50 state capitals, 50 rallies

Thanks to the organizing efforts of MoveOn.org and unions, environmental, and other progressive groups, today saw solidarity rallies in every state capital in the country. The one in St. Paul, MN was impressive: over 1,000 people turned out despite blowing snow and “feels like -7” temperatures. While the messaging at this hour-long event wasn’t as tight as on Tuesday’s event, the spirit and the energy were similar, particularly during a rousing keynote speech from Rep. Keith Ellison.

Once more I have little to add of substance aside from photos, which are after the jump, and a few more good reads:

• My friend Paul Adler at Brandeis University’s activist blog: Why Those Who Care For Justice, Must Care About Unions
• Paul’s analysis of his trip to Madison for Dissent magazine, Homage to Madison
• Joseph McCartin in The New Republic: What’s Really Going On in Wisconsin?
• Forbes magazine weighs in with a surprising angle: The Wisconsin Lie Exposed
• Huffington Post on Are These Workers Overpaid?

This last piece is a great read:

David Rhode is a paramedic in Middleton, Wis. He works 56 hours a week, mostly in 24-hour shifts, frequently carrying wheezy patients up and down flights of stairs. He said he earns about $43,000 a year.

HuffPost asked Rhode, 36, how it feels to be overpaid. His eyebrows went up.

“I drove my Ford Focus here,” he said. “I live in a 950-square-foot condominium!”

Photos from today’s rally in St. Paul after the jump.

Solidarity rally in St. Paul

Over a thousand people packed the Minnesota State Capitol rotunda this afternoon, rallying in support of public employees in Wisconsin. It was a remarkably well-organized event, bolstered by a speech from Gov. Mark Dayton and the presence of Reps. Keith Ellison and Tim Walz. I have little of substance to say in addition to what we’ve written earlier on this blog, other than this: an optimistic reading of the past week’s events might be that Scott Walker has singlehandedly done what the Democrats, and Obama in particular, have failed to do over the past two years: re-energize progressive America. Even more, as Greg Sargent sort of argues, Walker may have inadvertently shifted the debate about labor unions such that the dominant discourse is no longer how terrible and corrupt and special-interest-like they are, but how they are a broadly accepted and necessary part of American democracy.

These are perhaps overly optimistic interpretations of recent events, but if Walker has truly overreached, there may well be nontrivial consequences. If nothing else, Walker’s actions have enabled things like Nelson Lichtenstein getting to write a Politico op-ed titled “Why everyone needs unions.” That these messages are getting such prominent airtime is potentially reason for hope.

A few more photos from today’s solidarity rally, after the jump.