The whole world is watching

As the unions staged their productions in Madison this week, seeking to get the governor and supportive legislators in line, many of us turned to Patrick McIlheran’s Milwaukee Journal Sentinel column to understand what was happening. I also called Pat to ask him how to follow events in Madison. He took my call and patiently made several recommendations. I caught him on a busy day and I’m sure that he left out a few observers whom he would have included on further reflection. In any event, here are his recommendations, in no particular order:

Right On (McIlheran’s own Journal Sentinel blog)
Journal Sentinel “political guys”
Badger Blogger
Blaska’s Blog (link fixed)
No Runny Eggs (look for Steve Egg’s posts)
WPRI blog (look for Christian Schneider’s posts; Schneider posted this video of events in Madison yesterday and also published this commentary in the Journal Sentinel)
Charlie Sykes

I asked McIlheran if he thought Governor Walker had the spine to see the current crisis through. Pointing to Governor Walker’s record as Milwaukee County Executive, Pat had no hesitation in saying that he thought he did. The Weekly Standard’s Steve Hayes is a Wisconsin native. Steve also cites Governor Walker’s record on this point.
See also Katrina Trinko’s post at NRO’s Corner: “Walker: Wisc. won’t be bullied.” Trinko’s post draws on Greta Van Susteren’s telephone interview with Governor Walker last night (video below).

As for Obama, the Washington Post reports on the president’s contributions to the events. Jay Nordlinger asks: “Couldn’t he pretend he’s president. . .This is disgusting.” (And Jay has more here)
For sane commentary on the events in her backyard (she is a professor at the University of Wisconsin Law School), I am also turning to Ann Althouse. NR editor Rich Lowry visited Wisconsin this past October to check in on Ron Johnson’s Senate campaign. Rich devotes his column today to “the new Wisconsin idea.”
NR has also posted Michelle Malkin’s column “Apocalypse now.” It’s got a “whole world is watching” kind of a theme, to borrow the old radical battle cry. I think that is right on the money, so to speak.
JOHN adds: Check out, too, today’s editorial in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Wisconsin’s biggest newspaper. It is titled “The Dems’ Tantrum.” Some highlights:

In a snit, Senate Democrats run and hide – making a mockery of the democratic process. Democrats in the state Senate threw a temper tantrum Thursday – essentially they took their ball and went home.
Actually, they didn’t go home. They apparently went to Illinois, just out of reach of their obligations.
State Sen. Lena Taylor (D-Milwaukee), apparently with plenty of time on her hands Thursday afternoon, posted on her Facebook page, “brb,” slang for “be right back.” Too bad she and her colleagues weren’t.
One leading Democrat – Obama was his name, as we recall – put it well after winning the White House in 2008: “Elections have consequences,” he told Republicans at the time. Indeed they do. The Democrats’ childish prank mocks the democratic process.
Meanwhile, some Wisconsin teachers decided to make a mockery of their own profession by penalizing their students after an irresponsible call to action by Mary Bell, the chief of the state teachers union. …
Both Senate Democrats and teachers should get over their snits and get back to work.

Newspaper editorials are not always a reliable guide to public sentiment, but this time I think we can be confident that the Journal Sentinel‘s reaction is in sync with the mood of voters.

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