Leo Gerard: Our Obligation is Not to be the Democratic Party's ATM Machine
Ed Schultz talked to the United Steel Workers President Leo Gerard about the "anonymous White House official" who decided to go shoot their mouth off to the Drudge rag Politico and slam labor for supporting Bill Halter in the Democratic Senate race in Arkansas. Gerard said he is extremely disappointed in what was said and that the person who said it is entitled to their opinion but not to make that opinion anonymously and that if the matter is not cleared up by the President it could likely fester.
Gerard made it clear that the objective of labor is not to be the "ATM Machine" of the Democratic Party and that Blanche Lincoln was not representing their members' interests.
He expressed his disappointment with Bill Clinton for going out there and campaigning against labor for Blanche Lincoln and said he'd do it again because they're obligated to stand up for the rights of working people. Leo, I refrained from doing any posts on Bill Clinton campaigning for Lincoln because I don't think I could have written anything about it when I first watched him in action without the post being full of obscenities every other word and ending with telling him to bite me, so you're being way kinder to Clinton than I would have been capable of.
Gerard is still giving the President the benefit of the doubt about the comments coming out of the White House. I'm not. If he disagreed with what one of his aides said to Politico, he should have said so immediately. Apparently he doesn't care if he pisses off labor any more than Rahmbo does - who is the one I suspect called up Politico, since taking cheap shots at liberal Democrats seems to be a hobby of his.
Organized labor knows what side of the debate they're on. The White House on the other hand seems confused about who helped put them in office and thinks that kicking the unions and progressives in the teeth is somehow a good idea just months before a midterm election. I guess we'll see how that genius plan works out for them this November.
She is a corporate whore just like all the republicans.
I hope labor does get her knocked out even if we have to take a republican for one term to do it!
the 50state machine will be ramped up this year and it won't be working for the fucking DLC.
Some stuff you can't make up!
Next person who says "ATM Machine" I beat with my hammer hammer.
I agree with your point, Gerard, but I'm still gonna come after you for acronym abuse misuse and redundancy repetition and smash beat you in the head skull. GD Dammit!
I bet you like "PIN Number" too?
When will government of the people, by the politicians, for the corporations perish from this Earth?
Not soon enough!
We've got an acronym/name for that: PNS Syndrome, or PIN Number Syndrome Syndrome, or Personal Identification Number Number Syndrome Syndrome.
You're from the Department of Redundancy Department.
Right?
When will government of the people, by the politicians, for the corporations perish from this Earth?
Not soon enough!
the redundancy department department.
Some stuff you can't make up!
Democrat's place to bail out BushCo, build them a shrine nor re-invent BushCo's legacy of evil and portray them as "Americans".
AT machine
Paul C
I do NOT understand why the WH feels obliged to pick favorites in Democratic Primaries.
On the one hand it seems utterly un-democratic to do so. These are state contests and should be decided by the people in that state.
On the other it seems stupid politically.
Regardless which candidate wins the WH loses.
If the WH pick loses, the WH looks bad.
If the WH pick wins, the WH alienates those who backed the loser.
Why not just stfu and let the people choose?
Say something noncommital like, "Whichever candidate wins the WH will be pleased to work with them to win the Nov election."
When will government of the people, by the politicians, for the corporations perish from this Earth?
Not soon enough!
correctly imo, that Obama sent Clinton to campaign for the Blue Dog Blanche Lincoln - who's never failed to kiss a corporate a** and who stands very little chance of winning against a Republican - against the moderately progressive Halter, to ensure that the Congress is skewed towards Republicans and Blue Dogs, giving Obama cover to keep passing watered-down legislation that keeps his corporate benefactors happy. This will allow him to continue his MO that a dysfunctional congress keeps him from passing meaningful reform and that he is forced to pass legislation favoring the banksters, the insurance cartel, BigPharma, etc.
During HCR, Obama hid behind the skirts of Olympia Snowe, Max Baucus, Liebermann, Blanche Lincoln, et al, who took turns sticking the knife in the back of the public option whenever it reared its pesky head, providing convenient cover for him to keep his promise to the hospital and insurance lobbyists - ensuring big campaign $$$ - while still pretending to support the public option.
We have a BINGO!
If I were a psychopath, I would join the republican party, and get in on the gravy train taking the Teabircher morons to the cleaners.
Rahm/Obama feel the need to show their Corporate masters that they are THE party leadership - that they can be just as effective as the Republicans in holding their State party membership in rigid lock-step.
Of course this is historically abnormal in American politics - the political party in control of the White House always always has had problems with the Congressional leadership in the past. The party of the White House and the party of the Congress has always been divided at mid-terms.
The new Corporate paradigm is the White House as the Executive Board. Under Dubya, Cheney was both the Chairman of the Board and CEO - Dubya was only the COO. In this administration Rahm is the Chairman of the Board and COO - Obama is the CEO. Of course, the real power behind the "throne" is the CFO which still hasn't changed - the Wall Street Mobsters.
Personally, I think it's time for an organized small shareholder's revolt ...
"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable."
-- John F. Kennedy
The people are the government you morons!
The way so-called conservatives talk about the government,
you'd think they were anarchists. They are not opposed to government per se, they are against tax money going to welfare or other social programs going to lazy recipients while they labor so arduously to support their families. This myth has been ingrained to the politically naïve. The truth is not really emphasized. Most tax money goes in the pockets of wealthy men from no-bid contracts. Most tax money goes to rich oilmen, who wear smoking jackets and have cigars in their kisser while lounging in a leather chair in some exclusive parlor.
How do you like that stereotype? Bush, George Shultz, Ahnold Reagannegger, Ed Meese, Cheney.
It would take ten billion welfare cheats to equal one Bush
corporate tax cheat. The fact they have a vehement hatred in helping
the downtrodden is very revealing. It could be motivated by racism or
misogyny. Misogyny? What do I mean?
U.S conservatism is based loosely on rugged individualism, which
is a masculine idea, saying, I don't need any help from anybody!
I'll do it myself! Anything else that is contrary to that notion is a limp wrist "******" or a sissy. Compassion is considered sissy just like sensitivity is for 'homos'. A lot of WASPS as well as Native Americans are thought that it is manly to be stoic and violent. For centuries, the monarchies have manipulated the male population by definingmanhood for them. Be a man, go to war and prove your manhood! Kings never die in war! , Only the peasants are the ones who die for their king.
The contemporary polemic that is, should capitalism control
government or should government control capitalism? Most right-
wingersthink the issue is:
Government should leave capitalism alone. This
myth really burns a hole in my belly. The truth is, capitalism and
government cannot live without each other! You can't have one or the
other. This power struggle between the 2 entities has been an on
going debate for 3 centuries now. The truth is: government is designd to protect the rich.
Anarchists believe in abolishing both entities.
Conservatives have this image that that the U.S government is this
oppressive force filled with liberal elitists who want to destroy
good white folks like Wal-Mart; Who wants to prevent anybody getting
rich!
Damn! We need to bring back civics in the public schools. Here is
what the government is supposed to be.
According to the forefathers who created the constitution and the
Bill of rights. The government is you and I! So when conservatives
attack the Government, they are attacking the American people! Think
about it.
http://www.neilyoung.com/lwwtoday/videolinks/...
And...Republicans are NOT the Party of Lincoln as Idiot phoney Reagan blabbed.
Lincoln had true compassion and freed the slaves.
Ding, ding! Today's winner.
If I were a psychopath, I would join the republican party, and get in on the gravy train taking the Teabircher morons to the cleaners.
for the elections, i get it, the primaries, nope, i don't get it.
that means they are pimping for a party within "the party".
Who do you vote for? The Repubs? Like that would help us out. Until we can get good people to choose from, we are caught between the proverbial rock > hard place
and actually having a third choice! Of course last election the third choice was really a second choice since the corporate whore Peter Welch ran as the Democratic/Republican candidate. Sometimes he'll vote progressive but just as often will vote wingnut. Like voting to defund ACORN despite the bill to do so being a Bil of Attender and also the whole issue against them being totally obviously fake controversy. Or voting to fund the rightwing Israeli's missile defense shield because AIPAC gives nice quiet campaign contributions.
Obama seems detached from reality. I understand he inherited many problems but to continue to replicate the Bush Doctrine in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, keep lapping at the entrails of the right, kiss the corporations and Wall Street at the expense of the average American makes me believe he lives in another dimension.
The message yesterday that the average American will see huge layoffs in teachers, police and fire fighters again puts the burden on middle class and poor. To bail out the wealthiest and the expense of the poorest is a principle so blatantly biased as to be nonsensical.
Not one politician, not one talking head, no one sees the money pissed away in 2 wars as a good starting point for cutting back. Instead we are talking about social security, medicare, welfare all things that poor and retired can't live without.
It started when the rich and the politicians blamed the poor for the housing collapse they should not have bought a house they couldn't afford. Not who was the asshole who approved a mortgage with no down payment and no chance of being able to handle the balloon when it came due.
The President is detached and seems like it is almost beneath him to really get involved. He is like my daughter playing Barbie, she plays house, dates Ken and life is grand. Same with Obama these things all will pass and i will make big speechs to large numbers and everyone will think i am MLK. Wrong! Wrong!
not prosecuting war criminals. Considering the seriousness of starting wars of aggression and instituting a policy of torture and America's long standing stance of considering those things the most serious of war crimes the lack of this administration to do anything about it speaks volumes to me.
saying we are still in control. The leader was and probably is Rahm Emmanuel this guy is a republican in a donkey suit.
Bill Clinton if you will follow closely is in lock step with the republican COWARDS and the new world order, check out who attends those secret meetings.
One thing that is disturbing about the Union rep. is the Union so small in AR. that with all the money spent, they still lost, or were they hoping to buy the vote like the republicans.
...in Chicago. That's where Obama, Emmanuel and Axelrod got that bullshit attitude from.
The shitty arrogance of that awful comment is pure Emmanuel.
n/t
"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable."
-- John F. Kennedy
Best they be paying attention to people like Leo Gerard and posters like us. They want the best of both worlds---to be able to count on our vote but not support what we think is relevant and important.
Best you think again, Rahm. I don't think Labor or any of us are going to be your sheeplike lackeys because you arrogantly think that we have no other place to go. Respect is earned---not an entitlement.
"We will find fulfillment not in the goods that we have, but in the good we can do for each other."
Robert F. Kennedy
Rahm always forgets one thing....progressives can vote third party, or stay home (like they did in Massachusetts a few months ago).
Almost as if the Democratic Party was in bed with the Republican Party isn't it? Who would have thunk it. I mean sure we've all known for years that DCCC stood for Democratic Corporate Conmen Committee but the whole party too?
the DLC and DSCC.
Some stuff you can't make up!
Rahm's genius strategy...alienate your base right before an election, then lose (Massachusetts is a good example). Considering Rahm hasn't been fired or even told to apologise, and considering Gibbs's comment that the President essentially agrees with the "anonymous" White House official, I guess Obama/Rahm/Axelrod are perfectly fine with losing Arkansas and possibly the Congress. I guess they're also OK with the fact that if the batshit GOP gets Congress, Obama will be impeached at least once a month.
The Dems are lucky Specter lost. Seestak has a great chance to keep the seat.
Halter had an uphill battle, but he had a better chance than Lincoln will. We'll see who is flushing money down the toilet when Lincoln loses to her GOP counterpart in November.
will be flushing that money. They need to keep their guys caucusing with the Dems so that they get first reports on what the real Dems are trying to do.
Paul C
I'm still pissed at Clinton for NAFTA and DADT! Has he ever heard of a VETO? Personally, I'm hoping for 2 things. First, that that bitch Blanche Lincoln loses and second, that Dems manage to pick off Senate seats in New Hampshire, Kentucky and Florida. Christ will clearly Caucus with the Dems and if Sestak wins which seems very likely, along with Blumenthal in Connecticut, then even if Lincoln wins which I doubt, she'd be marginalized. If Reid survives they need to change the filibuster rules before the next session in January and Tom Harkin's idea would work just fine. This way, we wouldn't need 60 votes. It would decrease each week until we're down to 50 plus Biden. As for Clinton, he should go and find another fat, ugly woman to service him and leave the rest of us alone!
DOMA and GATT and the repeal of Glass-Steagel.
Some stuff you can't make up!
Ditto .
"The poor have sometimes objected to being governed badly; the rich have always objected to being governed at all."
Don't stop! Your on a roll.
If I were a psychopath, I would join the republican party, and get in on the gravy train taking the Teabircher morons to the cleaners.
After Massachusetts' last election, C&L had a report from an "unnamed" staffer of a Dem Senator who said his boss said "Thank God, we don't have 60 anymore" as it puts too much pressure on them to do something.
When a large number of Obama election volunteers sent a petition to the White House asking Obama to keep to his promise to, at least, have a public option in the Health bill. David Axelrod spoke from the WH stating that these people don't participate in elections and, so, have no effect and right to be recognized.
I've known Rahm Emmanuel to be an asshat since he claimed that the 50-state strategy was his, when it was the DNC under Governor Dean who gave us the boost in '08. He was the one who backed the conservaDems and pumped most of the money into those campaigns.
Paul C
"Thank God, we don't have 60 anymore" as it puts too much pressure on them to do something." Thats the bingo quote for today. It was so clear during the Health Care debate (and so many more times) that the D's didn't want to actually do anything about anything. They worthless POS just like the R's. Maybe the Unions are smart enough to keep that stink away from their faces, but the Dems and Repugs are more than happy to go ATM all day long baby.
Just before the primary election two weeks ago, Obama taped a radio ad for Blanche that played on the black radio stations around the state. In it he claimed she had “stood up to the insurance companies” to pass health care reform. Lies we can believe in.
but it's not the Democratic party's job to represent only union interests.
Hasa Diga Eebowai
It's not their job to support their destruction either. And if you haven't noticed, they don't represent anybody's interest except for the top 2%.
If I wanted that kind of garbage government, I would vote for a psychotic republican.
If I were a psychopath, I would join the republican party, and get in on the gravy train taking the Teabircher morons to the cleaners.
Union interests use to be the democratic party's interest. When they sold out under Clinton, that's when everything went south.
If I were a psychopath, I would join the republican party, and get in on the gravy train taking the Teabircher morons to the cleaners.
It's pretty simple. The Unions should take it's money and for an election, back 3rd party candidates; ones that truly will back up their values. These days, especially with Unions understanding why environmentally friendly jobs are good for everyone, they should start really supporting Green candidates. That would shake the dems up and give a boost to a real progressive 3rd party.
I know in my parts, Greens continually try to help unions out but still get treated like crap by them.
You know it was (R)ahm who made that comment about Labor. Fucking Rahm! While he and other Establishment Dems were writing off most of the country and pouring money into a few (loser) blue state races back in 06, Howard Dean was rebuilding the Democratic Party with his 50 State Strategy. It was Howard Dean who put the Democrats back in the majority in Washington, as well as got Democrats elected in districts that were traditionally red. Rahm never got over how Dean made him look like the incompetent beltway schmuck that he is, that's why Howard Dean was never offered any cabinet position within the Obama Administration. And Rahmbo thinks he's going to advise organized labor on how best to spend their campaign money?? You've gotta be fucking joking. Rahm Emmanuel - the Democratic Party's answer to Karl Rove; a worthless cheap shot artist who couldn't get a dog catcher elected to office. Fuck him!
If you have selfish, ignorant citizens, you're gonna get selfish, ignorant leaders.
George Carlin
Rove destroyed the GOP, just like Rahm and the DLC is destroying the democratic party.
I loathe Obama for betraying us to these Clinton corporate toadies. I hope a real democrat dismantles Obama in the 2012 primaries.
If I were a psychopath, I would join the republican party, and get in on the gravy train taking the Teabircher morons to the cleaners.
Right on.
"The poor have sometimes objected to being governed badly; the rich have always objected to being governed at all."
"kicking the unions and progressives in the teeth is somehow a good idea just months before a midterm election"
It is when you are trying to LOSE! Obama is clearly trying to make sure the Democrats LOSE the 2010 elections.
It's so obvious!
Why do you writers keep pretending Obama is some kind of Democrat? Obama is NOT a Democrat, and neither is Pelosi or Reid. All of them are moderate Republicans working directly for the GOP.
Obama will help organized labor by passing a very watered down Employees Free Choice Act much like he did with the horrific health care bill which means Obame doesn't give a dead fucking rat's ass for labor period!As for my vote for Obama in '08, when Obama the president decided not to go after the Bush administration for using torture he lost my vote forever and I mean I don't give a flying fuck if he brings unemployment down to 2-3% he won't get my vote again!
He has been almost completely worthless as far as I am concerned on many issues.
Whether Republican OR Democrat, it's always the same shit, just a different ass-hole.....
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