The RNC is now going after President Obama over the Wisconsin labor disputes. In a newly released ad, the group claims he's ruining the economy by supporting unions.
Meanwhile, those on the left argue the President isn't doing enough for unions, citing a 2007 campaign promise to "put on a comfortable pair of shoes" and "walk on that picket line" with workers denied collective bargaining rights.
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Lawrence,
Thank you to you and the TLW team for all your efforts to present both sides in a rational and civil context. In my opinion, you try to keep the dynamic within the scope of what relevant.
I think it is very clear the GOP/TP objectives include union busting prior to the 2012 election, elimination of any barriers to corporate profits (like regulations and taxes) and stimulus of corporate growth by infiltrating the public sector.
I am also ashamed to say that I think the omission of Firefighters from the WI repair bill elimination of collective bargaining is because firefighters protect balance sheet assets not "just people" like teachers. Sometimes I am just ashamed of the rationale used by some of these "patriots".
Thanks again to you and your team.
-LearnedHillbilly
For President Obama, he knows more than one way to get to "yes". "Top down" doesn't mean it's the best method for leadership - there are other models than the modern day corporate structure - it is just not as obvious.
The Koch brothers and other giant corporations gave so much more than unions did. Unions represent working people. The Koch brothers represent greed and the lust for power, which is what today's Republican party stands for.
And you need to do some more Research on this stuff why is it all right for Soros Money can go to Democrats and Obama and you all dont say a word on this then you have Unions who give to Democrats and Obama and they are good people,and now you all whine that some one who is Rich gives to the Tea Party and to the Republicand are Evil.And what about Waren Buffet he is in the Back Pockets of Obama and Democrats and dont care for the Working People.
I agree with you but why aren't more American people questioning these guys and the part of the proposed bill that allows the Governor to sell power plants to anyone with even holding a bidding process? Are we that stupid or do we just not care? I just don't know.
PS: If Obama found the cure for cancer, the republicans would accuse him of sabotaging the drug industry. They should have no crediability with the American people.
Look again at the ad and you will see the "Hitleresque" photo of Obama.
Now that we are beginning to see the methods used by the RNC, aka Koch addicts, I have to laugh when I see ads like this. They present exactly what they do and then, just change the actors to reflect their enemy, the Democratic party. This add doesn't work because we all know that while the RNC is financially supported by a few multi-billionaires, the unions who support the Dems are comprised of millions of working class people. They are actually proving the point: the Republicans' special interests are the top 10% while the Democrats are the bottom 90%.
There's a picture of Hitler with the words "separated at birth" next to President Obama's picture in the RNC ad. Horrible!
Hey Larry, I saw your show last night and I had to make a comment. You ran the gop ad and you said it was racist. Do you have to bring that up all the time? when your side have nothing good to say about your party you bring up race. Even your guest looked stunned when you made that connection She being an ex gov. You try to spin everything racist, you should be ashamed of yourself. Also you spent a segment of your talking about an enemy of yours and the libs and msnbc, bashing her whether she broke any laws by writing on her facebook that she might be on dancing with the stars. Larry get a live and start reporting on thing people care about. No wonder your show and the whole msnbc news is in the tank.
You need to give a little more information on how unions and companies (and government) negotiate contracts. After a few other items are dealt with it comes down to money. Of course the union wants more and the company less. After some intense negotiations a number is agreed to. Just for ease in disussing the issue let's assume they agree on $10.00 per day per worker. Then they decide how to spread that money out. If the employees take all of it in wages they end up paying $4.00 in additional taxes and the company $2.00, so there is a good reason for the union busters to claim that the employee benefit package is expensive, they disigned it that way. They will probably end up something like $4.00 in wages, $3.00 in retirement, $2.00 in insurance benefiits and $1.00 in time off (either vacation or holiday). That way the employee only pays about $1.60 in additional taxes and the company about $.75. Everyone is better off. The biggest problem now is that most do like the State of Wisconsin and instead of putting the retirement money into a seperate account like they just agreed to, they spend the money now to increase the money they have available to them today and push the rest off until a later date. That later date has now arrived and they don't want to meet their end of the bargain. It's not the fault of the union, it's the fault of the company.
Want to clear one thing up...I stand with the unions on this one. This governor has overstepped his authority. I hope the dems stay away and the middle class workers continue to demonstrate. Every day I watch a very smug Gov. Walker, I can't help but wonder why he thinks the American people will chalk off his phone call with "Mr. Koch" as "nothing wrong". For me, the conversation was "business as usual for republican member of government. I long ago realized they are politicians, not public servants.
This is where I'm disappointed with the MSNBC gang. One has to go no further than ex-Reaganomics architect, ex OMB budget director David Stockman's op-ed in the NY Times entitled "Four Deformations of the Apocalypse: How my Republican Party Destroyed the American Economy" for one of the most insightful outlines ever written on where, how, and why the American Dream went so far off track and into the sinkhole as it has. "..Destroyed the American Economy" ... by the Republicans.
Yet the left's best perspective broadcast platform, MSNBC, acts as if Stockman never even wrote this indictment of his own party and policies! It's like there are nothing but deaf ears at MSNBC.
Four Deformations of the Apocalypse
By DAVID STOCKMAN
How my Republican Party destroyed the American economy.
August 1, 2010, NY Times
MORE ON BRETTON WOODS AND: SUBPRIME MORTGAGE CRISIS, TAXATION, UNITED STATES ECONOMY, NATIONAL DEBT (US), FEDERAL BUDGET (US), BANKS AND BANKING, FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM, REPUBLICAN PARTY, NIXON, RICHARD MILHOUS, FRIEDMAN, MILTON
Edit: No idea why msnbc/newsvine won't enable links here on the blog. Inactivated evidently.