The "Save Walker's Bacon" Rally Only Drew 1,000 People
OK - - to be precise, "more than 1,000," says the authoritative AP.
But not "thousands."
The way the Journal Sentinel covered it Saturday, with breathless speech-by-speech Newswatch coverage - - "'If we let Scott Walker go down our country is going down,'" [Glenn] Grothman said,'" - - instead of a summary story, you'd have thought the pro-Walker crowd had approached the size of at least a modest anti-Walker 2011 rally at the Capitol, in a smaller county, without a Wauwatosa-style 'All-Star Lineup.'
Nope. Not even if you say the Wauwatosa Patch's crowd estimate of a whopping 3.000 was accurate.
Today the Journal Sentinel says the crowd was "large," while a photo caption says "a couple thousand," giving the estimates a certain je ne sais quois quality, and free of statistical offense.
Note that in February in Madison there were two anti-Walker rallies with official estimates of at least 70,000, and another in March of at least 85,000.
Now that's "large."
15 comments:
They don't do rallies very well. They're better at writing checks.
My e-mail to MJS editor:
No wonder that I cancelled my subscription and will continue to urge fellow Milwaukeeans to cancel their subscriptions.
Have you folks no shame. Eight stories on today's Walker rally of a "couple thousand Scott Walker supporters."
Where were you folks when 100,000 plus were on the streets in Madison a bit less than a year ago?
Never before have I seen such politically partisan reporting.
You folks are innaccurate and at the very least biased in your comments, I was there and there were thousands there so est dust!
At least these people weren't taking time off from their taxpayer supported jobs to protest. They came out to show their support on their own time.
I emailed the writer complaining about the amount of stories written. He emailed me back saying that the same amount of attention was given in Madison. He sent me the link. A similiar amount of blogs were written for the Madison rally. I stood corrected.
I recieved these blogs:
Republican supporters outnumbered but not alone
By Tom Held of the Journal Sentinel
March 12, 2011
An estimated 85,000 people marched on the Capitol Square Saturday, nearly all of them castigating, mocking and insulting Gov. Scott Walker.
Not Mike Foht.
The small business owner from Monroe carried a sign that read: "No More Free Rides. Thank you Republicans. Please Strike. I Could Use Your Job."
Foht said he had been defending Walker and the Republican legislators throughout the rallies in recent weeks.
"Obviously, the majority here are opposed to what Walker did," Foht said. "I support what Walker did.
"It's about freedom," he said. "Unions represent only 5% of the work force. Government caters to that 5%."
Foht said he has been treated well, in general, on his forays into the anti-Walker forces. A couple protesters have challenged him to fight, and one spit on his sign.
"They have every right to protes, as long as it's within the law," he said.
He was outnumbered, but not alone. Another sign carried on the Capitol read: "Democrats are sore losers."
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Beil blasts Walker
By Bill Glauber of the Journal Sentinel
March 12, 2011
Madison - Marty Beil, head of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees branch that covers Wisconsin state employees told demonstrators Saturday that unions may have lost collective bargaining rights but they haven't lost their resolve.
He also took verbal swipes at Gov. Scott Walker.
"Scott Walker and his band of liars and thieves, let me talk direclty to them,
"I'm sure they're scurrying around somewhere with their armed guards," Beil said. "Scott you will not steal the heart and soul of Wisconsin because we are Wisconsin."
Greater Wisconsin Committee unveils new ad
By Don Walker of the Journal Sentinel
March 12, 2011
The Greater Wisconsin Committee, a group that calls itself an issue advocacy group, has begun airing a new ad statewide aimed at Gov. Scott Walker's budget.
Here is the ad:
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Bell: "We are united"
By Bill Glauber of the Journal Sentinel
March 12, 2011
Madison - Mary Bell of the Wisconsin Education Association Council said Saturday "we were not sure what the end would be but we would not go away."
"Here we are, another Saturday, at the Capitol, in cold Wisconsin weather, but we are united," Bell told thousands of pro-labor demonstrators gathered at the state Capitol.
"We know the impact of this legislation will be damaging to schools, our hospitals, our hometowns but mostly to the working families of our state,"
Bell said of Gov. Scott Walker's budget-repair bill.
"Eliminating collective bargaining rights goes too far and Wisconsin citizens agree," she said.
"Today, some would say we lost ... but we have found an amazing display of solidarity of hope among nurses, teachers, firefighters and all public employees."
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Kohl joins protesters in Madison
By Tom Held of the Journal Sentinel
March 12, 2011
Madison - Nearly anonymous in a baseball cap and winter jacket, Sen. Herb Kohl joined the mass of people pushing through the crowd toward the stage set up outside the Capitol in Madison on Saturday.
Kohl described the turnout that sprawled several blocks off the square: "magnificent, committed, caring people."
The Democrat from Wisconsin, in his fifth term in the U.S. Senate, said there was little he could do politically but lend his support to those opposed to the budget reforms pursued by Gov. Scott Walker, particularly the elimination of collective bargaining rights for public workers.
"I think he's made a big mistake," Kohl said. "He didn't campaign on this issue."
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Now Ron- can you recall that we had several massive rallies on Saturdays?
To Ron R. I was at the March 12 rally in Madison. That would be Saturday, March 12.
1,000,000 people sign petitions to recall the guy and less than 1500 show up to support Walker. 10s of thousands of people go to capitol every day during February and March, braving 10 degree weather, snow, sleet, and freezing, rain, and less than 1500 show up to support Walker. 30,000 volunteers go door-to-door for days on end during the coldest time of the year to get recall signatures and less than 1500 show up to support Walker. But to the Walkeristas, it was a glorious event!!!!
Tommy Thompson said to the "crowd" yesterday..."republicans are red, democrats are blue but when we are finished with them, they will be BLACK and blue". Talk about thuggery.
How typical, arrest the Americans who are holding a banner and exercising their rights of the first amendment and let the crooked politician walk free.It was a public event after all, just saying.... I wonder if any one has really investigated this man for illegal activity such as pandering to the Koch brothers, privatization of the utility companies to the Koch brothers ect. ect. ect.
THIS is a "large" rally when the Wisconsin 14 returned: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aD1CpyZHsbk&list=UUSq4F3mP8KQD1MHhciiGieg&index=6&feature=plcp
These supporters were not being paid to show up and I doubt not one of them called in sick or had a doctor write up a fake note.
Dear Reagan's Disciple,
I've heard that tired refrain: they union supporters were "paid."
Now I leave it to you to show some substantial proof. I don't want links to any right wing website. But how about some substantial proof...
We'll all wait here.
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