Pathetic: Dick Durbin Circulates Petition Supporting "Brave" Delinquent Wisconsin Democrats

Guy --

An assault on unions anywhere is an assault on working families everywhere.

Wisconsin's tea party-backed governor, Scott Walker, has launched an ideological crusade against his own citizens' collective bargaining rights. He's using the pretense of a state budget deficit to curb the rights of teachers and other public employees in his state to unionize -- rights we've recognized here in America for over 80 years to assure better working conditions and fairer compensation for all workers.

Fourteen brave Democratic state senators -- backed by tens of thousands of ordinary citizens protesting outside the state Capitol -- are boycotting a vote on the governor's plan. We're counting on these 14 state senators to prevent the most serious setback America's labor movement could ever face.

I want them to know working families in Illinois and across the country welcome the "Wisconsin 14's" boycott and stand with them, every step of the way.

Sign my petition to show the "Wisconsin 14" we support their boycott and encourage them to continue standing strong to protect the rights of American workers.

Governor Walker is not setting out to fix his state's budget. After all, he just enacted a sweeping tax cut that will make Wisconsin's deficit worse.

No, at the behest of his big corporate backers, he's setting out to break unions, clear and simple. Why else would he refuse to even sit down with teachers and state employees and work out a fair compromise -- when union leaders have signaled that they are open to temporary wage and benefit concessions?

It's because this whole debate is about who holds political power -- the corporations or the people -- and not budget deals.

In the wake of the Citizens United decision granting moneyed interests unprecedented power over ordinary citizens, the current showdown in Wisconsin marks a watershed moment in American history. If we lose this fight, Republican leaders throughout the country will move forward with their own plans to bust unions and further undermine the power of American workers to earn a decent living.

That's why we must all rally behind the thousands of Wisconsinites protesting in the streets of Madison -- and the 14 Democratic state senators who refuse to entertain a rollback of workers' collective right to speak for themselves. These legislators are workers' last line of defense, and it's crucial we show them our support.

Thank you for joining me in publicly supporting the "Wisconsin 14" and their courageous boycott on behalf of every American worker.

In solidarity,

Dick Durbin
U.S. Senator