Palin Leads Tea-Party Rally in Madison

By Monica Davey, The New York Times

17 April 11

t first, the prospect drew mildly worried looks from people on both sides of this state's giant political divide: Sarah Palin, the former Republican vice-presidential candidate, was to appear on the steps of this state's Capitol, the very place that has become a stage for demonstration after demonstration against Wisconsin's Republican-led efforts to cut collective bargaining rights.

What sort of tumult might this bring?

But there she was on Saturday afternoon, a throng of Tea Party supporters cheering her on and a throng of union supporters trying to shout them (and her) down. And in a way, it looked like just another day in Madison, a place already so polarized that even with the presence of Ms. Palin, a figure beloved and detested, people here seemed to go right on with the debate they had been having for months.

That was one more reminder of all the ways that the division over public workers, union rights and budget cuts has pervaded life here since February - splitting friendships, affecting a nonpartisan Supreme Court race, setting off an unprecedented flurry of legislative recall efforts of both Democrats and Republicans, and even seeping into discussions about a local bratwurst festival.

Still, Ms. Palin's appearance offered one early hint at Wisconsin's rising significance in the presidential race ahead. The place has long been a battleground, politically divided, but what seems clear here now is that voters are especially energized, and that offers tantalizing prospects - on both sides.

"Madison, these are the front lines in the battle for the future of our country," Ms. Palin told the crowd. "This is where the line has been drawn in the sand, and I am proud to stand with you today in solidarity."

Later she added, "The 2012 election begins here."

Ms. Palin weighed in on the particulars of the collective bargaining rights legislation, which was passed by the State Legislature last month but has yet to go into effect because it is tied up by legal challenges. She slammed demonstrators who had occupied the Capitol in protest, and praised Gov. Scott Walker, the Republican who championed the collective bargaining rights cuts, as ultimately trying to preserve workers' pensions.

"He understands that states must be solvent in order to keep their promises, and that's what he's trying to do," she said of Mr. Walker. "He's not trying to hurt union members. Hey folks, he's trying to save your jobs and your pensions."

Though his office sits a short distance from where Ms. Palin stood and although he has received strong support from Tea Party groups, Mr. Walker did not appear at Saturday's rally. A spokesman from his office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Away from the stage, the passionate arguments went right on, each side claiming the upper hand, the larger crowd, the right side of history. The police estimated a crowd - at its highest point - of about 6,500 people, though it was uncertain how many of those were Tea Party supporters and how many were there to protest. Either way, the figure was far smaller than the tens of thousands of demonstrators that had been reported around the Capitol on several days in recent months.

Tea Party supporters carried signs praising Mr. Walker, some even suggesting a Palin-Walker ticket for the White House in 2012. They collected signatures to try to recall a local Senate Democrat, one of 14 who had disappeared to Illinois for weeks in order to try to prevent a vote.

"I was frustrated at all that's gone on in this town, and this is a chance to see a different side," said Doug Willoughby, who said he works three jobs to make ends meet but still feels financially strained. He waited several hours as snow fell to see Ms. Palin.

Farther from the stage, union supporters shouted chants calling for Mr. Walker's recall. As Tea Party supporters walked past, they called out: "Shame! Shame! Shame!" People on both sides argued, in small one-on-one clusters, as they had at another rally weeks ago attended by both sides.

"The thing is, Wisconsin people are hardheaded, and whether Sarah Palin comes out for their side or not, we'll come here week after week." said Patrick Doyle, a university custodian who found himself in a heated debate with a Tea Party supporter. As if this battle were part of the usual scenery around the Capitol's periphery, a farmer's market proceeded; going quick: pansies, cheese curds, rainbow trout.