Free Republic

With lawmakers gearing up for a vote on the state budget, a “Walkerville” camp similar to the one that sprang up during the protests at the state Capitol earlier this year may be returning this weekend — this time to the terraces of Mifflin and Carroll streets. We Are Wisconsin, an alliance of community groups, labor unions and others, has asked the city for a permit to set up the camp across from the Capitol to provide information about Gov. Scott Walker’s budget proposals and efforts to recall Republican legislators who voted to eliminate bargaining rights for most public employees.

More than 100 pages of public records released Thursday reveal again how high emotion, bad judgment and anti-social media combined in February to generate a nationwide investigation of threats against Gov. Scott Walker and lawmakers on both sides of his budget-repair bill. Emails, Twitter streams, Facebook and Craigslist postings, phone calls and even a few notes sent by U.S. mail ranged from overt threats of violence to promises of political retaliation to benign-sounding requests for investigations of lawmakers' actions. A surprising number of even the most vile messages came from readily-identifiable senders. The vast majority of about 90 matters referred...

This is actually a course at UW Madison for sociology graduate students. One of the topics calls for a violent overthrow of the capitalist system. The head of the UW Havens center is part of the Wisconsin Wave, a left wing organization behind the union protests.

Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin headlines a "Tax Day" rally outside the Wisconsin State Capitol in Madison, Wisconsin. Palin was quick to criticize President Barack Obama while emphasizing the importance of the 2012 election period. State authorities estimate 6,500 people were at the rally. Recorded Saturday, April 16, 2011.

Listen to this podcast. It details how the MTI (Madison teachers union) used a phone tree to initiate a sickout strike in Madison. Wildcat strikes are illegal in Wisconsin as a public employee.

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin is asking for a federal investigation into the surprise discovery of 14,000 votes in Waukesha County for the Wisconsin Supreme Court race. The Wisconsin Democrat sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder Friday night asking him to assign the Justice Department Public Integrity Section. It oversees the federal prosecution of election crimes.

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They were images that were odd, and to some shocking. In the halls of the Wisconsin Capitol on Saturday, young people banged drums, danced around, and blew horns as socialists and Marxist signs looked on. It was a scene described to The Blaze by a disgusted observer as a drug and alcohol-infested rave that Capitol police ignored. And while the Capitol Police deny those charges, it seems one prominent protester noticed something interesting, too.

The documentary filmmaker was in Wisconsin yesterday, slamming Republicans for cutting union benefits. Michael Moore has a message for Wisconsinites: Contrary to what those in power would like you to believe -- so that you'll give up your pension, cut your wages, and settle for the life your great-grandparents had -- America is not broke. The claim came at the beginning of a speech delivered by the documentary filmmaker and liberal firebrand at the Wisconsin State Captiol yesterday. Over the course of 30 minutes, Moore railed against Republicans, who he accused of misleading the American public when they claim that...

Milroy says guv's rhetoric caused rising tensions Rep. Nick Milroy says he's got no bruises or scrapes from being tackled last night by an officer trying to keep him from entering the Capitol. While physically he's fine, Milroy told reporters this morning he's "disgusted" by the policies this week that he says led to the incident. "My biggest frustration has been the lack of leadership from the governor," the Dem from South Range said. Milroy said Walker has continued to escalate the tensions at the Capitol by refusing to sit down and negotiate a compromise to his plan to end...

Madison - State officials said Thursday that damage to the marble inside and out the State Capitol would cost an estimated $7.5 million...

During the Governor's Budget Address an individual, later identified as William M. Gruber of California, breached the closed plaza perimeter multiple times. Each time he was asked to leave and was escorted out. After his third breach he once again laid down on the plaza as he had done before. Upon his third breach when asked again to leave, he instead ran toward the Capitol building and was apprehended. He was subsequently transported to the Dane County Public Safety Building. He has been charged with State Disorderly Conduct and Resisting Arrest.

Aaron Kennedy, the founder of Noodles, grew up on a farm with few to no connections to money. Like my friend Rob, Kennedy also studied at the University of Wisconsin. At 29, while eating at a Chinese restaurant, Kennedy had an idea, and scribbled his business plan on a napkin. Scraping some money together from his friends and family and maxing out eight credit cards, Kennedy opened the first Noodles in his basement, and then put together a team with whom he’d build and operate 100 Noodles branches all on their own. It is now a $75 million franchise with...

Building Access Reminder: Visitors wishing to enter the Capitol will only be allowed to enter through the King Street entrance. Visitors without appointments may need to wait in line until visitors already inside the building leave the Capitol to make room for new visitors. These procedures have been in effect at the Capitol since this morning. --Capitol Police

The Rotunda continues to fill up as the 4pm deadline approaches. The Ustream video showed an almost empty Rotunda 35 minutes ago. Now the Rotunda is packed.

Physician actions as reported unacceptable Statement attributable to Timothy Bartholow, MD, Senior Vice President of Member Services, Policy Planning and Physician Professional Development Madison, Wis. (February 21, 2011) – The Wisconsin Medical Society was notified during the weekend that physicians may have been writing work excuses for people attending rallies at the state Capitol in a manner that is not consistent with acceptable medical practices. If these reports are accurate, the Society does not condone these actions under any circumstances. We are aware that the Wisconsin Medical Examining Board, the entity that licenses and disciplines physicians, has received information about...

With helicopters hovering overhead and bused in crowds jeering in red, it is clear that media cameras and microphones must be near because the Rev. Jesse Jackson has just shown to the Madison protest. Jackson was seen glad handing through the crowd with the requisite TV cameras lapping it all up.

For Americans who don't think the welfare state riots of France or Greece can happen here, we recommend a look at the union and Democratic Party spectacle now unfolding in Wisconsin. Over the past few days, thousands have swarmed the state capital and airwaves to intimidate lawmakers and disrupt Governor Scott Walker's plan to level the playing field between taxpayers and government unions. Mr. Walker's very modest proposal would take away the ability of most government employees to collectively bargain for benefits. They could still bargain for higher wages, but future wage increases would be capped at the federal Consumer...

The Wisconsin State Capitol is currently locked down. Pro-union protesters are intimidating legislators by pounding on windows, screaming insults and vandalising public property. Above is a picture of union protestors, many of whom are teachers who called off sick to storm the Capitol. Teacher strikes are illegal in Wisconsin. The Senate needs 20 members present for a quorum; there are 19 Republicans. Sen. Roberta Darling (R) told the media today that all Democrat Senators are on a bus heading out of the state so as to avoid quorum. The police have been dispatched to find them and drag them back...

Tens of thousands of workers and students are occupying the Capitol Building in Madison, Wis., trying to stop Gov. Scott Walker and his allies from passing legislation designed to strip public-sector workers of collective bargaining rights, and to bust their unions. Walker has announced that he is preparing to call out the National Guard and other law enforcement officers. In response, March Forward!, an organization of active-duty service members and veterans, has issued the following open letter to the Wisconsin National Guard. Please share it far and wide on Facebook and other social media websites. To our brothers and sisters...