Wisconsin senators in defiant return

US senators who fled state are cheered by thousands despite Republicans removing collective bargaining rights Fourteen Democratic senators from Wisconsin have returned home from exile in Illinois at the end of a bruising clash with the Republicans in which the state capitol in Madison became a virtual battleground in a dispute over trade union rights. The senators had fled for three weeks across state lines in an attempt to prevent the new Republican governor Scott Walker from passing a bill to strip 175,000 public sector workers of almost all collective bargaining rights. Their ploy, designed to block the bill going to vote by making it impossible for the Republicans to gain a quorum, ultimately failed when the bill was signed into law on Friday. But the senators, dubbed the “Fab 14″, returned to a heroes’ welcome. Up to 70,000 trade union and Democratic supporters gathered in Capitol Square, chanting “Thank you! Thank you!” The crowd included many farmers who came into Madison to join the protest in a “tractorcade”. Local paper the Journal Sentinel spotted Tod Pulvermacher, a dairy farmer, driving a John Deere tractor with a sign attached to its rear manure spreader, saying “Walker’s bill belongs here”. Dave Hansen, the Democratic senator from Green Bay, told the crowd: “We lost the battle, but we’re going to win the war. I think we’ve got the momentum on our side.” However, Scott Fitzgerald, the leader of the Republicans in the Wisconsin senate, who orchestrated the passage of the bill, said the senators were “the most shameful 14 people in the state of Wisconsin”. He said: “To the senate Democrats: when you smile for the cameras today and pretend you’re heroes, I hope you look at that beautiful Capitol building you insulted and are embarrassed.” Although the bill has been passed – restricting public sector unions to negotations only over pay increases up to the rate of inflation – the battle in Wisconsin is far from over. Democrats across the country have vowed to use the scenes there as a stick with which to beat Republicans in next year’s presidential election. Democrats and Republicans in the state have declared their intention to seek revenge against each other in recall elections that will seek to unseat incumbent Wisconsin senators. Up to 16 senators, eight from each party, are vulnerable to such an attack, which can be triggered by a petition of voters. US politics United States Wisconsin Democrats Republicans Ed Pilkington guardian.co.uk

Posted by on March 13, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.