Bush & Company

A fitting follow-up to Franklin Roosevelt's Social Security and Lyndon Johnson's Medicare was, in the chequered history of Collective Bargaining, its signing into law in 1983 by Governor Dick Celeste (D-OH), another outstandingly effective leader of liberal causes.

Republican determination to stamp out any vestiges of those Democrats and their social reforms has finally come to a head in Madison, WI, where powerful demonstrations are countering the efforts of Republican governor, Scott Walker, in the pay of billionnaires Charles and David Koch (Koch Industries, Inc., Wichita, KS) and others of their ilk, who will apparently stop at nothing to push the governor's devastating and misplaced budget cuts (euphemistic for union suppression) and eliminate Collective Bargaining which, if effected, will in domino style, weaken nationally social and public services and programs and public education and further diminish whatever control remains to the middle and working classes, over their economic lives.

President Obama has made recent statements clearly affirming his general displeasure with discriminatory actions against the unionized, but will forceful specifics be articulated soon on the steps of Wisconsin's capitol? Is he watching and waiting for the most politic timing? (Outwitting the opposition at the opportune moment is an Obama specialty.)

The defiant shout, "The jig is up!" to protestors by former Gov. Tim Polenty (R-MN) may well serve, ironically, as a rallying cry.

As of March 1st, it's become apparent that not only are most Democrats siding with the demonstrators, but many Republicans, as well. This battle that the governor picked to fight may be lost.

To paraphrase MSNBC journalist Chris Matthews, the winners will likely be those with the most at stake.

It all began in Cairo.

The revolutions have begun
And Madison is number one.
Unions are what it's all about
And GOPers choose to rout

Celeste, Franklin and LBJ,
A Midwest governor in the pay
Of billionaires who won't let up;
So will the president speak up---

(For he has promises to keep---
We know his sympathies run deep)
Or by his lights, think he must stay
A cool hand Luke, above the fray?