Intimidation Tactics

Frank Lasee points out this article from National Review (an excerpt):

A showdown is brewing in Nevada, where the AFL-CIO and state teachers unions have put some muscle behind an intimidation campaign against the Tax and Spending Control campaign. Reportedly paid by the hour, these "blockers" physically surrounded petitioners while shouting, screaming, and chasing away potential signers. The situation escalated last week, with petitioners reduced to pleading for a restraining order from a Nevada judge, who promptly ordered preschool-style rules "no touching, no yelling" to return order to the streets.

"Say you're an elderly woman and you want to sign a petition - you don't have a chance," says Bob Adney, who is leading the spending-cap campaign. "And if you're a guy who's 6'4" and 300 pounds, quite frankly, you might not have a chance either. These guys are surrounding petitioners eight to one at times, and they're not pulling punches."

What happens in Vegas, alas, doesn't always stay there. Our partners in Missouri, Montana, Michigan, and Oklahoma have faced similar intimidation tactics, often at the hands of local unions and, in particular, public-education unions. The goal is often to get petitioners kicked out of malls and other high-traffic areas, or even arrested - which is an interesting civics lesson indeed.

We saw some similar tactics during the 2004 election, right here in Wisconsin. Kinda makes you want to walk around with a petition, doesn't it?