Rep. Milroy tackled at the Capitol

Rep. Nick Milroy of Superior was tackled to the ground as he entered the Capitol building in Madison to retrieve some clothing from his office. Apparently he showed his ID to an officer, but the officer didn’t give him clearance to get in.

(This post originally contained an embedded video that was later removed from YouTube.)

36 Comments

Timk

about 13 years ago

Apprently Governor Walker has out of town cops escorting lobbyists and vips into the capitol through a maintenance tunnel so they could meet with republican lawmakers. However, I'm not interested in Jim's skreeds on the subject.

edgeways

about 13 years ago

Here is his response today

Here is his FB page for those interested.

Looks like he made the news over in England, as well as AOL, CNN, MSNBC

jerry garcia

about 13 years ago

I wish law enforcement would require a person to have a bachelor degree. People with two year degrees should only be able to be the ride along cop in the cop car.  

Thats just my two cents. :)

conrad

about 13 years ago

It's not the cops' fault.  You get orders to not let anyone in after a certain time, then you have a guy bull rushing himself in, that is what is going to happen.

Milroy overreacted out of frustration, the cops responded to his overreaction with their own. 

This is an embarrassing video because I helped a bit on Milroy's 2008 campaign.  This puts a black eye on this situation and the Dems and the unions don't need any more black eyes.  Please don't put the police, who are just doing their jobs on the spot to make these kind of decisions.

Timk

about 13 years ago

Milroy did present his credentials first. I'd be frustrated too if my Governor was violating the state constitution.

Claire

about 13 years ago

Conrad, I don't know why you say the Democrats and the Unions "don't need any more black eyes." If anyone has a big black eye, it's governor Walker and the Republican WI state senators who've been basically throwing a two-week-long temper tantrum, because their colleagues in the state senate, as well as many citizens, won't roll over and let them get their way without a fight. 

As someone at the NYC protest in solidarity with WI workers last Saturday said to me, "They picked the wrong state to try to pull this bullshit in."

Nick Milroy, as you wrote, overreacted -- but his frustration over the capitol building being locked down and all the other b.s. Walker and his stooges have been pulling is completely understandable.

Walker's recall can't come soon enough. It's going to be a long 10 months for Wisconsin residents.

Swan

about 13 years ago

Don't taz me bro...

edgeways

about 13 years ago

FWIW, the order was not to let protesters in. Milroy was/is a legislator. And, he actually got to go to his office after the altercation. So, I guess the cop's orders weren't as clear cut as it sounds eh?

I've read elsewhere that Walker himself was in the Capitol at the time, after the judge's order. So why was he not refused entry? 

But, whatever... Milroy himself has admitted he went too far and apologized for it. I think if anything it just further underscores how much Walker tried to over-manage the situation by proto-totalitarian methods, and in the end it backfired.

OGDuluthian

about 13 years ago

I have seen a longer version of this clip that clearly shows that in the beginning of the confrontation. Rep. Milroy puts his hands on the Cop first. That is never a good idea because the cops will always take someone down forcefully when they have been touched or grabbed first. As frustrated as Rep. Milroy is, grabbing a cop will never help your cause, which is why he was man enough to admit that he went to far.

TimK

about 13 years ago

Which begs the question, why the F are cops at the capitol barring entry to legislators? (Let alone the citizens who own the place).

zra

about 13 years ago

The Missus is down there right now with the FIL and #1 offspring, along with about a hundred other various trades union folks. 

I understand #1 offspring was holding court like the princess she is, and engaging steelworkers in sticker, coloring and barbie play on the bus the trip down.

I've been watching this play out since the beginning or very near that (I got strep and was out of work for three days during the first week of protests), so I've had a while to keep up on things.

Koch's money must really be that good for Walker to be as stubborn as he's being ... or is it stupidity?

Claire

about 13 years ago

What especially disgusts me is that the guv had time to fly around the state, holding *closed-door* press conferences, but can't find a moment to meet with the acting mayor of SupeTown. But he has time to chat on the phone with someone he thought was a Koch, talking about dirty tricks he'd considered and was still considering against elected officials as well as citizens of his state. Governor Walker should resign just on that basis alone. 

Zra, glad Mrs. Zra could make it down to MadTown today! I wrote a report recently on how a local bookstore near Capitol Square is doing great, business has been up 30% this past month. The protesters in MadTown are doing more for that city's economy than Gov. Walker is.

zra

about 13 years ago

Walker has never been a chess player, and it shows.

While he's bemoaning his state's budget shortfalls and insists on cutting people's pay ... he's DRIVING AROUND THE STATE ... to 14 districts (which happen to be the home districts of the 14 Assemblymen) to plead his case to the people ... as if that would make any difference at all. 

I have heard that Wisconsin has the 540,000 signatures on petition to start the recall process. Walker knows this. Walker knows he's going to be out of a job. Soon. The Koch's know this too. They bought him lock stock and barrel knowing full well that with this bill, he'd never go the distance, and that this would cost him his job.

The repubes don't seem to be all about big grabs anymore. I think they realized their failure with Bush Co. and are now concentrating on small gains ... eroding personal liberties and little things like worker's rights, funding for planned parenthood, NPR, PBS ... take away the people's voice ... essentially gut anything that could possibly be a hurdle for them in the future.

The Koch brothers have played chess. A lot of it. And Walker is a pawn.

Bob Loblaw

about 13 years ago

[derisive snort] The Kochtopus! Run for your lives! [/snort]

Seriously, the conspiracy theories that come from the left are just as loony as those that come from the right.

Also, its interesting that Milroy feels he doesn't have to follow the same rules as the little people.  

And to hell with those cops.  "Come see the violence inherent in the system!"

edgeways

about 13 years ago

Just a little point of order... They can not officially start collecting signatures to recall Walker until 11/3/11, and then they have 60 days to gather the required 540,206 signatures to force the recall. There is at least one high profile organization that is currently taking names and contact info from WI residents who (at this point at least) are willing to sign the petition come November. The purpose being, of course, so the signatures can be collected with due alacrity come time. 

What is staring up, is organized efforts to gain the needed signatures to force recall votes on the 8 R Senators  who are currently eligible right now. To be sure there are also efforts to force recall votes on the eligible D senators as well. A few noteworthy points about this back and forth however: most of the D Senators (except one) come from very "blue" districts, there are 4-5 eligible R Senators who are realistically vulnerable. A net flip of 3 seats flips the entire Senate. and... fwiw, the effort to recall the R Senators was initiated by WI residents, whereas the initial efforts to recall the D Senators has come from... Colorado

zra

about 13 years ago

Just following the money and the motive, Mr. Loblaw...

zra

about 13 years ago

and thanks for the petition clarification, edge...

Paul Lundgren

about 13 years ago

Superior has an acting mayor? I thought the city was going without one until the election in April.

Claire

about 13 years ago

Paul, the acting mayor, and that's how he's referred to in media reports and elsewhere, is the president of Superior's city council. I'd ask Mr. Claire -- who works for the state of WI -- for his name, but Mr. Claire and many other friends of ours are in WI today calling attention to the plight of WI's public workers.

edgeways

about 13 years ago

Also, its interesting that Milroy feels he doesn't have to follow the same rules as the little people. 

woo boy, irregardless of whatever else you where saying this in particular was more than a little dim. So, you managed to not read Milroy's follow-on statements but you are also classifying an elected official who was trying to get to his office, who was legally allowed to get to his office, as somehow feeling superior to his constituents, which the Governor tried unilaterally to ban from the Capitol and had to be taken to court _twice_ to get some form of reasonable access granted.  This is one of the Assemblymen who moved their desks outside and held public office hours out in the cold so Walker couldn't dictate public access. I'm sorry what? A Governor who's staff admitted in court to simply unplugging the switchboard during business hours because it was too much work. But found time to take a phone call from some perceived rich out-of-state asshole, during he period he wouldn't talk to his constituents. A gov who is being sued to release all these purported thousands of emails in support of him, a Gov who appointed the dad of the head of the Senate and the Head of the Assembly as the Head of the State troopers, a Gov who flies around the state (on tax payer funds) to hold press conferences where the public is barred, oh yeah, it's Milroy who thinks he is better than the little people, not the Gov who is actively running from them.

zra

about 13 years ago

oh, so Walker *flew* instead of drove to those 14 Assembly districts...an even BIGGER waste of those precious taxpayer dollars...

Dave Sorensen

about 13 years ago

The People's House is fast becoming the Corporate Person's House. Looks like they are hoping  to finalize this 30-year slow-motion coup by the 2012 elections. But Push-Back is in the air. The simplistic John Birch Society, I mean Tea Party, propaganda only fools so many people. The protests in Madison show what real populist rebellion looks like. 

Godwin's Law alert:

"Then they came for the Trade Unionists
 and I didn't speak out because I wasn't
 a Trade Unionist."  -- Martin Niemoller

Claire

about 13 years ago

Edgeways, you totally rock on, thanks for pointing out the inconsistencies of Bob Loblaw's ridiculous assertion that Nick Milroy is somehow holding himself above the law by trying to go to his office when the erstwhile "People's House" is in virtual lockdown by a power-crazed governor who's displaying more and more sociopathic tendencies every day this impasse drags on.

zra

about 13 years ago

The Missus is on her way back with the crew as of an hour or so ago, I think. Everyone had a pretty amazing time. The Princess has passed out. Fun was had by everyone involved, and all in all a pretty powerful and positive experience.

OGDuluthian

about 13 years ago

If the 14 "Run and Hide" Senators would do their jobs and do what they were elected to do, they could maybe have a chance at getting this resolved. It is very cowardly to flee to another state to avoid doing their job and voting. Did the opposition run to Canada when the party in charge called a vote on bills they admittedly did not read?? Even though I myself have been a union member for over 25 years, I have never been more disappointed by the behavior of my party's elected officials. I totally disagree with Walker's stance, but the 14 AWOL Senators will end up giving Walker a victory he does not deserve.

zra

about 13 years ago

If Walker's idea of *compromise* was anything other than getting exactly what he and his handlers want in this situation, I'd be in total agreement with you. 

But it's not.

Timk

about 13 years ago

The parlimentary rules are there for a reason and the WI 14 are not in violation of those rules. The Governor and the Repubs in the senate have created an untenable situation. The only option the 14 have is to prevent a quorum until the Governor comes to the table to negotiate.

Bob Loblaw

about 13 years ago

"the Heroic Wisconsin 14"  ;^)

Maude: "Tell me about yourself, Jeffrey."
The Dude: "Well there's not much to tell...You ever hear of the Seattle 7?  That was me - and six other guys."

Obviously you're not golfers.

edgeways

about 13 years ago

OGD... you certainly are entitled to feel however you do about the W14. It is worth noting that even the right-of-center polling outfit Rassmussen has the majority of Wisconsin residents supporting the D senators over Walker, numbers as of Thursday:

56% - 41% support/oppose collective bargaining.

52% - 44% Favor Sen. Democrats vs favor Walker
......
52% - 38% oppose Walker's proposal vs supporting it.

Forbes, of all publications, also had an editorial on Friday highly critical of Walker. Frankly I gotta think that if Rassmussen and Forbes are pessimistic on Walker, he is in deep trouble. 
60 days from now there is going to be a slew of recall elections scheduled. The outcome of which will be the true deciding factor of how Wisconsin feels about the W14. Given the size and consistency of the protests, not only in Madison but trough the State I'm initially thinking Wisconsin's government is in for a serious shakeup culminating in the election of a new Governor early next year. Early money is on Feingold simply because of name recognition. We'll see though.

zra

about 13 years ago

Governor Feingold...I like the sound of that.

jerry garcia

about 13 years ago

Bob, are you a salesman? And do you make a mean censor salad with dressing from scratch or is this another Bob?

Lojasmo

about 13 years ago

Bears repeating:

56% - 41% support/oppose collective bargaining.

52% - 44% Favor Sen. Democrats vs favor Walker

52% - 38% oppose Walker's proposal vs supporting it.

Bob Loblaw

about 13 years ago

No Jerry, I'm not a salesman.  

I'm just a man who doesn't find any heroes in this absurd little morality play going on in Madison.

Jim

about 13 years ago

Absurd isn't appropriate, more like criminal. Attempting to gain access by rushing in, in street clothes, pushing an officer- his ass should have been tazed and then brought to the grey-bar hotel. Funny too how conveniently they left parts of the video out- like the part when the flake tries to rush his way through. What an idiot. These bozos can't remove themselves from the government tit, so they resort to grandstanding and a campaign of misinformation and lies. That's the crux of it. Poor babies don't want to have to match the private sector in benefit contributions. Hmmm, last time I checked I put my own money in my retirement plan, I pay for my own health care and I pay for my own lunch. These ticks can't seem to understand that the State of Wisconsin is broke from people like them. Quit crying, do your frickin job and you'll get paid. If you want to save some, put it away. Don't have enough at the end of the month, then get rid of your smart phone, your multiple cars, your cable bill and start shopping for clothes at rag stock. Don't however, preach to me about your sick little liberal ideals and having to be taken care of because the big bad business owners are out to get you. You're living in a fantasy land. Walker deserves a medal of honor for being a pioneer. The rest of the country will soon follow, and then we can get back on track...

Timk

about 13 years ago

Please let me use my special word, Paul.

Paul Lundgren

about 13 years ago

I think if this thread proves anything it's that we get the politicians we deserve.

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