"Much of the early writing was how Democrats and unions were going to get steamrolled. it was inevitable and yet another loss for Democrats. It doesn't look quite like that today.
AP/Houston Chronicle:Wis. Dems not deterred by recall threat, pay issue
National Journal: Bait and Switch? Walker's budget plans don't fix what he says is the crisis.
WQOW/ABC: Phoney call reveals Governor Walker's strategy
Andrew Sullivan: The Pwning Of Scott Walker
Fox News: Indiana Republicans Won't Revive Anti-Union Bill
LA Times: No repeat of Wisconsin labor fight in Pennsylvania, Corbett says
TPMDC: Florida Governor Rick Scott Gives Thumbs Up To Public Worker Organizing
Columbus Dispatch: [Ohio] Senate Republicans say they will not eliminate collective bargaining
WaPo: Unions plan Sat. protests in every state capital
Yahoo: Could Wisconsin controversy boost teachers’ unions?
Ezra Klein: How long can Scott Walker hold out?
NY Times/The Caucus: The Caucus: Republican Governors Split on Collective Bargaining
While both sides inevitably will say "we are winning", that Ian Murphy phoney phone call was evening news stuff, carried in prime time across the country.
And for those who still want to pretend that union-busting is the same as budget balancing, there's this, posted on Minnesota Public Radio:
"As a state economist and policy analyst, I was surprised that no one asked me about this proposal. I analyzed it for its economic impact. If public employee salaries are cut (through increased withholdings as proposed) by enough to fill the $137 million budget gap, the resulting drop in consumer spending will lead to: 1) a loss of over 1,200 nongovernment jobs; 2) a loss of about $100 million in business sales statewide; 3) a loss of nearly $35 million in personal incomes of nongovernment employee households; 4) ironically, a loss of nearly $10 million in state tax revenues." -- Robert Russell, economist and analyst, Madison.
Take a tip from the headlines: Walker isn't guaranteed a win, and Republican insistence that they have the upper hand is simply part of the GOP playbook: never admit weakness in public, even when you are losing ground."
