The third part in our continuing storyline of thuggery on the Republican side played out today at the Capitol(parts 1 and 2 here). As The Progressive magazine reports:
Today the Assembly is “debating” SB 93, the so-called concealed carry law. A small group of gun rights activists and Scott Walker supporters are in the capitol to witness the proceedings. The Assembly broke for caucus shortly before noon, just when the Solidarity Sing Along, organized by the Wisconsin Network for Peace and Justice, was getting started in the rotunda as it has done every weekday for the past 14 weeks.
Among the crowd was former Republican State Senator Dave Zien, who is wheelchair-bound as the result of a motorcycle accident in March in which his left leg was partially amputated. Zien went down to the rotunda floor and aggressively rolled his wheelchair over the singers’ belongings and some of their toes while yelling, “Scott Walker for President!” Solidarity Singers called for the police, but despite their unusually large numbers in and around the Capitol they did not immediately show up.
Meanwhile, two other men unfurled a “Don’t Tread On Me” banner up on the first floor and began walking around with it, draping it over the singers’ heads as the singing group concluded with “Solidarity Forever.” They hit several of the singers in the head as they attempted to raise the banner over their backs. One of the singers grabbed the banner to toss it off of his body. The banner waver grabbed him in a headlock and delivered a punch to his abdomen as others continued to scream for the police.
Now maybe our friends on the right, can report about real violence at the Capitol, instead of the silly made up stories they have been trying to push. One thing to keep in mind is these thugs are gun rights activists. These are the people that the republican legislature is arming to “protect themselves” when in reality its them we need protecting FROM. Let’s hope that all involved(including Zein) get charged with felonies and can never ever carry a gun!
UPDATE: Police have released the name of the assailant, Henry Rahr of Green Bay. Rahr has said he’ll contest the citations he was issued for Battery and Disorderly Conduct in court.
I apologize for mispelling Zeins name, but now that I’ve got it right a couple of other things have occurred to me.
I wonder how many of Zeins supporters are going to lose their health insurance because of Walkers budget? How many lost their homestead and earned income tax credits? How many lost their child care subsidies? How many are goin to see their Badgercare costs rise and their coverage scaled back?
Maybe Zein and his buddies should have been roughing up the Fitzgerald brothers down in Madison?