In an interview with CNSNews.com, Democratic Party of Wisconsin Press Secretary Graeme Zielinski said that Tate and the party “absolutely” condemn the inflammatory signs but says that they are not representative of the majority of the protesters who have taken to the streets in opposition to the Governor’s plan.
“This is absolutely not representative of what the protest is that’s out there,” said Zielinski. “Frankly it’s offensive to a lot of the protesters, average working men and women who are out here with their families peaceably demonstrating and exercising their first amendment rights.”
Shortly after the protests commenced, the state Republican Party released a video entitled “Rhetoric vs. Reality” in which rally attendees can be seen carrying signs that contain inflammatory messages -- including calls for the governor’s death.
The video also shows one Democratic lawmaker, state Sen. Lena Taylor (D-Milwaukee), comparing the governor’s proposals to actions taken by Hitler in the early 1930’s.
A caption beneath the video on the State GOP Web site reads: “Which side is engaging in uncivilized rhetoric?”Mark Jefferson, the executive director of the Republican Party of Wisconsin, told CNSNews.com Friday that the caption is a reference to Democratic calls for increased political civility and a toning down of the political rhetoric after the shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) in January.
He said the Wisconsin GOP released “Rhetoric vs. Reality” partially to combat misconceptions that evolved in the days following the Giffords shooting.
“There were a lot of conservatives around the nation who were upset about all of the talk coming out of Arizona about how it’s the Right that engages in hurtful rhetoric and like other conservatives around the country,” Jefferson said.
Jefferson also said that the signs that they have seen both inside the Capitol building and in the streets have led many to fear for the safety of the governor and Republican supporters of the legislation.
Tim Graham, director of media analysis for the Media Research Center the parent organization of CNSNews.com, praised the State Democratic Party for condemning the signs and agreed that those wielding them make up only a fraction of the protesters.
However, Graham also pointed to what he said was a double standard when it came to the media’s coverage of inflammatory behavior depending on which side of the political spectrum was involved.
“The big difference is that throughout the last couple of years with the Tea-Party movement the media and the Democrats made an enormous big deal out of the tenor of signs,” said Graham. “Whether they were Obama with a Hitler mustache or Obama in a Witch doctor outfit or violent imagery.”
“The real double standard here is that while the media was constantly harping on tea-party, they’re not harping on signs this time around. We’ve seen some of these signs going by in the stories but there’s no commentary on them. So you might see a sign saying “Hosni Walker” flash on your screen, but there’s nobody saying “extreme,” Graham told CNSNews.com.
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