Speaking to a crowd of union members and supporters packing the rotunda of the Minnesota State Capitol, DFL Governor Mark Dayton proclaimed, "We don't need to be Wisconsin because their extreme measures won't become law here because I'm here."
At a Solidarity Rally in support of Wisconsin workers held today in the rotunda of the State Capitol, Governor Dayton reminded the energized attendees that disruption and extreme measures would not be necessary to combat the kind of anti-labor legislation being proposed by Republicans in Wisconsin and Minnesota because they "won't become law here because I'm here." The implication of his statement was clearly that he would veto any such laws that the Republican legislature managed to pass and this resulted in an uproar of approval from the crowd of 1 to 2 thousand that filled the first floor of the rotunda, the second floor with its circular balcony and the four third floor balconies as well. His committment to exercise such a veto is without doubt but it's not clear what he alone could do about a Republican proposal to amend the state Constitution to make Minnesota a "right to work" (read right to fire) state. Such an amendment would be put on the ballot for voters to decide.
I see that one State Senator, Dave Thompson (R-Lakeville), has already expressed his disapproval of Dayton's rally appearance by proclaiming,
“I’m disappointed that Gov. Mark Dayton decided to attend a rally focused on the budget battles in Wisconsin. Gov. Dayton said in his State of the State Address that Minnesota is in a ‘fiscal crisis,’ yet rather than spending his time working with legislative leaders on solutions to Minnesota’s ‘crisis,’ he’s involving himself in the budget battle in Wisconsin. He has chosen to support Wisconsin teachers who are feigning illness and deserting their students in order to attend partisan political rallies."
Aside from the usual hypocrisy of reserving partisanship for themselves, it's illuminating that the state Republicans' greatest achievement so far is the progress they've made on their
Cheeseburger Bill. This bill would prevent people from suing fast food chains and other food companies for making them overweight. No kidding. The state's in debt and people are crying out for jobs, jobs, jobs. The Republicans are working hard to represent their real constituency while whining about the disenfranchised being "partisan."
But I digress. The rally kicked off with a couple of old Labor movement standards, Solidarity Forever and This Land Is Your Land. And a marvelous meditation on our collective purpose it was, as the ode to solidarity reminded us that
Is there aught we hold in common with the greedy parasite,
Who would lash us into serfdom and would crush us with his might?
Is there anything left to us but to organize and fight?
For the union makes us strong.
Speakers followed Dayton's appearance and represented teachers, nurses, fire fighters, and state workers. Their words were punctuated with cheers or, when called for, jeers from the audience. The decibel level was at times amazing and one of the loudest responses followed the reminder of the role that Wall St. bankers had played in wrecking things. I guess the Tea Party doesn't have a monopoly on Populist anger.
The crowd was unsurprisingly diverse, unlike those astroturf Tea Party affairs. There were young and old, suits and Carhartts, short and long hair, beards and clean shaven, white, black and brown. Like the faces we've seen in Madison, these displayed a balance of serious intent and good humor. No rioting. No violence. Tremendous energy and determination.
After the rally I had a chance to talk with a good friend of mine who is a respected student of labor history and an astute activist. He bouyed my cautious hopefulness by reiterating the phrase that's been used over and over to describe what's begun in Wisconsin. He smiled as he confirmed that something large has been awakened, much to the surprise of the Ruling Class and the Working Class alike. Recently I'd suggested to him that there was more and more unabashed talk of Class Warfare appearing in unexpected places from unusual sources. Perhaps we've encountered the perfect storm of overreaching greed, assault on our dignity and means of material sustenance, and the vivifying experience of real collective action. Once we get a taste of solidarity it's going to be very difficult to put us all back into our individual boxes.