In the end Governor Scott Walker resorted to the “nuclear option”, his critics say. Strong language for a procedural sleight of hand that let Republicans pass a law on union right without any Democrats in the room? Perhaps, but in terms of its impact on the national scene it was hardly an overstatement.
In Ohio, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan and Idaho, Republicans are manoeuvering to strip public sector unions of collective bargaining rights and with them, of political power. Wisconsin has been their test case and Governor Walker their standard-bearer.
The most conspicuous reaction so far has been the screams of protesters on Wednesday night. “You are cowards!” they yelled. “The world is watching!” Police had to escort Republican state senators out of the building, and they fought to keep the pro-union demonstrators out of the state capitol yesterday. Away from the cauldron of old-fashioned ideological ferment that Madison has become, however, Mr Walker has a powerful wind of change at his back.
Unions have reacted with such ferocity to his new law because it will force members to opt in to membership and the payment of dues each year, not opt out as current law requires. Union leaders fear that the rank and file will defect in droves.
Non-union states across the midwest have proved better at attracting new employers and investment than those with powerful public sector unions.
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President Obama needs the unions’ formidable financial backing as he seeks re-election, but more than anything he needs to be seen as being on the side of job creation.
This is why he has been largely mute on Wisconsin, but he has been watching carefully.