February 26, 2011

Outside the Capitol today — a march, snow, and Peter Yarrow.

Meade wielded the Flip camera and I edited this. I also appear now and then as the blonde-haired photographer in the black coat, walking against the direction of the marchers. We begin with some women dressed as vegetables:



Other highlights:

1:01 — a man yawns.
1:10 — the WTF sign.
1:28 — doggie.
1:38 — "HITLER STALIN WALKER."
3:22 — "In the old days, we knew how to deal with peasants!... Burn you like marshmallows!"
4:18 — squirrel costume.
4:32 — "Is Cat Stevens here?"
5:05 — "That's Peter Yarrow."
5:32 — Toilet paper on the "Forward!" statue.
5:52 — The "Yin/Yang" sign.
6:27 — I get in the way of 2 ladies who are trying to take a picture of 3 guys in "Star Wars" costumes. Since they don't have a wide-angle lens, they need to stand way back, and feel entitled to a big stretch of empty sidewalk.
7:10 — "I've been fingered as a Walker supporter because I walked in front of her picture of the 'Star Wars' characters!"
7:41 — A woman dressed as the Statue of Liberty has duct tape on her mouth. Not on the video: I say to Meade, "I'd ask her why she has tape on her mouth, but she has tape on her mouth," and Meade says, "And if she didn't have tape on her mouth, and you asked her why don't you have tape on your mouth, she would remain silent."
8:00 — big Teamsters truck.
8:33 — Meade talks to the women with the "Obama, Where R U?" sign (which was the only reference to Obama we noticed today).
9:00 — Finally, a giant puppet!
9:12 — Meade gets a look into the soul of the puppet.

67 comments:

The Dude said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
chickelit said...

Any video of the 100k marching vets garage was talking about earlier?


wv = Polen (zurzeit, unter polnische Verwaltung)

kent said...

We begin with some women dressed as vegetables

"Truth in advertising."

kent said...

Great, bring out the child molester - who better to represent the left and their abject lack of morality.

Peter Yarrow: the leftist folk music equivalent of Scott Ritter.

Curtiss said...

Madison must be the Drama Queen Capitol of America. But that wasn't my perception a couple of weeks ago.

Meade said...

Sixty Grit, Statutory rape was his crime. Less than a year after he married the niece of Eugene "Clean Gene" McCarthy.

Imagine the outcry in major media and the lefty blogosphere if the Tea Party invited to sing at one of their rallies someone who had committed and was convicted of the statutory rape of a 14 year-old and got a light sentence of 3 months because he had friends in high places who used their influence on his behalf.

Meade said...

Jimmy Carter commuted his sentence.

The Dude said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
RuyDiaz said...

"Imagine the outcry in major media and the lefty blogosphere if the Tea Party invited to sing at one of their rallies someone who had committed and was convicted of the statutory rape[...]"

Isn't that an enormous incentive to become/pretend a leftist if you are a public figure? If you are left-leaning and do something awful, you'll have a second chance. If you are a conservative, you'll hear cries of hypocrisy until the day you die.

Unknown said...

Yarrow was there because even Pete Seeger has started to see the light, ever so faintly (at least about Uncle Joe).

They really have nothing to say. After 45 years, they're still in the same place they were when Woodstock came along. All they can do is relive the past.

Rather sad, if you think about it.

Jason said...

You can't take these fools seriously. Just can't do it.

The Dude said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
vnjagvet said...

Nothing says yesterday like an aged hippy.

Michael K said...

The protestors are rather sad. Those folks in union tee shirts don't realize that the welfare state is dying and their jobs are going too. They have no place to go. If Wisconsin has gone red, what is left ?

Cuba ?

Even my leftist daughter, who visited about ten years ago and who is fluent in Spanish, realized it is a prison. It took her two days. I suspect that Michael Moore and Oliver Stone are not.

GMay said...

Should've had Roman Polanski filming this.

Irene said...

Bravo. Best video yet.

I received this email tonight from a young, college-aged person who prefers to not comment on blogs: "Did you see her blog today? Amazing videos! She should get a pulitzer for her coverage of this thing!"

Irene said...

Also, we had another thought at Casa dell'Irene.

Isn't it funny that all the costumery, *posing*, and pageantry coincides with the ten-day, pre-Lenten "Carnivale" period?

That thought struck me during the "Darth Walker" interlude. That scene could have been shot in Venice.

PS. The dachshund in the pouch was adorable.

Fred4Pres said...

Do you catch the irony?

Sorry, off topic.

Beau said...

The protestors are rather sad. Those folks in union tee shirts don't realize that the welfare state is dying and their jobs are going too. They have no place to go. If Wisconsin has gone red, what is left ?

Somewhat rude to refer to Althouse this way. Though I understand the anger you have towards state workers. She's been benefitting rather well from the results of being a state worker. A pension she hasn't had to contribute one cent towards.

Your anger should be directed at the fiscally irresponsible managers who have allowed this to happen over the years,whichever party was running the government at that time.

AmPowerBlog said...

Linked in a roundup, '100,000 March on Wisconsin Capitol'.

AmPowerBlog said...

And Ann, if you check my link above you'll see the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel linked with a protest sign pictured, "WALKER = POLITICAL THUGARY!" Strange how they'd feature that one. The editors ignore the dumb fleebagger signs: "A throng of protesters surrounds the "Forward" statue at the Capitol. The statue has been blindfolded and has a 'For Sale' sign hanging around its neck."

Almost Ali said...

Not exactly the French Revolution, but a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

A thousand miles away, I asked the shoe-girl at the Garden's Mall if she was following all the Madison action. Apparently there's a sneaker of the same or similar name.

Unknown said...

OMG,

These lefty racist whiners are mostly white.

Soros is white.

Chris Matthews is white.

Rachel Maddow is white.

Joe Biden is white.

The Whitehouse is white.

The President is half white.

Racists!!!!

David said...

Peter Flipping Yarrow . . . . . .

Mary Travers would have come too but she was having a snack.

David said...

Plus Yarrow's - - - uh --- indiscretion probably wasn't rape-rape because it did not involve a child-child.

David said...

As reported at the time, the girl and her 17-year-old sister went to Yarrow's hotel room seeking an autograph. Yarrow answered the door naked and made sexual advances that stopped short of intercourse. The 14-year-old resisted his advances but did not call for help. Yarrow served three months of a one- to three-year prison sentence and was pardoned by Carter in 1981.

The singer has acknowledged the incident as "the most terrible mistake I have ever made."

Almost Ali said...

The world beyond Madison:

At #1, this is what the Times is saying: The Wart on Women.

And at #2, G.O.PeePee.: Baby Killers.

(Frankly, My Dear, I'd rather be in Madison)

Indigo Red said...

Wisconsin police have joined the unionist in the capitol building tonight. With video: http://understory.ran.org/2011/02/25/breaking-wisconsin-police-have-joined-protest-inside-state-capitol/

Real American said...

the protesters are the puppets. Puppets for their union thug masters. hell, Obama is one of their puppets, too.

shiloh said...

The Whitehouse is white.

Left off your inane attempted sarcasm list the White House and U.S. Capitol were built by African/American slaves ...

Again, why is it almost always conservatives who bring up race at winger blogs, masqued in the form of disingenuous sarcasm.

Rhetorical question.

chickelit said...

shiloh said...

Left off your inane attempted sarcasm list the White House and U.S. Capitol were built by African/American slaves ...

Again, why is it almost always conservatives who bring up race at winger blogs, masqued in the form of disingenuous sarcasm.


More to the point: The Wisconsin State Capitol was built by Italian immigrants. Were they white? They weren't considered white then.

Fungible races.

Rhetorical question (for you buddy).

ricpic said...

"HITLER STALIN WALKER"

It must be wonderful to go through life utterly unreflective and shameless.

rhhardin said...

Nobody had a kick me sign on their back.

AllenS said...

It's theater, by a bunch of poor, sad and sorry-assed actors, just so you won't notice the rising cost of gasoline. It took a big jump in the last couple of days. How high will it go?

Release the windmills!

Unknown said...

Beau said...

The protestors are rather sad. Those folks in union tee shirts don't realize that the welfare state is dying and their jobs are going too. They have no place to go. If Wisconsin has gone red, what is left ?

Somewhat rude to refer to Althouse this way. Though I understand the anger you have towards state workers. She's been benefitting rather well from the results of being a state worker. A pension she hasn't had to contribute one cent towards.

Your anger should be directed at the fiscally irresponsible managers who have allowed this to happen over the years,whichever party was running the government at that time.


You mean the Demos and the Lefty union bosses? That goes without saying.

Oh, well, he thinks he's being cute.

shiloh said...

The Whitehouse is white.

Left off your inane attempted sarcasm list the White House and U.S. Capitol were built by African/American slaves ...

Again, why is it almost always conservatives who bring up race at winger blogs, masqued in the form of disingenuous sarcasm.

Rhetorical question.


Stupid attempt at misdirection is more like it.

For the past year, the Lefties have been belching snark about how white the Tea Partiers are (untrue, BTW), but take a look at the Lefty power structure and what does one find?

rhhardin said...

Yarrow (who I've never heard of - Don Adams's real name?) comes up in Belmont Club on the crisis today.

The bleed-the-taxpayer-a-while-longer plan.

HT said...

The hogging of the sidewalk; the not having a fish eye lens; the outrage of watching a woman dare to look at signs as if they are in a museum; the wreath knowledge questioning; the fans seriously or humorously equating the husband to Jesus; the standing in the middle of an oncoming march.

I'm sensing increasing impatience and frustration which is understandable.

I'm wondering what will happen next.

Unknown said...

A liberal can left a woman die to save his image and be a senator

Unknown said...

They need to hire the Ukrainians, that would be aprotest

traditionalguy said...

Very charming indeed, Professor. Day by day the shock value of public demonstrations loses steam as they become familiar.

Anonymous said...

"Obama, Where R U?"

Oh, demonstrator, haven't you heard?

Obama is running a 2 million person government workforce that has no collective bargaining rights.

You haven't heard,eh? Now you know.

Fred4Pres said...

Where's Neil Young? Springsteen? Bon Jovi? And of course, that great working class hero...Barack Obama?

Toad Trend said...

I have a question for the left in Madison, and elsewhere:
when do the die-ins begin?

wv - theep

Anonymous said...

The Lumpen Proletariat. How sad it is that this is not being settled as reasonable human beings.

The tax base is being destroyed. Small Business is out of business. People are losing their homes because they cannot afford the property tax. The lights are dimming in Wisconsin. It will be pushed to economic/societal collapse. IF they are unhappy now, wait for default and austerity.

rhhardin said...

I'd have deployed children in Halloween their costumes with trick or treat signs and bags to march in the parade.

Lincolntf said...

Once again, the lovely folks from the Dem/Union apparatus are putting their best forward. Gateway Pundit has a new video of one member of Obama's base explaining to a teenage conservative how he would like to tea-bag him. Charming people.

http://gatewaypundit.rightnetwork.com

Meade said...

Fred4Pres said...
"Where's Neil Young? Springsteen? Bon Jovi? And of course, that great working class hero...Barack Obama?"

They have their own internal polls that tell them it wouldn't be politically prudent.

Paco Wové said...

Ahhh, giant puppets. Now I feel a sense of ... closure.

sierra said...

7:41 strikes me as a demo of why you two are the perfect couple.

Fen said...

Preparing To Peacefully Resist Removal From The Building

Also, organizers distributed instructions for those who choose to peacefully refuse to leave. Among the options listed was going limp and being carried out by officers.

"I will leave peacefully," said Neil Graupner, one of the protest organizers, Saturday. "But I can't speak for my friends."


http://lacrossetribune.com/news/state-and-regional/wi/d35aeb26-4273-11e0-99c5-001cc4c03286.html

Lincolntf said...

We've been figuratively carrying these people their whole lives, so it's no big deal if they want to be literally carried out.

Fen said...

Great, bring out the child molester - who better to represent the left and their abject lack of morality.

From the GatewayPundit link upthread:

Union Supporter at Rally Explains to Conservative Kid Handing Out Constitutions How He’s Going to Sexually Teabag Him


“You know what teabagging is don’t you? It’s when my ball bags are down on your nose.”


http://gatewaypundit.rightnetwork.com/2011/02/union-supporter-at-rally-explains-to-conservative-kid-handing-out-constitutions-how-hes-going-to-sexually-teabag-him/

John henry said...

I suppose we should look at the bright side. The "Hitler-Stalin-Walker" Would seem at least to recognize that Hitler and Stalin were both pretty much two peas in a pod.

Both were socialists with more or less the same ideological beliefs.

Both were world class, industrial strength, mass murderers. OTOH, Hitler with his 12 million was a piker compared to Stalin and both pale in comparison to Mao. (Assuming that we can quantify morality, which I don't really think we can. They were morally equivalent, IMHO)

Both brought ruin to their respective countries.

So, while it is certainly factually and morally wrong to compare Walker to either of them, at least the sign painter is realizing that Stalin deserves opprobrium too.

As I say, a small step. But all journeys start with a single step.

John Henry

Fen said...

"No Freebies, No Peace"

Garage, its looking like your National Day of Rage failed.

Even the MoveOn organizers are underwhelmed. They got 1/10th of the turnout they expected.

rhhardin said...

Negotiating: The tennis ball of unsustainable benefits (video yesterday)

1:15 benefits placed on negotiating table

Renee said...

Reminds me of a political mardi gras. Despite having valid points, the unions stronger arguments are being lost by those who want to have a street festival. It's a parody, like they're mocking themselves.

Big Mike said...

Peter Yarrow was there? I hope you locked up your underage daughters.

J said...

A woman dressed as the Statue of Liberty has duct tape on her mouth


A start, o Miss Ducttapehouse. :]

shiloh said...

They have their own internal polls that tell them it wouldn't be politically prudent.

Does AA allow you to have an original thought ~ just wonderin'

Actually Young, Springsteen et al would just be a distraction and AA and her tag along would be makin' a spectacle of themselves regardless lol, so no, celebrities are definitely not needed for the story to have legs, eh.

Blind faith in your leaders, or in anything, will get you killed. ~ Bruce Springsteen

Fen said...

Still no DD214, eh poser?

Meade said...

shiloh said...

"Actually Young, Springsteen et al [sic] would just be a distraction and AA and her tag along would be makin' a spectacle of themselves regardless lol, so no, celebrities are definitely not needed for the story to have legs, eh." (- followed my an embarrassingly vain and vapid quote by Bruce Springsteen.)

Shiloh unwittingly acknowledges Obama is just another celebrity.

William said...

The video of the parade shows a fair number of overweight white men with white beards who could easily pick up Christmas work playing Santa Claus over the holidays. The protesters seem like decent enough people. In real life, does anyone really like or dislike someone based on their positions on balanced budgets and civil service measures?.....I would recommend that one of the men who look like Santa Claus douse himself with kerosene and set himself on fire. That would be effective street theater and demonstrate the fierce moral urgency of the need to maintain collective bargaining rights in Wisconsin.

Anonymous said...

Shiloh unwittingly acknowledges Obama is just another celebrity.

He may not have much of an idea what to do once elected, but baby he was born to run.

shiloh said...

Shiloh unwittingly acknowledges Obama is just another celebrity.

That wasn't even a coherent deflection, as per usual from AA's tagalong.

michaele said...

This is all quite fascinating. Thanks so much for your efforts. I suspect you'd be doing some cross country skiing if the protests weren't going on. At least, you're still getting outdoor time and exercise.

Marilee said...

Ann, since ths comment is soo far down you may not see it. But, I must give you a hearty "that 'a girl" for your intrepid reporting. Thank goodness for Meade, as well. Really, you are doing the job the "journalists" should be doing.
You are the go-to blog for this. Many links around the blogosphere.
Anyway. Thanks!!!

Chef Mojo said...

Blind faith in your leaders, or in anything, will get you killed. ~ Bruce Springsteen

I guess Bruce is the exception that proves that rule. Or is that just being blind, which is likely the case.

Well, at least Bruce isn't a pedophile, so he's got that going for him at least.

Rock on!

People who validate their political philosophies on the backs of entertainers are the shallowest of the shallow, and thoroughly lacking in imagination.