The Protest: An Irish Perspective

There is nothing I like better than reading about what is going on down the street as written by someone halfway around the world.  A-Joz sent me this article from the Irish Times about the protests at the Capitol, and I particularly loved these paragraphs:

Meanwhile, all 14 of Wisconsin’s Democratic state senators vanished, to prevent the majority Republicans from attaining a quorum of 20 senators, which would be required to pass the legislation. The sergeant-at-arms searched their offices, to no avail.

Then a journalist from the Chicago Tribune sent a hilarious dispatch from Rockford, just across the border in Illinois. A television news helicopter hovered over the Clock Tower Resort, where runaway senators milled about the lobby amid preparations for an unrelated Chocoholic Frolic.

The Wisconsin lawmakers were pursued by what the Tribune called a “media horde”. They never checked into the hotel and vanished again. Some gave telephone interviews from what they described as “secure locations”. Journalists hounded the bartender at the resort’s Irish pub, asking whether she’d spoken to the missing legislators. She referred them to an employee wearing a leprechaun costume for St Patrick’s Day rehearsals, whereupon a reporter ran after the leprechaun.

The Washington Post this week referred to Mr Walker as “Wisconsin’s Mubarak”, and by Thursday evening, the capitol building was beginning to look like Tahrir Square, with protesters setting up camp in the marble halls with sleeping bags and provisions. The New York Times reported on a festive atmosphere, with drums beating and students dancing.

What would we do without the Irish to tell us what our crazy senators are up to?  And I love that the sergeant-at-arms diligently made sure they weren't hiding in their offices.

Famous Hat