"Romney: Employees Should Know Political Implications of Their Votes" by Rebekah Metzler

[applegrove]

Romney: Employees Should Know Political Implications of Their Votes

by Rebekah Metzler at US News

http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/ballot-2012/2012/06/06/romney-employees-should-know-political-implications-of-their-votes

"SNIP.....................................................

At least that's what he told about 100,000 members of the National Federation of Independent Businesses during a Wednesday tele-townhall.

"I hope you make it very clear to your employees what you believe is in the best interest of your enterprise and therefore their job and their future in the upcoming elections," the Republican presidential nominee said. "And whether you agree with me or you agree with President Obama, or whatever your political view, I hope you pass those along to your employees."

[Read: Walker win will embolden fellow GOP governors.]

Chuckling a bit, Romney added, "Nothing illegal about you talking to your employees about what you believe is best for the business, because I believe that will figure in to their election decision, their voting decision."

Romney spent the majority of the call answering questions from business owners on topics like healthcare, regulation and taxes. He vowed to halt all "Obama era" regulations upon assuming office and said Congress should approve all substantive federal regulations, which would cede a decent amount of power from the executive branch to the legislative.

......................................................SNIP"

[JoePhilly]

1. Romney is a disgusting individual.

[SoutherDem]

2. So let me get this straight

Union back a candidate is bad

Boss backs a candidate is good

Is that what he is saying?

Now stay with me, I am a little slow, o.k.

When the boss calls a meeting and says "Employees Romney is the candidate for the business" will some employees take that as vote Romney or you will not have a job?

[Politicalboi]

3. So threatening employees

Who don't vote your way in other words. Fuck you Rmoney. If I were working, and my boss told me how to vote, I would tell him to go fuck himself.

[gopiscrap]

7. I have told a boss that

and then sued the shit out of the company and won!

[siligut]

4. We know what we can look forward to if this man gets in the WH

"My way or the highway", should be Mitt's campaign slogan.

[BDBoop]

5. Chuckling, my ass

I am so very angry. I cannot believe he said such a thing, and that people are defending his having done so.

[hollysmom]

6. not the first, won't be the last.

This is how company towns worked before there were laws against this. I wonder if it is illegal in that state, I believe it is in some states. I worked for a company that tried to do that to us. but if I get pushed too hard, I over react in the other direction probably why I am a die hard liberal today, too many idiots tried to push me to conform to the "right" way.

[WonderGrunion]

8. Repukes REALLY hate the Voting Rights Act, don't they?

http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/42/1971

(b) Intimidation, threats, or coercion
No person, whether acting under color of law or otherwise, shall intimidate, threaten, coerce, or attempt to intimidate, threaten, or coerce any other person for the purpose of interfering with the right of such other person to vote or to vote as he may choose, or of causing such other person to vote for, or not to vote for, any candidate for the office of President, Vice President, presidential elector, Member of the Senate, or Member of the House of Representatives, Delegates or Commissioners from the Territories or possessions, at any general, special, or primary election held solely or in part for the purpose of selecting or electing any such candidate

That means that an employer that makes it seem like the employees job is on the line if they don't vote a certain way IS acting illegally.

[meow2u3]

11. Intimidation of voters is also a Federal crime

http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/594

Whoever intimidates, threatens, coerces, or attempts to intimidate, threaten, or coerce, any other person for the purpose of interfering with the right of such other person to vote or to vote as he may choose, or of causing such other person to vote for, or not to vote for, any candidate for the office of President, Vice President, Presidential elector, Member of the Senate, Member of the House of Representatives, Delegate from the District of Columbia, or Resident Commissioner, at any election held solely or in part for the purpose of electing such candidate, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.

[GoCubsGo]

9. Is this a threat?

Sure sounds like one to me. ""Telling your employees what you believe is best for business" my fat ass. This is blatant coercion, especially when you have people are afraid of losing their jobs.

[LiberalFighter]

10. We should be able to make major hay out of this in the campaign.

[mentalsolstice]

12. Employee luncheon in 2004

Our VP took our team out to lunch, in Sept./Oct., under the guise of rewarding us for a good quarter pefromance, there were 6/7 of us and it was mandatory we attend. Once we were seated at the restaurant, not a word was spoken about performance. It was all about how we should vote for repubs in the national and local elections (including a vote for Judge Roy Moore, cringe), as it was in our best interests. That night I went to Dem. HQ and got my Kerry bumper sticker. A few days later, while the VP was walking to his car, I pulled up beside him, rolled down my window and thanked him for lunch, and then drove very slowly away from him. Sadly, all but one of my coworkers chided me about not listening to the VP. I'd been a lifelong Dem., and there was no way I was going to change because a 1% moron was telling me to vote for his best interests.

[yellowcanine]

13. That is a dangerous card to play. Employers should not permit supervisors to discuss politics with

workers on the job. And couldn't this be seen as a form of vote-buying, if someone thinks their job might be dependent on how they vote?