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Countdown has obtained a memo entitled "Action Alert - Auto Bailout," and sent Wednesday at 9:12am, to Senate Republicans. The names of the sender(s) and recipient(s) have been redacted in the copy Countdown obtained. The Los Angeles Times reported that it was circulated among Senate Republicans. The brief memo outlines internal political strategy on the bailout, including the view that defeating the bailout represents a "first shot against organized labor." Senate Republicans blocked passage of the bailout late Thursday night, over its insistence on an immediate union pay cut. See the entire memo after the jump.
From:
Sent: Wednesday, December 10, 2008 9:12 AM
To:
Subject: Action Alert -- Auto Bailout
Today at noon, Senators Ensign, Shelby, Coburn and DeMint will hold a press conference in the Senate Radio/TV Gallery. They would appreciate our support through messaging and attending the press conference, if possible. The message they want us to deliver is:
1. This is the democrats first opportunity to payoff organized labor after the election. This is a precursor to card check and other items. Republicans should stand firm and take their first shot against organized labor, instead of taking their first blow from it.
2. This rush to judgment is the same thing that happened with the TARP. Members did not have an opportunity to read or digest the legislation and therefore could not understand the consequences of it. We should not rush to pass this because Detroit says the sky is falling.
The sooner you can have press releases and documents like this in the hands of members and the press, the better. Please contact me if you need additional information. Again, the hardest thing for the democrats to do is get 60 votes. If we can hold the Republicans, we can beat this.
Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) characterized the GOP opposition as "class-warfare assault by the Republicans."
"They never ask[ed] about banker salaries. . . . They never asked they give money back," he said.
Bingo!
Congress approves a $700 billion bailout for the [white collar] financial giants, and rightfully goes after huge bonuses, and then turns down a $14 billion bailout (that's 2 percent of the Wall Street bailout) for the [blue collar] auto industry, and - putting ideology ahead of the best interests of the country - insists that ordinary workers take a pay cut. Classic.
I heard this the other day on NPR. UNbelievable.... Just as with the bailout of financial institutions, let's make sure that the help doesn't reach the actual people most affected.
I do think some of the labor agreements in the auto industry got out of hand- paying almost full salary for years when laid off, for example. But for every over-the-top provision within those agreemnts are many, many others that protect the basic rights of the worker.
Once again, the standards of checks and balances are not applied equally to management and worker. I just hope that the backlash doesn't pit average American against one another, but that we focus our outrage on the leadership in government and management who have crafted these bogus bailouts.
Congress approves a $700 billion bailout for the [white collar] financial giants, and rightfully goes after huge bonuses, and then turns down a $14 billion bailout (that's 2 percent of the Wall Street bailout) for the [blue collar] auto industry, and - putting ideology ahead of the best interests of the country - insists that ordinary workers take a pay cut. Classic.
Typical of Sherrod Brown; class warfare? The pot is calling the kettle black! Democrats are and always have been about "class warfare"!
But, it is the Unions that have bankrupted these companies. These people get paid far more than they're worth, and the Unions never give up anything when times are tough. They always ask for more, and they aren't going to budge this time either, even if the auto companies are forced out of business. Then what will these union workers do? They'll cry and whine.
This is not an auto company bailout, its a UAW bailout. To keep this bloated and antiquated business model afloat is just wrong. They need to go Ch. 11 get rid of the unions, restructure and reemerge as competitive businesses with products people want. Corporations are not employment agencies, they are there to provide a return to their stockholders, not provide employment for life. If they could totally automate the assembly plants DO IT!
Congress approves a $700 billion bailout for the [white collar] financial giants, and rightfully goes after huge bonuses, and then turns down a $14 billion bailout (that's 2 percent of the Wall Street bailout) for the [blue collar] auto industry, and - putting ideology ahead of the best interests of the country - insists that ordinary workers take a pay cut. Classic.
Typical of Sherrod Brown; class warfare? The pot is calling the kettle black! Democrats are and always have been about "class warfare"!
Usually, we blame the attackers in the event of warfare, not those who organize to defend themselves against attack. You've got it the other way around.
Quote:
Originally Posted by nononsenseguy
But, it is the Unions that have bankrupted these companies.
At the moment, it's this Republican-bred credit crisis that's got auto companies in trouble, and it isn't just the two out of three in Detroit. What they need just now is what they've asked for -- bridge financing to get them through this financial mess to a time when they and their customers and their suppliers can get reliable access to commercial credit again. Republicans would rather just blow the Big Three up. Their right-wing jihad has them acting no differently from terrorists with truck bombs...
Typical of Sherrod Brown; class warfare? The pot is calling the kettle black! Democrats are and always have been about "class warfare"!
But, it is the Unions that have bankrupted these companies. These people get paid far more than they're worth, and the Unions never give up anything when times are tough. They always ask for more, and they aren't going to budge this time either, even if the auto companies are forced out of business. Then what will these union workers do? They'll cry and whine.
Even more amusing is that the bulk of these Dumbocrats who want to support these destructive unions are driving foreign cars... I mean, how UN-American is that?
I'd like to see the Feds break the unions too, but I'd be satisfied if they just slapped a $2500 fee on the non-union-built foreign cars to support the Big 3's retirement funds.
Yes, the OP is correct. . . this is a "union busting" attempt, and as such, all Americans who wish to earn a living wage and to maintain a "middle class" lifestyle should oppose it. And for those of you out there who "hate" unions, please tell me what is so reprehesible about a laborer, or other employee / worker, earing a decent living with good benefits. Isn't that what we all want?
But, it is the Unions that have bankrupted these companies. These people get paid far more than they're worth, and the Unions never give up anything when times are tough. They always ask for more, and they aren't going to budge this time either
The concessions the UAW made recently and those they are willing to make now are well documented, perhaps you have trouble reading? Maybe you should change your name to "nonsense guy" because nonsense is what's spilling out'a your jibs.
Tell us what you do for a living and how much you make. Then we can judge whether YOU'RE "paid far more than you're worth".
Tommy's Law of Wages-----I'm overworked and you're overpaid.
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It has been my observations over time that anytime the republicans get a chance to poo on the American workers they take full advantage of it.
