The president of the Council, Randy Radtke, decided not to invite any Republicans who "openly attacked worker's rights" or did not come to the defense of labor unions when their collective bargaining rights were revoked by the Wisconsin legislature earlier this year.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel quotes Radtke as saying "Usually they've been in the parade, but it seems like they only want to stand with us one day a year, and the other 364 days they don't really care." That might qualify as the understatement of the decade.This year saw Republicans go from simply not caring about labor rights to a full-on assault against labor unions in Wisconsin and across the nation.

"It should come as no surprise that organizers choose not to invite elected officials who have openly attacked worker's rights or stood idly by while their political party fought to strip public workers of their right to collectively bargain," Radtke is also quoted as saying.

The dis-invitees include state Senator Pam Galloway (R-Wausau), state Assembly Representative Jerry Petrowski (R-Marathon), and U.S. Representative Sean "I'm struggling on my $174,000 a year Congressional salary" Duffy.

Duffy's chief of staff responded to the notification that his boss was not welcome at the parade by telling a Wausau television station "Having walked in this parade in past years, Congressman Duffy was hoping that for a moment, we could set our differences aside and simply have some fun in a family-friendly event."

Yeah, Sean. Let's have some fun! Nothing is more fun than getting a 20% cut in take-home pay from your $28,000 a year public service job and deciding whether to drop health insurance or stop buying groceries. And nothing is friendlier than elected representatives calling Wisconsin's working families deadbeats and bottom-feeders, then telling them they can drop dead. That's just just good, clean, wholesome family fun, ain't it?

Good times. Good times.



Story is gaining traction and the right-wing heads are exploding. No need to reprint any of their commentary from the various news sites. It's the usual name-calling. They also don't seem to understand that it's a private, permitted function and the organizers can invite, or not invite, anyone they wish. Stay strong, Randy Radtke and the Marathon County Central Labor Council. You're doing the right thing keeping your Labor Day parade true to its purpose - celebrating Labor and remembering those who died defending the human right to organize and collectively bargain.