By Ricardo Torres | For Wisconsin Reporter

WAUWATOSA — In spite of the bite of a cold Wisconsin January afternoon, supporters of Gov. Scott Walker turned out en masse at Hart Park here to rally the Republican troops in the shadow of a massive campaign targeting the embattled governor, his lieutenant and four GOP senators.

Some of the biggest names among Wisconsin Republicans showed up to offer their support at the “Celebrate Walker” rally, including former Gov. Tommy Thompson and former U.S. Rep. Mark Neumann, his opponent in Wisconsin’s U.S. Senate race. The bitter rivals seemed to put aside their differences Saturday long enough for the Republican cause.

Some pro-recall demonstrators turned out, too, leading to a few verbal clashes but “few problems” and no arrests, according to Wauwatosa police.

A crowd estimated at more than 2,000, according to police, attended the event, virtually held in the governor’s backyard in the city he and his family call home.

The event, which brought out Walker supporters from around the state, took place five days after the Democratic Party of Wisconsin and liberal political action committee United Wisconsin turned in about 1.9 million recall signatures, by the party’s count — including more than 1 million in the effort against the governor.

For conservatives who have felt their voices drowned out by the anti-Walker protest movement during the past year, Saturday was a time to shine.

“We are moving Wisconsin forward,” said state Sen. Sen. Leah Vukmir, R-Wauwatosa, to a roaring crowd of Walker backers.

Vukmir led the rally, organized in part by the Wauwatosa branch of the Republican Party of Milwaukee County.

“Today we gather to strengthen our resolve and to ready for the battle that lies ahead of us. And make no mistake about it folks, we have a battle a head of us. We must prevail.”

Walker and the GOP-controlled Legislature last year earned the ire of Democrats and organized labor with the passage of Act 10, the law that ended collective bargaining for most public employees in the state.

Tens of thousands of protesters in February and March 2011 rallied and railed  the legislation at the state Capitol in Madison. Fourteen Senate Democrats fled the state to delay a final floor vote, which was eventually passage by Republicans. A legal battle played out in the state’s Supreme Court before Act 10 became the law of the land in Wisconsin.

Many of Wisconsin’s public school teachers have decried as Draconian the GOP-led budget reforms, which filled a $3.6 billion budget shortfall but came with deep cuts to state programs, including public education. The budget demanded public employees pay more for their insurance and pensions.

Paul Javins, a school teacher for Milwaukee Public Schools and a Walker supporter, said he hasn’t been treated well by fellow teachers in recent months  —  one of the reasons he came out to show his support for the governor.

He said he has been called Hitler, Satan, and has been told by fellow educators to quit.

“I don’t necessarily believe in everything (Walker's) done, but we had to balance our budget,” Javins said.

“I get paid health insurance, I get paid life insurance, I get paid everything, and I think it’s time for us to start paying a little bit of our own.”

Daryn La Belle, a former employee with the state Department of Veterans Affairs, said the governor is doing a good job.

“I didn’t agree with the way unions have been running things then, I think it has only gotten worse with the attitude they have towards things,” La Belle said. “I’d rather pay 12 percent for my benefits than have no job at all.”

Walker was not in attendance, but Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, herself in the recall line of fire, was on scene for the rally.

“It is our turn to lift our voices and organize behind our leader who has the vision to restore Wisconsin to her rightful place as a national jewel,” Kleefisch told the crowd. “If you are here today it is because you have had it with people shouting about how terrible our state is.”

Thompson pumped up the crowd, hitting Democrats hard, particularly Wisconsin’s Democratic neighbors to the south.

“You elect a governor to lead, not rearrange the debt chairs and go to Illinois,” he said. “You stay in Wisconsin and you do your job.”

Walker's wife, Tonette, passed along a message from the governor.

"He wanted me to remind you that the reforms are working," she told participants, to a chorus of "Yes they are!"

"We know they're working because the schools are saving money … because the working climate is better now than a year ago," the governor's wife said.

Also firing up the crowd, Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald, R-Horicon, who, like Thompson and Neumann, is seeking the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by longtime Democratic Sen. Herb Kohl. Fitzgerald guided Walker's agenda through the GOP-dominated Assembly. 

And state Sens. Alberta Darling, R-River Hills, and Van Wanggaard, R-Racine, also the target of a recall campaign in the 2011 summer recall, addressed the rally.

A chorus of “Walker!” chants punctuated the speeches of Walker supporters and other key Republicans.

During one speech, a few anti-Walker protesters infiltrated the crowd and stood in the front with signs and chanting “recall Walker.” They were quickly surrounded by Walker supporters yelling “shame, shame, shame,” with fingers pointed in their face.

Steven Shey said he and an army of Walker opponents across the state want the governor and his supporters to know their voices won’t be silenced.

“(Walker) is destroying the middle class in Wisconsin so he can pay the out-of-state billionaires that funded his campaign,” he said.

Shey countered he’s heard plenty of heated rhetoric and name-calling from Walker supporters over the year.

“They use four-letter words and call me an idiot, things like that,” he said.

Despite a few heated exchanges, Lt. Jim Mastrocola of the Wauwatosa Police Department, told Wisconsin Reporter that most in attendance  —  on both sides of the argument  —  were respectful of different political positions.

He said there were no arrests, but Walker rally organizers, who rented a portion of the park, did escort a few demonstrators out of the area when they became disruptive. Anti-Walker demonstrators were located some 200 yards from the rally.

“There are always some stragglers on both sides that give us the hardest time,” the police lieutenant said. “One guy will get loud and boisterous and that will attract his equal on the other side, and basically they drown each other out.”