The 'cheeky' tourism video wooing 'fleebagger' Democrats
Liberal lawmakers on the run from tough anti-union votes really ought to visit Rockford, Ill., says an enterprising new marketing campaign

A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Thank you for signing up to TheWeek. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
The video: Wisconsin Democrats who have fled their state to avoid voting on Republican Gov. Scott Walker's anti-labor union bill have received a "cheeky" invitation to hide out in the town of Rockford, Ill. "Looking for someplace to hide?" asks the ad, produced by the town's tourism board. "Hide away in Rockford." Various members of the Rockford elite — including Mayor Lawrence J. Morrissey and Cheap Trick guitarist Rick Nielsen — make cameo appearances. An accompanying press release declares Rockford's locally-owned stores and markets to be a great please for "folks to do some collective bargaining."
The reaction: Well, "a pilgrimage to see where Cheap Trick was born was already on my bucket list," says Allahpundit at Hot Air. But if Rockford becomes a haven for "fleebagger" Democrats, it may well become a tourism gold mine for generations of "six-figure-income unionized public workers," too. When even tourist boards are humoring these cowardly state senators, says Moe Lane at RedState, it's proof the Democrats have "officially lost the public narrative." Time to go home and face the music. Here, Rockford's tongue-in-cheek "Hideaway" ad:
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.