Don't you feel bad for those poor widdle union folks who appear to be well on the way to getting their asses kicked in Wisconsin?
No? Me neither.
Here they are whining about the fact that Democrats and the White House let them down:
…“I’m very disappointed that the DNC has not seen fit to make a dollar investment,” Schaitberger said. “When you’re facing $25 million or more in super-PAC funds, you need money. The campaign needed funds to get up on the air to fight back. … I think that would have been a good investment going into November.” …
When asked about national Democrats’ support in the recall election, another union official scoffed.
“Labor has always been there for the national Democratic Party. The national Democratic Party should be there for labor in this instance. They’re not,” he said.
And now, just like the adolescents they are, they are warning they are going to get their toys and run home to Mommy:
A Democratic strategist working for anti-Walker forces warned that union members would be less enthusiastic about working for Obama if he doesn’t step up for them.
“It won’t go unnoticed by labor the extent to which the White House ultimately decides to fight or not fight for working people the final critical days in Wisconsin,” he said. “The White House needs to move beyond being afraid of its own shadow. The Romney campaign has already been foaming at the mouth to pounce if Walker survives. If that isn’t motivation enough for the White House to start doing everything it can to help defeat Scott Walker, it’s hard to know what is.”
Yeah yeah. We all know the unions will go over the cliff with the Democrats. The rank and file may not like it but the leadership will force them to.
See author page
In many unions the leadership dont reflect the views of the membership.
@jeff: Was that “many” or most?
Why should anyone feel bad for hard working men and women who are standing up together against a Koch Brothers-funded tool like Scott Walker? Even if they lose, they will have fought a good fight.
The people I feel sorry for are the average working men and women who haven’t yet figured out what the GOP agenda will actually do to them.
@Greg:
Oh please, Greg! The average working men and women? They already know what Obama and his agenda will do to them. From not being able to take those vacations they did in the past, to scraping by enough to even make it to work due to high gas prices, to eating less and less of the more costly foods at the grocery store, to eating out less and less, to not being able to engage in pasttimes, such as golf, as much as they used to, to the reduction of many other things that they did, or engaged in, before.
Go ahead, though, Greg, and tell us what the GOP agenda will do to the average working man or woman. I’m sure that we are all highly interested in your thoughts on this.
@johngalt, #4:
What do reduced wages, reduced employee benefits, reduced unemployment protection, and Social Security and Medicare cuts eventually add up to for the average working American? Would all of those things not be the logical outcome of the current republican agenda?
If you’re going to cut high-end tax rates yet again and cut capital gains tax rates on top of that, and if you don’t plan to significantly cut military spending, how do you intend to balance the budget without drastically reducing social spending? (This is a trick question. Republicans have ranted about balancing the budget every damn election since 1980, claiming that this can somehow be magically accomplished by reducing high-end tax rates. Once elected, they’ve never done anything but run the national debt much higher–always blaming that result on democrats after they’re voted back out. With 12 consecutive years of republican Congressional majorities– 6 with George W in the White House–they still blame democrats for debt that rose like a skyrocket, and for the economic train wreck that preceded the current President’s election.)
Can a majority of average Americans be convinced yet again that further concentration of income and wealth at the top will somehow make the lives of the bottom 80% better? That republicans won’t just put billions more into the pockets of the wealthiest, paying for it once again with increased public debt, but this time scrapping 75 years of social programs average Americans depend on as a bonus?
I guess we’ll find out in November.
yes sure the UNIONS FEEL UNSECURE TO BE LEFT WITHOUT OBAMA
TO AGREE ON THEIR CHOICE OF GOVERNOR,
OBAMA IS JUST WAITING TO SEE WHO IS ON TOP, AND
HE CANNOT AFFORD TO SHOW HIS SUPPORT TO UNIONS NOW,
BUT WE KNOW HE DOES BUT NOT IN ELECTION TIME WHERE HE MUST SHOW HE IS FOR EVERYBODY,
AND HE TAKE THE UNIONS FOR GRANTED HE HAS THEM ALREADY IN HIS POCKET, IN HIS AGENCIES,
IN HIS GUARDS, IN HIS KITCHEN, IN HIS SUB AGENCY, IN HIS CUPBOARD, IN HIS…..
IN HIS MONEY COLLECTER BIG ARMS, IN HIS….ALL OVER THE GOVERNMENT ON THE POCKETS
OF THE TAX PAYERS MONEY, MY IT’S EXPANSIVE WITH ALL THE BENEFITS ALL PAID VACATIONS
EVERY THING THE TAX PAYERS CANNOT AFFORD,
SO WHY SHOULD HE SUPPORT THEM NOW? THOSE ARE HIS BROTHERS.
Within this week Scott Walker pulled out ahead from tied a few weeks ago to an 8 point lead on Monday and now a 12 point lead.
Maybe the DNC knows better than to throw good money after bad.
Walker’s record is a huge success.
I’m sure he is reaping the benefits of that.
Actually, many unions are stepping back from their support of Obama.
So, maybe this is payback.
@Greg:
You are confusing “corporate cronyism”, of which even Obama dabbles in, as being equivalent to conservatism. Why do you think the TEA party was even formed? It wasn’t, despite the belief to the contrary, as an opposition to Obama specifically. No, it was in response to the federal government increasing spending destructively, no matter who was in charge.
Tell me, Greg, has there ever been a tax cut with little to no increase in the spending? No, never happened. Spending is why the federal government is financially in trouble, not tax policy. That you believe, somehow, that raising tax rates on the “rich” will magically cure the ills is amusing, and downright scary, assuming there are millions who believe as you do. You are like the guy who is overweight, smokes, drinks heavily, with a high stress job deciding that adding a walk around the block, with no other life changes, will curb or eliminate his risk of heart attack or other health hazards.
Greg – Vlad Lenin says you are very useful.
@Angel Artiste, #9:
What did you do, channel him with your Magic 8 Ball?
First of all, there is no need for government employees to belong to a union. They are civil servants and have representation. Second, a union for government employees should not be holding tax payers hostage. Walker made the civil service employees contribute to their retirement an amount equal to those employees working in the private sector. He made the union employee benefits and contributions more equal to the people who pay for their services.
The major savings were that the union could not dictate which health care plan was selected by various government organizations. The union had always selected their plan which kicked back large amounts to the union itself. Walker’s efforts allowed WI to avoid a fiscal crisis without the usual liberal solution of raising taxes.
The union vs. Walker has nothing to do with protecting “hard working Americans”. It has to do with pure power. The power should lie with the people who fund the services employees perform rather than some union boss. Maybe if the union spent the dues they collect in supporting their members instead of blowing it on trying to keep their power, then maybe the public would have more sympathy.
If you live here like I do and really had not paid much attention to public sector unions but did so after last years protests, you would be astounded at the work place rules and benefits some of these people enjoy at taxpayer expense.
One school district tried to change teachers contracted work days from 182 days a year to 188, the uproar was unbelievable. I was thinking to myself, 188 days, really? You’re coming uncorked because you might have to work a whole 188 days a year? Yeah, well my sympathy for your plight just went out the window.
Another one of my favorites was that for public sector unions in Madison, one of the groups no longer got paid overtime for overtime hours “scheduled”…Think about that. They were getting paid overtime for hours they did not work at taxpapyer expense but apparently this was a huge injustice to that union and its members. Yeah, once again there goes my sympathy out the freakin window….
Do I agree with Scott Walkers approach to the problem of public sector unions? Not exactly, when you’re trying to eat an elephant you usually try to do it one bite at a time but he went for the whole enchilada. It was bound to cause an uproar in our state but when everybody talks about a divided state many will agree that the endless recalls are what put the final nail in the coffin. There is no going back now.
On the other hand I do understand what he did and why he did it and I do support the man. It was an issue for taxpayers that had been kicked down the road long enough. I do know that if you get away from Madison you will see lots of support for our Governer out there so I wouldn’t not judge Scott Walkers policies and law changes by the liberal lunacy that comes out of Madison.
I am really hoping that once this is behind us on June 5th that we become a right to work state. Personally that is how I would have approached this problem to begin with but everybody has their own ideas.
Last night at a sports bar we were having a burger and a beer and a guy walked past us and had the Wisconsin blue fist tattoed on his arm…I think he is going to feel pretty stupid once Walker is elected again and nothing really changes other than we pissed away a bunch of my tax dollars on a bunch of recall elections.
Bobacheck
hi,
WALKER HAS THE ADMIRATION OF THE SMART WISCONSIN NON UNIONIZE PEOPLE
AND HE IS BEING ADMIRE BY OTHER STATES FOR HAVING THE GUTS TO STAND UP AND SAY TO THE UNIONS, HEY THE OTHER PEOPLE ARE PAYING FOR YOU TO ABUSE, AND
YOU ALL FORGOT THAT I AM THE ONE WHO REPRESENT THEM,
THAT IS A PERSON WHO IS WORTHY OF BEING ELECTED ON THE TOP JOB, BECAUSE HE WON’T LET ANY ONE ELSE DICTATE THE RIGHT WAY HE HAS BEEN PUT IN CHARGE TO FIX,
AND HE IS LIVING TO HIS PROMISES,
AS OPPOSE TO OBAMA SHOUTING ALL OVER HIS EMPTY PROMISES TO THE PEOPLE,
WHILE NOT SHOWING THE GUTS OR THE KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITY, TO DELIVER ANYTHING EXCEPT A LOT OF WORDS,
IF ONE ADMIRE SUCH A PERSON, THEY JUST ADMIRE HIM FOR WHAT IS APPEALING TO THEM ON HIS OUTSIDE LOOK NOTHING ELSE,
HOW CAN YOU DEFEND THE FAILURE WITH ONLY THE SUPERFICIAL LOOK YOU SEE,
AND FORGET FAILURES OF HIS TERM IN POWER, HE WOULD FIT IN HOLLYWOOD FANTASY WORLD, WHERE NOTHING IS REAL, NOT AS A PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
PUT HIM WHERE HE BELONG AND CONTINUE TO ADMIRE HIM IF THAT’S THE ONLY THING DESIRED, BUT THE HIGHEST JOB IS MADE FOR THE RIGHT LEADER
@Greg:
Scott Walker has never received a single penny–not one–from any Koch-related entity or person. You Democrats are just like your GodLover aren’t you–literally pathological liars, every single one….
If one more idiot equates ‘unions’ with ‘labor’, I’m going to puke. At best, unions make up less than 18% of labor. What are the remaining 82%, chopped liver?
No, unions have created the largest ‘unfunded liability’ in the country, $100 trillion and growing. But who is expected to “fulfill” these contract obligations? You got it, non-union taxpayers. So don’t cry to me about your inability to further your pre-planned bankruptcy of America. Jackasses
@Buck Bradley, #14:
Most recently Walker has received an estimated $1.3 million from Koch Summit attendees for his recall campaign war chest. Technically that would not be Koch brothers money, of course, since they only sponsor the private annual event and pass around the hat. (A very big hat, apparently.)
From the linked article:
You won’t see the Koch name on Walker’s campaign filings because they provide their own financial assistance to Walker through a 501(c)(3), the Koch-founded Americans for Prosperity Foundation. The 501(c)(3) organizations have the double advantage of hiding the sources of funds, and of being tax exempt as “charities.” So, Walker has received the benefit of another $700,000 in anonymous “charity” donations.
If you want to believe that no money is actually coming from the Koch brothers, who have personally donated an estimated total of over $85 million to further the right wing agenda, go right ahead. To me that seems like a very questionable belief.
If you want to believe that their donations have been made to further the best interests of middle class and working class Americans, that’s also up to you. My own belief is that they don’t care any more about middle and working class Americans than they do about Chinese laborers.
All told, Walker has outspent his recall opponent 3 to 1. Even with that flood of special interest cash behind him, Walker still has only a narrow lead.
Oh no, Scott’s raised and spent more than his opponent…
Wait a second… That sounds like Obama’s Super PAC…
Get over yourself, those evil little Koch Brothers you rail against like a little tool have funded far more money to various Democrats (including Bill Clinton and Barney Frank) in the 1990’s. You’re being used, and you don’t even know it.
And frankly you’re making an assault on Scott’s campaign budget but you turn a blind eye to Obama’s larger campaign fund against Romeny? Hypocritical much?
Mr. Irons
GREG doesn’t like the KOSH BROTHERS, BECAUSE THEY GIVE TO THEIR OWN CHOICE,
HE WANT TO SEE THEM GIVE TO OBAMA ONLY, AND LIKE HIM SUPPRESS THEIR FREEDOM
IN THIS AMERICA, CAN YOU IMAGINE HOW BAD IT HAS BECOME,
HOPE THE PEOPLE NOTICE THIS AGAIN AND ADD IT TO THEIR NOTE BOOK
FOR HELPING THEM ON THEIR VOTE COMING SOON
@Mr. Irons, #17:
The Koch Brothers raised $100 million in pledges to defeat Obama at their private 3-day California retreat this past February. Charlie personally pledged $40 million; brother David personally pledged $20 million.
I’m sending the Obama campaign a check for fifty bucks. He’s got that and my vote. I suppose it will take my fifty bucks and fifty bucks each from 1.2 million like-minded people just to offset 2 Koch brothers. I don’t feel the least bit hypocritical.
GREG
you can risk your own neck, but you cannot risk destroying AMERICA,
UNLESS YOU DON’T GIVE A SHIT ABOUT YOUR COUNTRY WHICH GAVE YOU THE FREEDOM TO ABUSE HER, TO LET HER DOWN WHEN THE SIGNS SHE IS SENDING OF GREAT DANGERS COMING,
UNLESS THE PEOPLE LISTEN TO THE MANY MESSAGES RINGING IN ALL AMERICA,
Greg, you come here to insult so I will insult. You’re a moron.
johngalt@4 and…8 Bravo Johngalt!! clap! clap! clap! – You are on a roll tonite my friend….
This is especially good in describing the Tea Party:
“No, it was in response to the federal government increasing spending destructively, no matter who was in charge.”
I say everyone just shut the heck up about who’s fault [this crisis] it is and get down to the business of FIXING the problem…worry about all the other “initiatives” later… those things are not top priority right now…we need to literally get our fiscal house in order FIRST…
why does many in Congress, in the White House and many of those who are “connected” politically in every state not understand this?!?….How come it is only the smart / intelligent Americans across this great country who actually ‘get this’ ???
Unions are for incompetent people who cannot hold down a job without the union. And those that can, are getting dragged down with those who can’t….much in the same way competent Americans are getting dragged down with the [corrupt] incompetent in the White House.
Didn’t Obama warn the dems who were running for election and even for re-election that he was keeping all the money?
Seems Obama doesn’t really believe all that “spreading the wealth around” garbage….when he’s considered the one w/the wealth.
A lot of cities are sending invoices to him and his ObamaForAmerica group when he breezes into town, fundraisers, then breezes out without so much as a thank you to the city picking up the tab for his security.
Here’s CA’s Newport Beach invoice for $35,000:
http://cbsla.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/obama-invoice.pdf
Obama stopped in for breakfast and left with a few million in donations!
@Nan G:
That is typical of elitist prigs like the ones that populate socialist movements and governments. To them, words are just words that are only issued as pacification to the masses. “Spreading the wealth” only means what they take from others and pass around, not what they, themselves, have.
To Greg, though, that kind of behaviour is ‘earned’ by those elites, as a “thank you” for their service. To him, the only ones to rail against are the people like the Koch brothers, who give money to conservative, or right-leaning campaigns and causes. Never mind the union elite, who use union member dues, instead of their own money, to give to politicians who lean left. That is ok in his book, because according to him, by his numerous and varied comments on the subject, only union members make up the “working men and women” of the country, and they need their representation too, especially the public service union members.
Obama is used to the “Chicago way,” where the unions get what they want. Illinois has accepted that idea. Once he got out into the “real world,” he found out that most Americans don’t like being TOLD what to do by unions or politicians. He found out that most of the USA doesn’t like the occupy movement, especially when the citizens find out how much it is costing their city to patrol and clean up after them. Maybe the citizens will FINALLY figure out how much the liberals are costing the nation.
Smorgasbord
hi,
HE is the PRESIDENT OF THE UNIONS OF ALL OVER THE WORLD, THAT IS WHAT HE WANT, EVEN IF SOME GO ON A DIFFERENT NAME
THEY ARE ALL THE BROTHERS
AND LET THE REST FIND THEIR OWN PRESIDENT, NOW THAT IT’S OBVIOUS TO SEE.
@ilovebeeswarzone: #26
Obama won’t be happy until he is crowned king.
What power does any individual worker have in Washington that effectively counterbalances the money and power that’s constantly being applied to further collective corporate interests? If you take away trade unions and the Democratic Party, what’s left to represent the interests of the common man?
Maybe you’ve forgotten this:
Unions can spend to further political causes, same as corporations. That creates a certain balance. Assuming, of course, that unions aren’t legislatively disempowered.
@Greg:
Your disconnect from reality is simply stunning, Greg!
Please tell us how the trade unions and the Democratic party represent the interests of the common man. Does that happen as Obama is holding his tens of thousands of dollars per plate fundraisers? Does it happen as union leadership holds their Miami or Las Vegas “conferences”, to which none of the common man union management is invited? Maybe it’s when the Democratic party is giving away billions to “green energy” scams like Solyndra? No, no, I know. It’s when Obama is playing his rounds of golf with elite liberal/progressives from the union management or Democratic party.
Funny thing, Greg. Before McCain-Feingold, corporations never had limits either to the amount spent as your quoted portion states. Before McCain-Feingold, there never was a need for corporations to spend the money they are now. McCain-Feingold was what changed the game, Greg, by limiting free speech in one of the most important areas the Amendment was designed for. You have no problem limiting political speech when it’s in opposition to your failed worldview, do you? And that is exactly what McCain-Feingold did, and the correction that happened, Citizens United, went against the liberal/progressive idea of limiting freedom of speech, and you don’t like it.
Too bad. You liberal/progressives made the bed when you first supported campaign finance reform in the form of McCain-Feingold, now sleep in it!
From one of the left’s greatest heroes (American anyway):
GREG
WHAT’S LEFT IS WHAT’S MEANT TO BE BY THE CONSTITUTION,
THAT IS THE PEOPLE WHO LOVE AMERICA MORE THAN THEMSELVES,
Republicans seem to confuse Freedom of Speech with a presumed corporate license to spend unlimited sums to buy political power. That’s hardly surprising, when everything in their universe seems to revolve around money. Let’s face it: Generally speaking, they believe that the wealthier are worthier, and that the value of all things can be expressed in the form of a number preceded by a dollar sign.
GREG
SO FAR WE SEE ONLY ONE SIDE BEGGING THE PEOPLE FOR MONEY
FOR SELF CAMPAIGNS, THAT IS OBAMA AND HIS CROWD DEMANDING FOR IT,
AND TAKING NOTE OF WHO DOESN’T GIVE THEM IN ORDER TO THRASH THEM.
NO CONSERVATIVES OR REPUBLICANS WOULD DO IT,
AS A MATTER OF FACT IT COME NATURAL FROM THOSE WHO
want to give they MAKE THEIR OWN DECISIONS TO DO IT.
Individualrights1st
that was very well stated, things always goes right when the CONSTITUTION OF AMERICA WROTE BY THE FRAMERS CENTURY AGO TO BE THE ULTIMATE AND FIRST AND ALWAYS FOLLOWED LAWS OF THIS NATION
ARE APLYED BY GOVERNMENT. AND PEOPLE BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE
@Greg: The common Man will defend the common man Greg. Men and women vote, not corporations. Corporations can only influence. Since when did the Unions and the Democratic party protect the common man? The GM bail out hurt the common man and only favored the union. The Solendra deal sent money directly to Obama bundlers. Corporations are owned by the common man. I actually have interest in several hundred corporations myself.
As an NRA member, I pool my funds with others who think like me and we lobby and support politicians who value our rights. Corporations are just people who think the same. That is why they buy specific stocks. Maybe you should look at the major contributors to the Democratic party if you are against corporate donations.
@Greg: #28
The Tea Party. We are the common man and woman.
Maybe it will replace the democratic party after the truth comes out about them giving us an illegal candidate.
As far as companies and organizations being allowed to spend any amount of money for campaigns, let’s do away with the money. There are ways for candidates to run for office without spending any money. That way, the only ones they would have to pay back are the ones who voted for them.
@Greg: #32
Replace “Republicans” with “Politicians” and I will agree with you. The republican and democratic parties don’t exist any more. When you can’t tell the two apart, that means there is only one.
Now that the Union has been put in its place we can get on with getting OUR country back from the Socialistic thugs who tried to FORCE business owners in Wisconsin to put their stupid back the union crap in their windowns. One lady fought back and now she is warning the union never to come back. They have not. The news media (liberal) failed to print the story of the Union Thugs who tried to force the small business owner to display a union sign in her window failed. The thugs ran like the wind when other owners came to her aid. Today those buisness owners have change their political party. Yes 123 of those who came to her aid are now Republicans. When you try and force Americans to do something that is wrong then you lose.
@john galt:
Look son you are brain washed by the union. The yapper heads of the Union spent 40 million to remove Governor Walker. I sent money to help save this country from the thugs who wanted to turn our country and the state of Wisconsin into a welfare state. Unions are detrimental to our country and that is why there are no more Jimmy Hoffa’s. As a former Union member I want the money back that the union took and did nothing with to help the worker. I was laid off and owed 485 dollars by my union company. The union took me they could not help. Well I help put their azzes out of busines. To hell with the unions.
Arrow J
yes total success, you sure earned it , they are bad dudes if they did that to you.
you send the boomerang right back at them , I had heard that they had intimidate the busyness
to support them way back at the beginning too.
I like that brave woman taking a stand and refuse to put the sign,
it take one brave to get the movement starting, people are scare of them, they are dangerous and
they use that strong arm to scare the people, it take some guts to stand up and you and
THE PEOPLE OF WISCONSIN TO DO WHAT WAS RIGHT, YOU ALL HAVE MY ADMIRATION,
YOU STOOD UP TO ANSWER THE CALL OF AMERICA, CRYING TO RALLY THE TROOPS
AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL, GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR PEOPLE WHO LOVE YOU SO MUCH
Smorgasbord
hi,
you have a long vacation now it’s high time you reconnect with us here,
hope all is well for you bye