, which will further entangle the bill in legal delays.

Also in Wisconsin on Friday, the first of eight recall petitions was filed against Sen. Dan Kapanke with almost twice the number of signatures needed to force a recall election in less than half the time alloted for the petition drive. Daily Kos: Wisconsin Dems file 21,700 signatures to recall Dan Kapanke, 40% above required minimum. "The chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin is confident that at least six of the eight recall elections of state Senators that the party is seeking will be successful, leading to an unprecedented set of recall elections in the summer or fall."

On Tuesday in Wisconsin, there will be a Supreme Court election that has become a proxy fight between Gov. Walker ally Judge David Prosser, who has demonstrated that he is far too partisan and lacking impartiality to serve as a judge, versus Assistant Attorney General JoAnne Kloppenburg. Consider this the first in the series of recall elections to follow.

In Ohio, former FAUX News host Gov. John Kasich signed his anti-union bill, and the unions took to the streets with petitions for a referendum, or "People's Veto" of SB 5. Ohio Anti-Union Law: Opponents Start Repeal Push. The bipartisan coalition leading the petition drive will need more than 230,000 valid signatures by June 30 to put a referendum on November's ballot. Some are calling this the "Superbowl" between anti-union forces and America's middle class workers. Coalition leaders believe they will easily gather enough signatures to qualify the referendum for the November ballot.

The concerted effort by Tea-Publicans and their corporate masters against organized labor has made formerly GOP-friendly unions experience a change of heart. They are outraged by this attack on unions and collective bargaining and now stand with their union brothers and sisters in other unions against these heavy-handed attacks. Cops, firefighters turn on GOP in labor fight – Jeanne Cummings – POLITICO.com:

Many cops and firefighters have thrown their allegiance to the GOP for years — union members who frequently stray from labor’s longtime support for Democrats.

A host of new Republican governors is changing all that.

It’s a political shift that could have significant repercussions, and not just because these right-leaning union members vote for Republicans in sizable numbers. Angry cops and firefighters make for bad PR — especially after Republicans under President George W. Bush aligned themselves so successfully with the heroes of Sept. 11 in the years since then.

Chuck Canterbury, the national president of the Fraternal Order of Police, said his members are “shocked” by the turn of events.

“Who are these evil teachers who teach your children, these evil policemen who protect them, these evil firemen who pull them from burning buildings? When did we all become evil?” said Canterbury, whose union endorsed Bush in 2000 and 2004 and John McCain in 2008.

He is traveling the country to rally FOP members to rise up against anti-labor laws in their states or in support of their colleagues in other states. “There is going to be a backlash,” said Canterbury, a former county police officer in South Carolina. “We are going to hold them accountable.”

Already, rank-and-file police officers and firefighters who long viewed themselves as separate from the rest of the movement are carrying picket signs, signing petitions and standing side-by-side with their labor brethren.

The prodical sons and daughters are returning home — welcome back.

Harold Shaitberger of the International Association of Firefighters and Michael Taylor of Ohio's Fraternal Order of Police were guests on Hardball on Friday to discuss the Politico report and the Ohio referendum.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Roughly 12% of Republican votes in 2010 came from self-identified union households. That is a pretty significant percentage of your base to piss off. Yet this is exactly what the Tea-Publicans are doing.

In a new Gallup Poll released April 1st (not a joke), more Americans back public employee labor unions than governors in states that are trying to rein in costs by curbing collective bargaining rights. Poll: Americans back unions over governors in labor disputes:

Nearly half, or 48%, of Americans say they agree with public-sector unions in these disputes, compared with 39% who agree with governors, the Gallup Poll says.

Thirteen percent say they favor neither side or don't have an opinion.

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The Gallup survey of 1,027 adults found broad support within key groups for the public sector unions. Not surprisingly, seven in 10 Democrats say they support the unions, followed by 61% of 18- to 34-year-olds.

Governors in these disputes received their largest support from Republicans (65%) and men (45%).

This Republican support represents an ever-shrinking minority of voters. Support for the new Tea-Publican governors has collapsed in their first three months in office. Just months after election day, three new Midwestern governors — Wisconsin's Scott Walker (R), Ohio's John Kasich (R), and Michigan's Rick Snyder (R) — have seen their approval ratings fall to the point that polls show them losing hypothetical do-over elections with the candidates they beat last November. Buyer's Remorse: Polls Show 3 New GOP Gov's Losing In Do Overs | TPMDC.