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President Obama roused union members behind supporting his re-election bid in a speech Monday to labor leaders, a core Democratic constituency with which his administration has had differences in his first term.
Pablo Martinez Monsivais / AP
President Barack Obama speaks April 30 at the Building and Construction Trades Department Legislative Conference.
"These have been some tough years we’ve been in," Obama said to members of the Building and Construction Trade Department, an AFL-CIO-affiliated group. “I know a lot of your membership can get discouraged. They can feel like nobody’s looking out for them. They can get frustrated and it sure is easy to give up on Washington.”
Among those labor members who have expressed their frustration with Washington -– including the president –- is AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, who in January criticized the administration’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness for focusing on reforming regulations and the tax system.
There are varied other instances in which unions that supported Obama during the 2008 election felted jilted by the president. Labor leaders pushed for a more robust stimulus and jobs program, and were generally disappointed deeply by Obama's decision to jettison the so-called "public option" as part of health care reform. The Employee Free Choice Act, a priority of organized labor that had enjoyed administration support, also died in Congress amid heavy business opposition.
Unions have also been generally supportive of a plan to build the TransCanada Keystone Oil pipeline, development of which the administration has mostly blocked.
Obama told the group Monday that, while he has not always been “a perfect president,” he has kept his promise to labor unions –- and, by extension, all voters.
“I made a promise I’d always tell you where I stood, I’d always tell you what I thought, what I believed in. And most importantly, I would wake up every single day working as hard as I know how to make your lives a little bit better," he said. "And for all that we’ve gone through these three-and-a-half or four years, I have kept that promise."
While not mentioning presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney by name, Obama also contrasted his views on labor with those of Republicans, saying that the party wants to weaken labor unions.
“If you asked them what's their big economic plan in addition to tax cuts for rich folks, it's dismantling your unions,” Obama said.
He criticized Republicans for advocating so-called “right to work” laws, which bar unions from requiring prospective employees to join as a precondition for being hired. Twenty-three U.S. states currently have such laws.
“I believe when folks try and take collective bargaining rights away by passing so-called ‘right to work’ laws that might as well be called ‘the right to work for less and less,’ that's not about economics -- it's about politics," Obama said.
He said that his support for labor unions was evident in his belief in strong collective-bargaining rights.
“The right to organize and negotiate a fair pay for hard work should be the right of every American -- from the CEO in the corner office to the worker who built that office,” he said.
Leave a Comment:
It is just a little past noon, already the week is shaping up to be a VERY BAD one for the GNOP! lol
How about comparing the President's performance Saturday night to Willard's wild & crazy sense of humor;
WTF?
Chambermaid?
Seriously?
Does Willard own a gold chamberpot?
We are talking 6,000 jobs created just in the last 3 months.
-Saving a million plus auto jobs, building better and more fuel efficient cars. GM #1 and Chrysler is back.
-Set to cover 30 milion Americans who never had healthcare before, under ObamaCare in 2014, that will free us up from paying extortionate Emergency Care coverage for them.
-2.5 million young people added to the health care books.
-Senior medication discounts. Preventive screenings, including mammograms and cervical cancer for women.
- Doubling figures on wind and solar. Advanced battery industry revving up.
Majority of Americans like the Presidents' All of the Above Strategy approach to Energy, they like the Buffet rule, the individual components of the ACA health reform bill, and Wall Street reform...
Time to rebuild America. There is a bill from Senate waiting for House approval that will create tons of jobs for construction workers who have been waiting on the sidelines.
TIME TO REBUILD OUR COUNTRY!
The democrats have been in bed with organized labor unions since
the 1960’s. This was their first step in their effort to gain support from a
large group of people. Since that worked with at least a modicum of success,
they continue their effort of division. Now they would like every American to
believe that the republicans are against women, the poor, the middle class and
every race of people except Caucasians. I can see nothing wrong with anyone
being a member of a union in the private sector if that is what they want. If a
company can manage to stay in business while employing union labor, it works
out fine for the union members. If a company can pay the higher hourly wages
and retirement benefits, so be it. But it comes with a price to those of us who
buy their products or use their services. Everyone with a basic knowledge of
business management knows that a company has to charge a certain amount to make
a certain amount. If there were two companies making identical products it
would be easy to see why the one employing union labor would have to charge
more than their counterpart. But one of the most destructive problems in the country
with fiscal responsibility is public unions. Small and large businesses across
the country have realized long ago that they could not sustain monetary solvency
by offering employee retirement packages. They have changed their policies so
that employees will have to pay into any number of personal retirement packages
such as ROTH IRA’s, 401 K’s etc., to live a comfortable retirement. Many
companies still offer matching amounts up to a certain dollar amount to help
their employees. Yet states across the country fail to see it this as the only
way to maintain budgetary responsibility or refuse to make the necessary
changes. Instead they continue to demand that the tax payers pay every public
employee above average salaries during their work life and then a retirement
pay that almost matches their highest salary during their career. Basic math
should allow everyone to see that this is a system that can’t be sustained. But
the unions don’t stop their demands and the democrats need their votes, so they
simply continue to gut the budgets of states across the country to keep the
unions happy. States are borrowing money from the federal government in order
to meet their obligations. But that still isn’t enough. So the democrats have
decided that it is easier to trim the limbs of the tree planted in the path of
future movement rather than cutting it down and planting a new tree in a better
location. They have raised the costs of fines, fees, property and sales tax.
They have increased the charges for people visiting state parks, licenses for
fishing/hunting, college fees and gasoline tax. But states continue to lose
ground. When newly elected officials and a handful of long standing politicians
have moved toward correcting this problem by promoting cuts to public pensions,
they have been accused of being against the working man and union busters. The
simple fact is that states are unable to afford to pay the number of people
they employ while paying the pensions to those who have retired. All of us
would like to have more teachers, firefighters and law enforcement personnel. The
problem is that there isn’t enough money to pay for more employees and pay the
pensions of retired persons. The obvious choice is to change the current system
if we are to ever balance a budget. We have to end public pension plans paid
for by taxpayers. All new employees across the country who enter into public service
need to do so with the knowledge that they will have to pay for their own
retirement just the same as everyone else. It will take about forty or more
years at this point to correct what damage has been done, but there would be a
light at the end of the tunnel if we ended public pension plans now.
Corrrection:
600,000 (six hundred thousand jobs) created in the last 3 (three)months.
No kidding, and we have yet to mention that the supposed 'austerity' movement, the GNOP cure-all to our economic woes, that has proven to be an epic disaster and is now responsible for the newest recession in Great Britain (the worst economic hit since the Great Depression). The loser GOP/TP party just can't find a platform that makes sense.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46979738/ns/msnbc_tv-up_with_chris_hayes/#47222087
Perhaps the two GOP hypocritical gays will help their loser cause. Lord knows, birds the feather flock together.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3096434/#47232740
It has been tough. When the borrowed 2009 "stimulus" money used to pay off the unions ran out, Obama tried again to bilk the taxpayers out of another half trillion dollars for the unions. Even the Democrats in Congress couldn't put up with that additional theft from the American taxpayer, and they too voted "No" to Barry the Bilker.
Guess Obama forgot about this promise. He must not have been able to find his "comfy shoes".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SA9KC8SMu3o
Labor Unions built the United States. American wages have dropped in tandem with Union decline since the 1960's.
It cannot be just about employeRs having free speech. Employees need quality of life and that is being strategically ground into dust by the right wing corporates and those who protect them in Congress.
We cannot all just drop by the Boss's office to negotiate our working conditions. Fortune 500 CEOs now receive 380 times the pay of the average American worker.
Unions are there to give voice to people who work and pay income taxes to put into our Treasury, to create demand for products, to line the pockets of the rich corporations ---whose earnings have gone up 275% since the 1980's.
Get real about flesh and blood people. And children. Stop avocating for the very wealthy --who are receiving more in income than at any time in the history of the world.
End the Nightmare 11/6/12
Well, that didn't take long... adios allwaysfaithfull... ☺
Suggest some non-Faux homework on the President's accomplishments.
A good clock often helps the time-challenged to live in the 21st century.
Often a good dose of homework will fix the faux cartoon facts.
BTW, The debt has had plenty of attention in countries around the world.
Right now, misguided right wing austerity cuts WITHOUT extra tax revenues has sent Europe into a double-recession.
Whereas, the US economy is stabilizing and growing.
YOU WANT IT TO DO THAT.
So what has the GOP/Republicans done so far for the unemployed, middle class or the poor??? Passed 30 some bills that help oil companies, that want to undo years of regulations that has kept our people healthy and secure, that will only help the rich and wealthy people. Tell me one thing the GOP has done that helps the president. NOTHING, all his bills and programs have not even been voted on in must cases. They don't care about the economy, the middle class or the poor, they said their SOLE purpose in life right now is to make OBAMA a one term president, NO MATTER WHO GETS HURT OR STANDS IN THEIR WAY.
And all Obama's broken promises, YOU CAN ALL THANK THE GOP FOR THAT. If they had any common sense they could have help this economy three years ago but no, the only words they know when responding to the president is NO, NO, NO.
Pretty much a true statement that sums it up.
I gave my union buddy Obama that line about the right to work for less and less, because it is the exact truth.
A little something for those who like to bash unions and believe right to work for less and less and less laws will help them. The median income in Texas is $10.80 an hour that's $21,600 for 2000 hours work a year, that means over half the people in Texas do not pay any federal taxes, that's an awful lot of republicans not paying any federal taxes. Ok lets give them a about a $5000 a year raise, the person who made the 26,400 paid 1,491 in employment tax, no fed. For 2000 hrs per year he/she made 13.20 per hour. That's way above minimum wage. Let's say he or she was union and made twice as much 26.40 in wages per hour ie 52.800 per year, same standard deductions as the person making 26,400 the union person would pay 2983 employment tax also fed tax of 3,168 total 6,151 that goes a lot further to pay down the national dept. The union guy paid over 4 times as much to the government. He would also have some extra money to spend to help out the capitalist, and trickle up some jobs, to make those products. So basically everybody wins, when decent wages are paid, benefits would be icing on the cake if you are trying to raise a healthy secure family, but most non union employers are loath to pay any benefits to supplement the ridiculous low wages. Unions make America strong and prosperous, that is a fact, unions rock.
BTW I made more than $10.80 an hour in 1982 as a union grocery clerk for Kroger, and I had full benefits, I quit that job becuase I felt it was not enough money to raise a family on.
The best deal in the world is the deal the people that say we can't afford unions have. Congressmen get $176,000 a year, have at least 4 months a year paid vacation, the best health insurance bar none, a full lifetime retirement with health benefits for only 5 years of service. Yes buddy, $176,000 years for life for 5 years service. They have a deal that makes the best union contract look damn shabby. The other people that say they can't afford unions are the CEO's whose average pay is over 14 million in salary not counting bonus. Many feel that the company can afford to pay them 100 million dollar bonuses but can pay workers a living wage, people that defend that are frankly just chumps.
You are right, homework will enhance your facts...try it sometime.
The EU is in dire straits due to their socialist mentality. The EU already has some of the highest personal tax rates in the world and they have a 20+% VAT to boot.
Socialism is great until you run out of other people's money.
Wow, Feisty, Fehrnstrom must have spent a week looking for that "lighter" side of Mitt Romney. President Obama did a superb job at the WH correspondents dinner; he's just so "cool" to use the GOP's latest talking point. Try to picture Mitt Romney poking fun at himself least of able to deliver a one-liner with perfect comedic timing. It's not possible.
Hello Forrest Grump, great post.
They don't care about Caucasians Job 1, they have them working as cheap labor for the Germans, Japanese and Chinese all over the south. Alice Walton spends hundreds of millions on Picasso's but the entire country has to subsidize Wal-Mart employees health care. Like I said before I made more than than the median income in Texas in 1982. They beat those people like a rented mule! They don't give a damn about them, their wives, or their kids. These are the idiots they complain about federal taxes and don't even make enough money to owe any federal taxes. Chumps.
Their jokes are about firing people.....HA HA HA.....SOOOOO not funny!
Let's see...roughly 12% of the workforce is unionized. If the stimulus had been a pay-off to unions, then logically, 12% of the labor force would have seen an enormous bump over the last four years. But that hasn't happened, has it?
As to lll's claim that the federal government raised all these assorted fees; I'd point you to Mitch "Bitch" Daniels, the governor of Indiana (and putative nominee for the R's in 2016); Daniels raised fees in Indiana left, right and center and when he wanted to take state parks off the budget, he fobbed them off on the federal government. Not only that, Daniels leased a vital economic artery of the state to a private consortium at a loss, so the state wouldn't have to pull maintenance on it. Then you have the example of Governor Chris "Crispy Creme" Christie lying about the tunnel project and dooming both union and non-union jobs in the state of New Jersey. Because the fees you're talking about are raised at the state level, so figure it out.
So, hewing back to the main topic: has the President been able to keep every single promise he made? No, however, having the amount of Boehnor headed recalcitrance arrayed against him that he has had, the President has done a most admirable job. And certainly better than the warmed over supply side idiocy the Mittronic Rombot has to offer.
I have been told by some on this blog that I am brainwahed and have no common sense.
Talk about brainwashing and common sense, how is giving rich people more wealth going to create jobs? It has not yet, rich people are getting richer so where are all the jobs they should be creating for us? It has not worked in 30 years, so why do some persist in saying it will, well it won't. How does a rich person buying a 300,000 dollar Bentley create more jobs than 10 people buying a 30,000 thousand dollar Chevy. Get my drift? How many millionaires shop in your town, do you have a Rolls Royce dealership or a luxury yacht factory. A good economy and jobs are created by many middle class and lower middle class people with a little money to spend on goods and services, and those are the job creators. It is that simple, you want an economy based on mass production then it demands mass consumption, people need money to be consumers. Rich people don't create jobs, they create a means of making more profit for themselves, when the middle class is sucked dry where will the profit they seek and only employ people as a means to collect come from? Brainwashed is continuing to believe less for you will somehow turn into more for you, it has not in 30 years of this trickle down BS, and it never will. Lowering your wages and increasing your share of the tax burden will only mean less for you. People in the right to work for less and less and less states are not prospering they are now just the working poor, those states have not solved any economic problems or unemployment problems for their citizens, they simply lowered the income for the entire state except the owners, their profit went up, so why is there no glut of jobs in those states. Less for the middle class is simply less, it will never will turn into more of anything, least of all good jobs for your children. Of course they are hiring in Texas, $10.80 cents an hour for full time brain-washers! You can't raise a family or even support yourself on that kind of money but it sure beats paying union dues, right. Yeah well take your brain out rinse, wash, and rinse again, then maybe it will work for y'all.
If you are a capitalist join a union and fight for your right to practice personal capitalism and make some money for your hard work. If you are a socialist vote for the right to work for less and less and less and be dependent on social welfare programs because you don't make a living wage.
Why are so many republicans so eager to be the working poor?
Why do they defend the owners right to make millions, but won't defend their own right to make a living wage?
Jody/Judy;
Short-sheeting a bed no less? lol
Willard & gang really do live in the 1950's!
Not to mention, once again the humor is found at the expense of someone possibly losing their job!
Real funny stuff... eh?
Yep, Mr. Obama has kept his promises to UNIONS and his special interest friends.
Stimulus #1, HAMP #1/#2/#3/#4, Omnibus, Solar panel companies, Electric car companies (and in Finland), Cash for Clunkers, Cash for Appliances, Weatherization program, Geothermal Plant in Nevada, fight against Boeing, throwing GM stockholders under the bus, crucifying oil companies....et al.
Wait a minute....the President is supposed to work for ALL Americans and not just "SELECT" groups.
Guess Mr. Obama's on-the-job Training has not kicked in yet.
"Not to mention, once again the humor is found at the expense of someone possibly losing their job!"
Yep, but it is not going to be "humor" but a significant relief to Main Street Americans when Mr. Obama is shown the Exit door to the White House.
"promises kept.?" Is that what they were joking about at the correspondants dinner? I am amazed at the lefty lemmings and their "facts." It must really be something to make a statement and make it a "fact," just based on you believe it.
George Costanza said, "It's not a lie, if you believe it." Liberals in a nutshell.
Bin Laden is dead and GM is alive!
Romney would not have done either.
A bad week for the GOP????.....gee, Feisty that's a preposterous statement, even coming from you! The article says that unions and their leaders are dissatisfied with Obama; the news couldn't be any worse for him....that's his strongest source of support, except for leftwing bloggers, of course.
Romney wanted a managed bankruptcy which is exactly what happened and he has already said that he would have authorized the Bin Laden killing.
solyndra!
According to Politifact which is tracking Obama's promises:
Kept 179 Compromised 58 Broken 67 Stalled 64 In Progress 138
Considering the fact that there has been zero co-operation from congress and the fact that no President can possibly deliver on everything he/she promises, I think he has done pretty well.
All people have to do is go to PolitiFact (which has become rather Right-leaning) and see that the president has done a great job keeping his promises. The Teapublicans, not so much.
But President Obama is absolutely correct when he says that statements made during a campaign matters. Romney must be held to his far-Right promises.
Forrest Grump 2.0 -- Exactly, per supply and demand, consumption creates jobs.
a) How's about looking up the definition of 'socialism' during your homework session? Canada has a system of western socialism and not too many flies on them, is there?
A big reason the EU is in a mess is too much on the austerity cuts and not enough spending.
Hey- just like here at home! GOP/Norquist pledged never to pay equal effective taxes with the rest of us plebians - for the last 30 years!
Hey - multi-milionaire Ryan proposes cutting 50 million people off health care to provide a $3Trillion tax cut to the top 1%.
That's the kind of stuff that sends your economy into an Olympic BACK FLIP - for another decade or so.
If Obozo is going to get re-elected he needs to sell his story to those of us who paid for his "Promises" aka the union bail outs.....
No kidding. At least the banks paid back their bailouts. The unions? No, they'll be keeping that taxpayer money Barack gave to them, less the campaign contributions to Obama from the unions. Nice little system Barack has going with the unions.
Why spend time on someone who will never vote for him. Talk about wasted money.
It gets worse....part of that promise are "shovel-ready jobs" which are basically employment for ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS. iIllegals can join a union as long as they pay dues. Add to that, Obama's admin will NOT allow companies involved to use E-Verify TO ENSURE THEY ARE LEGAL.
Obama created jobs for illegals with TARP money that your kids will have to pay back.
union bribes.....the so-called bailout of GM was nothing more than a bribe thrown at the UAW.....GM still has the same executives that lead them to the brink of ruin.....bankruptcy would have resulted in a better GM......these same executives will lead GM to ruin eventually and all of OUR money that obama used to bribe the UAW will be gone.......
"Banks have paid back the bailouts" HAHAHA
Prove it.
96ws6 and True
The Treasury Department announced today that 10 of the country's 19 stress-tested banks can now pay back $68 billion in federal funds received as part of the $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program, or TARP.
In a written statement, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner today voiced guarded optimism about the paybacks.
"These repayments are an encouraging sign of financial repair, but we still have work to do," he said.
The $68 billion Treasury will rake in from this first round of repayments is nearly three times the initial prediction of $25 billion made earlier this year.
http://abcnews.go.com/Business/story?id=7789330#.T58OilLleSo
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said Tuesday he expects a wave of banks to return government bailout money to taxpayers soon.
"It will depend on the institution, but for major banks in the country I think that money will come back relatively quickly," he said.
http://money.cnn.com/2009/10/27/news/economy/geithner/index.htm
I wonder why the rich libs don't practice what they preach. Let them all get into McD's franchises or any other business and allow their employees to unionize and then agree to pay the burger flippers $25.00/hr. And, of course if the unions demand $30/hr., then pay it. After all, they say a business is in business to give more money to the employees.
On second thought, I don't need to wonder about that at all. The only real reason that they preach that is to sucker the gullible fools into thinking that they stand with them. Just look at how much Obama has been pushing the "Buffett Tax!" By all accounts it would raise maybe $5 billion in revenue a year. But, the fools think that this would solve problems and would make them feel better. Oh, and the irony is the IRS is claiming that Buffett owes over a billion dollars in back taxes and Buffett is fighting it every step of the way. So much for his patronizing, lying words that he's not paying enough in taxes and is willing to pay more.
^ So much Bull, so little time. I was a union member for 9 years. I managed union crews for another 5 years. I was grateful for the benefits I received due to union efforts for ALL of those 15 years. If it weren't for unions, we'd be back in the stone age as far as labor laws, wages, and benefits go. Businesses thrived back then and can thrive today with unions.
When the business environment gets tough because one of your fellow businesses REALLY effed up, then it's time to blame the unions for your ills.
Chris Christie is hinted that Romney may be looking at him for the VP post. You think every union isn't going to dump him and go Democratic? Christie is a loudmouth looking to move up the ladder of politics.
Yeah, Obozo needs to go over his BROKEN promises list FIRST. BTW, why would anyone think this clown is cool?
"if you like your health plan, you can keep your health plan."..Lie or broken promise?
" if you like you doctor, you can keep your doctor."..Lie or broken promise?
"most transparent administration.".. Lie or broken promise?
"we'll close Guatanamo within a year."..Lie or broken promise?
"unemployment will not go over 8%."..Lie or broken promise?
Must I go on? ALL you Odummy supporters are what we call 'LOST CAUSE".
Didn't Blow Biden say that GM is still alive? Are they "still alive" because they STILL need to( or don't have to) pay back 46B of the bail-out money that they took? BTW, Ford never took a penny of bail-out money and the banks DID pay back their bail-out, WITH interest.
It's no surprise that Oblahlah would campaign before a union crowd(he needs the money) and college campuses(he needs the votes).
IRT to LMarcT, I've been in the work force for 30 NON-UNION years, We bought a home, put BOTH our chidren through a private Middle and High school. Then put them through college. Never made union scale pay but had excellent benefits and the business thrived WITHOUT the union. BTW, we live in a civilized community, no STONE-AGE lifestyles here.
Mr. President, you promised the American people that the 2012 federal deficit would not exceed 229.27 billion dollars yet your own White House is predicting that you are going to miss your promise by a factor of more than 5. I want you, Mr. President, to explain to the American how you are going to keep your promise by making sure that the 2012 federal deficit does not exceed 229.27 billion dollars.
The President needs to be reminded of some words of wisdom that were spoken back in March of 2006. The words were as true then as they are today.
"The fact that we are here today to debate raising America's debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the US Government cannot pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our Government's reckless fiscal policies. Increasing America 's debt weakens us domestically and internationally. Leadership means that, "the buck stops here.' Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren. America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better."
~ Senator Barack H. Obama, March 2006
Once again the banks only paid back TARP.
They did not pay back the billions shoveled to them through AIG. Then there is the free money the Fed gave them which they loaned back to consumers and the government at a profit. Of course we have the future bailouts that have been set up as when the Fed allowed BoA to move toxic derivatives to accounts covered by FDIC.
That being said it is funny to see Obama in front of unions emphasizing promises kept when he really didn't keep any. But this election is not about principals as we only have a choice between bad and worse.
Will Haas,
Did you know USA credit rating was downgraded AGAIN to "A". Funny how you cant hardly find anything about this on the mainstream media isn't it?
96ws6: Yes very, very strange but not unexpected.
BTW: "And most importantly, I would wake up every single day working as hard as I know how to make your lives a little bit better," Does anyone really believe this s**t.
anyone that uses name calling in a political debate is pretty much screaming "I'm a moron"
@96ws6- What source supports your claim?
Umm.. Isn't that campaigning? Aren't you, as a campaigner, supposed to be talking to supporters, and potential voters? What is the beef? dumb sheep
UAW Pleeeeeeeease
If Obozo is going to get re-elected he needs to sell his story to those of us who paid for his "Promises" aka the union bail outs.....
Hey, first off, You paid for Bush's shallow
promisesLIES. Where are the weapons of mass deception which cost us beaucoup money borrowed from China? Where is the trickle down from the massive tax cuts he gave the rich?Secondly, the Boehner promised Jobs, another lie? WE have now found out their master plan was to FAIL the economy.
Have you read the book about the secret meeting.
Pleaeeeeeeeese do. You'll learn something.
Bev, In the industry I work in there are plenty of jobs. Obozo just needs to stop encouraging people to stop living off government checks and go get those jobs. As far as Bush goes, Obama can campaign against him all he wants. Most of America has heard enough of his blame someone else leadership style....
Typical right-wing snobbery, to assume people receiving assistance are too lazy to work. The real picture is that most living off assistance are employed.
To UAW Pleeeeeeeease
Do Not Ask What Good We Do: Inside the U.S. House of
Representatives [Hardcover]
Robert Draper (Author) The U.S. House of Representatives—a large, often unruly body of men and women elected every other year from 435 distinct microcosms of America—has achieved renown as “the people’s House,” the world’s most democratic institution, and an
acute Rorschach of biennial public passions. In the midterm election year 2010, recession-battered Americans expressed their discontent with a simultaneously overreaching and underperforming government by turning the formerly Democratically controlled House over to the Republicans. Among the new GOP
majority were eighty-seven freshmen, many of them political novices with Tea Party backing who pledged a more open, responsive, and fiscally thrifty House.
What the 112th Congress instead achieved was a public standing so low—a ghastly 9 percent approval rating— that, as its longest-serving member, John Dingell, would dryly remark, “I think pedophiles would do better.” What happened?
http://www.amazon.com/Not-Ask-What-Good-Representatives/dp/1451642083
=============================================
No wonder John Boehner said we have a 2/3 chase of keeping the House of Representatives. The world is on to these do-nothings
Just be thankful, UAW Pleeeeeeeease,
President Obama is at the stewardship; otherwise the job count where you are would be lower. If you vote Romney, for sure it's going down.
Hey UAW why don't you ask the GOP where all the jobs are, since they keep saying the rich and wealthy are the ONLY ones that create jobs, so we can't raise their taxes. How many jobs have they created??? Can you tell us?
I do wish President Obama would stop the hand-outs (of taxpayer money) to oil companies....and folks like Willard....
We need to fix the tax codes that allows these folks to get away with it to include closing the loop-holes!
Those folks are on a real 'entitlement' program.
What taxpayer hand out is going to Romney? Please be specific in your answer.
What loop-hole is Romney using? Again, be very specific in your answer, if you have one.
It's so funny when the Republican make statements saying most people getting government checks are Democrats.
God these Republicans making the dumb a$$ statements are so full of crap.
Gee Derf--you just can not have it 2 ways. Either the economy is improving (which Obama and his supporters are always pointing out) and jobs are being created, or they are not. You can't say it is improving to praise Obama and Democrats and then say it isn't when you want to criticize the GOP. Have more jobs been created since the GOP took over Congress in 2011 or were more created between Obama's election and the fully Democratic-controlled Congress (both Houses) time of 2009-2011?
Which one is it? Hmmmm?
Jobs--I know the truth hurts sometimes. Don't worry--you will recover soon!
@JAS1.......I'll play along, since you said 'please'.
I know you already know this stuff, but want to stick to your TeaPeople talking points. Prehaps you really think the stuff that you post.
I thought this a good read.
As for Willard, do the research yourself, since I'm sure that you have socked 100 Million in trust for your children in off-shore accounts!
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/big-corporations-use-loopholes-dodge-taxes-study/2011/11/02/gIQAIalngM_story.html
Enjoy!
I don't have to worry about any truth coming from the Republican side.
Why would anyone put a trust fund offshore since no taxes have to be paid on it?
It must be another loop-hole for the ultra rich......Ask Willard!....
First this:
Then this:
So you're not able to answer the question. Just more talking points on more fictitious nonsense from the Left. You made the statement, you back it up. If you can't, then please tell everyone your statement is incorrect.
You have access to Romney's recent tax returns. Please show where he didn't pay taxes on any offshore accounts.
That is right. He paid according to our laws and that is all anyone should concern themselves with. Does he follow the laws. If someone wants the tax laws changed work with your congress people. I take every deduction possible so I get to keep MY money and not have it spent on more GSA partying.
@JAS1
Stop demanding/splitting hairs, 'cause if you wanted to be intelligent about the conversation, you would do a little research yourself to support whatever is your position.
Shock!.....Who has access to Willards tax returns other than the GOP, his attorneys and accountants?
You know the tax codes are unfair.
You know that there are loop-holes for the untra rich and corporations which allows them to keep more and more...The Dubya effect (unfunded)
Guess you didn't check out the link that I provided......so
Mikehataway. My question wasn't how many jobs the GOP have created, but how many jobs have been created by the RICH and Wealthy? I really don't think they create jobs only businesses and corporations
Derf
And just who works in those new businesses and Corporations?
Funny how the only response to how poorly Obama is doing is pointing back at what Bush did. Apparently liberals don't wear big boy pants. Facing up to the reality of how badly Obama has failed is the liberals first step toward recovery.
Posts like yours are a perfect illustration of why our country is falling apart.
I am an independent that is alarmed more every day by both Democrats AND Republicans that have let their "party hat" fall so far over their eyes they are blind to the destruction their own party causes and seem OK with it because, after all, it's "their party". By doing this, you enable corruption in BOTH parties. The truth is there is very little difference between the two parties today. Most the members of each are more concerned with re-election than doing their job
IE: doing what is best for the COUNTRY not their own personal gains.
Time to stop looking at the party and judge the individual.
AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka. Quite a character.
Democratic socialist. Joined the union to "push massive social change" also known as socialism...
Thug. In the spring of 1993, Trumka, in an effort to ensure that no one would be able to find employment as a miner without paying dues or agency fees to the UMW, ordered more than 17,000 mine workers to walk off their jobs. Moreover, he explicitly instructed striking miners to "kick the sh-- out of every last one" of their fellow employees and mine operators who resisted union demands. In response, UMW enforcers vandalized homes, fired gunshots at a mine office, and cut off the power supply to another mine, temporarily trapping 93 miners underground.
Then, on July 22, 1993, a UNW member shot 39-year-old, non-union worker Eddie York in the back of the head as York was driving home from his Logan County, West Virginia job, killing him. Eight UMW strikers were present at the scene of the shooting. When guards subsequently came to check on York's condition, those eight strikers threw rocks at them. Rather take any disciplinary action against the UMW strikers who had behaved so badly, Trumka explained metaphorically: "[I]f you strike a match and put your finger in, common sense tells you you're going to burn your finger."
Soon thereafter, York's widow charged Trumka and other UMW officials in a $27 million wrongful death lawsuit. After fighting the charges for four years, UMW lawyers quickly decided to settle out of court in June 1997 once federal prosecutors announced that they planned to release evidence from the trial of Jerry Dale Lowe, whom a federal jury had previously convicted of conspiracy and weapons charges in connection with York's murder.
UMW strikers perpetrated their acts of violence with the encouragement and approval of Trumka and their other union leaders.
V-Bob, History is with instances of company goons of harrassing and killing union workers and organizers. So, Whats your point.
Obama/Biden - 2012
Gt--can you name some such incidents that have happened in the last 30-40 years?
Mike - Her's one
Violence in Coal Strike Is Increasing
AP
Published: September 05, 1989
Shots have been fired and barricades set up as a coal strike that started in April turns increasingly violent in southern West Virginia.
In Rum Creek Hollow, striking miners have built a barrier of tires, railroad ties and even an old couch to keep coal trucks out.
About a mile up the road at the mouth of Slab Fork Hollow, pickets have erected a shield of timbers and sandbags to block what they say are bullets from automatic weapons and other guns fired by mine guards and nonunion workers.
There is evidence of violence on both sides, Superintendent Jack Buckalew of the state police said. Gunshots in the Picket Shacks
''Some of the equipment has been hit by gunfire,'' Superintendent Buckalew said, speaking of mine company property. ''It's obvious there have been gunshots into the picket shacks.''
Again from my original post-What is V-Bob's point!
I believe his post is to demonstrate that old canard--we are known by the company we keep. Obama has been sucking up to the unions, as have almost all Democrats since forever, and Trumka has visited the WH many times.
Pretty simple to see.
And as far as miners building barricades to keep trucks out, wouldn't that be illegal to start with?
Careful mikehataway, do you really want to put into the same class as bob in va? Cause we all know he's full of sheeat. Maybe you wear jeans with the magic pockets too? You know, the kind where you just reach in a pocket and pull out all kinds of stupid stuff.
Mikehataway said,
Gt--can you name some such incidents that have happened in the last 30-40 years?
Of course not because he too busy "doing" the elephant!!
That's the best you can come up with? Really?? Wow!!!
Gt--can you name some such incidents that have happened in the last 30-40 years?
I can, 11 men vaporized on a non-union BP oil rig, because they were to scared to say sh!t if they had a mouthful, for fear of losing their job.
29 men buried in a non union Massey energy coal mine that had safety violations up the ying yang, but again they were to scared to refuse to go in for fear of losing their job, so they lost their lives instead. Is that recent enough for you.
When management says it is safe it is safe for them they are in their office, when your union job steward says it's safe he goes down in the mine with you and works all day side by side with you.
Great post Forrest!!
Do you know any union members personally TNRebel? Do you think they are mobsters, do I seem like a mobster? Union officials are voted on by the members, bad ones can be voted out. Unions are no more mob like than any local government, state government, or the congress for that matter, they are no more corrupt than any board of directors of a large corporation. Is Wal-Mart is corrupt? How about the New Orleans police dept. are they still corrupt? Any mob like behavior from the health insurance lobbyists and our government officials? Many of these people cannot be voted out of their positions, and some certainly can if people care to. Union officials are elected by the members they represent and if they are bad actors they can and should be voted out of their office. I have been in and around unions all my life and I don't know a single mobster, but honestly if I had to work for a company like Wal-Mart, or Massey Energy I think I would like a mobster on my side, it might help level the playing field a bit. OSHA can't be everywhere all the time nothing keeps you safer on a job than the man next to you looking out for you, and you for him, thats the union I know, damn decent men, not a mobster among them.
The history of the labor movement should be taught in every school across this country. America is a living testimonial to what free men and free women, organized in free democratic trade unions, can do to make a better life. We ought to be proud of it! HHH 1968.
Barack Obama has already held more re-election fundraising events than every elected president since Richard Nixon combined, according to figures to be published in a new book. (all on the taxpayer expense)
Obama is also the only president in the past 35 years to visit every electoral battleground state in his first year of office. (also on the taxpayer expense)
Read more: #ixzz1tY52nr5v
President Obama better stick to what he knows best---community organizing and campaigning.
The problem he will have winning re-election is that now he HAS a record to run on, and it is far from impressive. The general public will not be duped by him again. A President who claims absolutely no responsibility for ANYTHING that has gone wrong is a poor substitute for a real leader. America (hopefully) won't be duped again.
And for the record, someone please explain to me how "right to work" states keep unions from forming? Or people from joining them? And while you are at it, please explain to me how a union can be FOR workers' rights and yet want to FORCE people to join a union in order to work in some states? Are you saying that those people who do not wish to join a union have no rights?
And no, liberals, my questions were NOT rhetorical!
Nobody has ever been forced to join a union anywhere, anytime. I pay 2% of my gross in union dues and make 38% more than the average non union employee doing what I do, I love my union, it is a damn good return on my investment. My employers still have to the low bidder to get the job, it is a real pleasure to work for very smart American businessmen who know how to provide real value for their customers, make themselves a profit, and pay the best wages and benefits to get the most talented workers. My Union Rocks, My Employers Rock!
Hate to break this to you, but potential employees that come to work for unions are REQUIRED to join the union to work for certain companies. For example, the company I work for has a union and not one union classified job will go to someone that doesn't join the union. Your statement that people have never been forced to join a union is just plain false.
No, it's not, they don't have to work for that employer, nobody is forced to work for a unionized company if they do not wish too. They can say no thank you and find a different company to work for they are not forced to take the job.
Hate to break it to you, but you are wrong again,
Under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), you cannot be required to be a member of a union or pay it any monies as a condition of employment unless the collective bargaining agreement between your employer and your union contains a provision requiring all employees to either join the union or pay union fees. Even if there is such a provision in the agreement, the most that can be required of you is to pay the union fees (generally called an "agency fee."). Full union membership cannot lawfully be required.
Seems that most union haters do not know the laws that pertain to them!
Why do unions fear RTW laws? If they offer a good product people will not opt out its as simple as that. I've held a union job and they were worthless to me and I would've opted out in a heartbeat. They know once more right to work laws are passed they will have to actually represent what's best for their members and not what's best for their bottom line.
It has nothing to do with the unions bottom line unions are non profits. It has to do with the union members bottom line, RTW has depressed the wages of everybody in the states where it has passed including management. Everybody takes a pay cut in RTW states, except the owners.
Corporate,
So what's the difference? You are paying to an organization that you do not wish to belong to...
Forrest,
Sure...everyone has a choice...but when it comes at a price of having or not having a job, wouldn't you say that unions are keeping people from working?
Try working some place that is union and not join the union, you will get your head handed to you on a platter. Be there done it ...the IBEW is tough in NJ.
CoropateShill
Having worked at Diablo Canyon from 1968-70 I can assure you that you were REQUIRED to be in a Union now matter what company you worked for.
Yet many of the comments concern TARP. A program started under the Bush administration.
If you don't want to join the union in order to work at a company then go else where. I sure a non union shop will be happy to hire you for around 35% less all told.
Where I live they have both unionized and non unionized auto dealerships. Want to guess at the discount the customer pays for the non union labor rate? 0%. The labor rates are identical. So you known where the difference is going? The owners pockets.
Buy American- Shop Union- Vote in Obama/Biden 2012
True enough TN, corporations are especially unlawful when defending themselves against unions, but any law breaking that goes unreported will continue.
Slodon, the difference is, the courts have decided that the union can require a decenting worker to pay certain fees that pertain to the costs of negotiating the wage for which you work. Tons of people would like to benefit from the union negotiated wage while not paying any money to offset the costs.
TN...
Define "coming around"... Sounds to me like the union rep was trespassing on company property. If they were on public property outside of the warehouse so be it, but if they were there on company property without autorization from management, then they were trespassing and should have been shown the door. I've worked for many companies (both union and non-union) and have to say that given the history of unions the employees without unions have fared much better than those with unions. The costs of maintaining the union "beast" has grown to such an extent that people are fed up with unions and their lack of representing their rank and file. Add to that, there is no accountability from union management... Try for once to see if any union member has ever received any financial disclosures from union management. Try to see how much their "leaders" make off the back of their members. People scream all the time about the compensation from publicly held CEO's and management and bemoan how unfair they are compensated, but yet, try to see how much union management will disclose. If you are trying to make a point that unions are still good for America, try looking at all the companies that they bankrupted over the years (remember Eastern airlines??) and ask those folks if their "strike" pay was enough for them....
General Motors, in particular, paid less than zero taxes of 2011. And when the Administration brags that GM reported a $7.6 billion profit in 2011, conservatives are quick to note the profits include roughly $100 million in the form of a tax benefit document in GM's annual report (p. 51) — and, thus, massive untaxed profits.
The outcome: GM paid a negative tax rate, around -1.5%, because of a decision allowing some of the bailout recipients, GM, AIG, and Citi, to avoid actual losses, but to still claim those losses for tax purposes.
Why do all the Obamao supports not pay any taxes - and the left complain that the oil companies should pay more - apparently the 46% they pay isn't enough!!!
Obama's Favorite Breakfast
Eggs Rover Easy
Barack Obama has a new plan for increasing how many barrels of oil America produces. He's going to force the oil companies to use smaller barrels.
Q. What is Obama's new 999 plan for America?
A. $9.99 a gallon gasoline.
Tip o'the hat to Newt
Q. Why does Obama keep jacking up the cost of gasoline?
A. So that voters can't afford to drive to the polls in November.
Obama is demanding that Congress give him another trillion dollar spending bill. Most of it is just for gas money.
Q, Why are jobs at all time lows and gas at all time highs?
A. Obama's back from vacation.
***
Q. What does Barack Obama call Richard Nixon?
A. An amateur.
Tip o'the hat to Idaho
Q. Who are America's two most infamous golfers?
A. Tiger Woods and Lion Obama.
Obama has finally balanced the budget. The national debt is now the same size as the economy.
Bo--thats the best one!
I saw a large bumper sticker on the tailgate of a pickup truck. It had a large head shot of Obama and then the words "Does this ass make my truck look bigger?"
Barack Obama walks into a bar with a duck. The bartender asks, “Where did you get the jackass?” Barack looks puzzled and replies, “It’s a duck.” The bartender says, “I was talking to the duck.”
America once had Johnny Cash, Steve Jobs and Bob Hope. Now we have Barack Obama, no cash, no jobs and no hope.
If you voted for Obama in 2008, it proved you are not a racist.
If you vote for Obama again in 2012, it will prove that you are one.
Or, many voted for Obama to prove they weren't racists, now we hope they will vote for someone else to prove they aren't stupid!
Obama was leaving the country club golf course when he was accosted by an armed robber who demanded, "Give me all of your money!" Barack haughtily replied, "Do you know who I am. I'm the President of the United States!" The robber snarled back, "Then give me all MY money."
President Obama has responded to our national debt spiralling out of control by calling for the creation of a Deficit Commission to find solutions to the problem. Coulter suggests The Deficit Commission's first recommendation should be "resign immediately Mr. President."
Tip o'the hat to Ann Coulter
Want to cut the debt? Cut the military 30 percent. Ten years of fighting two wars cost quite a bit, don't you think. what's going to be the ongoing costs even after we get out?
Now we know why the debts so high.
So Unions back Obama. I never would have guessed. What cutting edge reporting.
And the sheep will get in line with their union bosses. Old tired news. Yawn
Bo and mike, I just love the look of desperation in your posts. No substance, just silly talk and a lame attempt at humor, which by the way, you fail miserably at. And trust me, we've seen some good humor on this site and love it even if it is against our guy.
Nothing proves us right like a couple dipsticks trying to play with the grown-ups.
Frank, return to your post 4.5 and then get back to us on that one.
Or better yet, why don't you answer the questions I asked in post 6?
Or is that too much to ask of someone as intellectually gifted as you, which you proved in that post 4.5?
Hi Frank,
So true. They are the frick and frack.
Just for Frank . . .
In the washroom at the airport I saw a handwritten sign posted over one of those hot air hand dryers: "Please push button and listen for a short message from the President!"..........There's nothing like "hot air" and the smell of crap to give you that true Obama experience!!!!
Well, bringing this down to your level, one must deduce this was on your trip to the Minneapolis airport, to brush up on your footsie skills. And speaking of trollish crap, please do us a favor and do a courtesy flush.
Astronomers have spotted an object in space that they say is potentially dangerous, yet for 3 years it's just sat out there and has done nothing. For that, they've named the object COMET OBAMA.
Q: What is the difference between ObamaCare and a car battery?
A: The battery has a positive side.
Mitt Romney walks in a bar looks around and sees that everybody in the bar is drinking Shirley Temples... Guess which drink he orders??? Or maybe not, you just can't tell coming from this flip-flopper, or maybe you can???
I can do this for hours, or maybe I can't...
Like any corrupt Chicago politician, Obama would frequently go the cemetery to register voters. One night he came across a grave so old and worn that he couldn't make out the name on the tombstone. The staffer holding the flashlight got impatient and suggested that they just move on to the next plot. Obama angrily exclaimed, "This person has as much right to vote as anyone else here!"
The other day I went downtown and into a shop. I was only there for about 5 minutes, and when I came out, there was a cop writing out a parking ticket. I said to him, 'Come on, man, how about giving a retired person a break'? He ignored me and continued writing the ticket. I called him a 'Nazi.' He glared at me and wrote another ticket for having worn tires. So I called him a 'doughnut eating Gestapo.' He finished the second ticket and put it on the windshield with the first. Then he wrote a third ticket. This went on for about 20 minutes. The more I abused him the more tickets he wrote. Personally, I didn't care. I came downtown on the bus, and the car that he was putting the tickets on had a bumper sticker that said, 'I ♥ Obama.' I try to have a little fun each day now that I'm retired. It's important to my health.
LOL!
When General McChrystal went to President Obama to turn in his resignation, Barack bitterly said "You'll probably intend to piss on my grave someday." The General replied, "No, Sir, once I'm out of this man's Army, I'm not standing in line for anything ever again!"
We will ALL fill it in our wallets soon enough (not the unions)...as for me, my health cost just went up to help support the "non-working, welfare state, free money takers of our society.....to support Obama-care....doesn't look like he cared about me too much...not voting for this POS Potus again....he completely sucks...and MSNBC&CNN you both suck for NOT printing the truth about this piece of crap president....as for FOX...you're not being honest either....all of the MEDIA are in it to win it...our money of course...
Poor Alex,
That is precisely the point. I worked for 35 years paying for health insurance that covered myself and my family. My wife also was required to pay for the same type coverage, even though we had no children. Neither of us could opt out, we both had to pay for insurance that we were not really using.
Under Obamacare everyone will be helping to pay the cost, oneway or another !! and we will cover almost all citizens !!!!!!!!!
"It's not a good week for President Obama either. His approval rating has dropped 9% in the last month to an all-time low of 41%. It was 57% last May. In fact, if this keeps up, the White House says they may have to fish out Bin Laden and shoot him all over again." –Jay Leno