Source:
The Nationby John Nichols
Tom Paine wrote at the toughest moment of the American revolutionary struggle: "These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman."
On Saturday, in Madison, Wisconsin, there was plenty to be thankful for.
Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, the paid spokeswoman for the tepid Tea Party movement, jetted into Madison, Wisconsin, for what was supposed to be a victory party. Unofficial returns released Friday for the state's highly-controversial Supreme Court race show the candidate of conservative Republican Governor Scott Walker leading his until-recently unknown challenger by a 50.2 to 49.8 margin prior to an anticipated recount. And, though implementation of Walker's anti-union agenda remains stymied by a court order, the governor is freshly returned from a star turn before a congressional committee in Washington where every effort was made to suggest that he had effectively overwhelmed the mass opposition that his proposals have inspired in Wisconsin.
That's not much in the way of good news for Walker, whose personal approval ratings have tanked, and whose Republican legislative allies now face recall elections that could cost the party control of the state Senate. But the spin doctors were ready to claim some kind of momentum.
All that was needed was a great big rally to seal the deal, or so Walker's allies and funders -- particularly the billionaire Koch Brothers, who paid for Saturday's event via their generous donations to the group Americans for Prosperity. And Palin was brought in to pull the crowd...
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http://www.thenation.com/blog/159983/winter-soldiers-outshine-sunshine-patriots-palins-madison-rally-overwhelmed-protest-crow
AWESOME ARTICLE !! Really wish I could post more than 4 paragraphs. THANK YOU, John Nichols - WaHOO!