15,000 union workers protest pension cuts by Democrat Maryland Governor, but where is the national media coverage?

Why does the national media portray union anger as only being against Republican governors?

In a March 16, 2010 campaign speech to state union leaders, California Gov. Jerry Brown urged them to "attack" his Republican opponent, warning that their election would spell big trouble for their members. What a difference a year makes: Last week, as he signed a bill that cuts $8.2 billion from the state's $27 billion deficit, mostly by slashing labor costs, Brown was also, according to the Associated Press, urging his former campaign allies to be open to the pension concessions being pushed by Republican state legislators. Those concessions will cost union members billions. Two weeks before that Brown told six state unions to expect pay cuts of up to 10 percent.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the country in an equally blue state, Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley faced 15,000 union workers massed a the state capitol in protest of O'Malley's own budget proposals, which will make only a modest dent in the $19 billion in unfunded pension liabilities and $16 billion in retiree health care. O'Malley plaintive defense at the rally was notable as much for its chutzpah as for its liberal parochialism: "You will not find in Maryland the sort of Midwestern oppression that you find in Ohio and Wisconsin!", he declared.

Midwestern oppression? How about Maryland and California duplicity? . . .

From the Baltimore Sun.

As Maryland lawmakers prepare to make decisions in the coming weeks on budget cuts and pension reform, thousands of union members on Monday marched on Annapolis to send a message.

The marchers were met by a counter-protest, organized by tea party activists, of several dozen taxpayers asking for deeper state budget cuts.

The union group was large enough to cut off traffic on downtown Annapolis streets, Chanting, "keep the promise" and "enough is enough," they decried efforts by Gov. Martin O'Malley and legislators to change employee contributions to their retirement plans, a move that would save the state an estimated $100 million next year.

The many teachers in the audience also spoke out against the governor's planned level-funding of K-12 schools. If the proposal is adopted by state lawmakers, Baltimore would receive $15 million less and Prince George’s County $16 million less than they were slated to receive next year under the state’s education funding formula.

One after another, state workers took the stage to tell their stories to an audience that organizers said reached about 15,000. . . .