Wisconsin Senate Majority Leader
Scott Fitzgerald says the Thursday disappearance of 14 Democratic state senators to avoid a vote curtailing state employee union rights was troublesome – but not as disturbing as pro-Democratic protesters trying to shut down the government.
“It is troubling because I think we're at the point now where they're really trying to shut down government,” Fitzgerald told Fox News’ Sean Hannity. “They're really trying to squelch, not only the majority party, but I think the governor [who is] just allowing us to make the case that, you know, some of the concessions that [he] is looking for are reasonable.
“I think many working people, working families in Wisconsin are really on our side on this,” he said. It is starting to build, [with working people] saying: Listen, these are not demands that are out of line. This makes a lot of sense.”
Hannity noted rhetoric at the demonstrations had become increasingly vitriolic, as the ranks of those protesting the governor’s budget swelled to the tens of thousands. The bill in question would cut benefits for teachers and other public employees and limit their collective bargaining rights, in order to curb the state’s $3.6 billion budget shortfall.
Hannity asked state GOP Vice-Chairman Brian Schimming, who monitored the demonstrations, what “was the most hateful thing that you heard or saw when you were down there today?”
Schimming said it was “Walker being compared to Hitler and Mussolini. The tone was definitely uglier today, Sean, down at the state Capitol.
“Those protesters may be frustrated, but I'll tell you – Governor Walker, his main aim here is to bring some fairness to taxpayers,” he said. “He ran to clean it up. It's what he is going to do. And they are being ugly about it. And I think that taxpayers will resent it.”
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