I just saw what Obama said today about public unions on Ed's show and it ain't good!

[Omaha Steve]

I'm pissed. What happened to the candidate I gave $ to? That I worked for? That I thought was bringing HOPE not HOPELESSNESS.

It is time for a back bone and for the top 10% to share in the sacrifice!

I'll vote D. I won't give $ this time around to Obama. I'll put it in the hands of worker friendly candidates.

OS

[MannyGoldstein]

1. Is there a transcript or video? Was it his town hall thingie? nt

[Omaha Steve]

6. Yes on the town hall

I'm looking for a transcript, but headed for bed soon.

[MannyGoldstein]

7. No sweat, I can find a transcript - off to sleep for you!

Thanks!

[newthinking]

13. Some choice paragraphs

It started out better with some union history and deteriorated into something one might expect from Republicans. Awful! I don't care much for this side of my President's belief system.


"So I think it’s important -- remember we talked about shared sacrifice and burden sharing. Well, this is an area where there’s got to be burden sharing as well. If a public sector employee is able to retire at 55 with 80 percent of their wages" (Comment: Right wing distortion re-enforced) , "and the average public sector employee has got a 401(k) that they’ve just seen decline by about 20 percent and they have no idea how they’re going to retire, and they’re feeling burdened by a lot of taxes and they don’t feel like the public sector employers are making any adjustments whatsoever" (Comment: Another Right wing distortion reinforced) "to reflect the tough economic realities that are facing folks who are not protected, then there’s going to be a natural backlash. "


"If there’s a feeling that unions aren’t partners ("us vs them" reinforcement) in reform processes in things like education, then they’re going to end up being an easy target" (Comment: They are a target primarily because a purposeful campaign by Republicans of distortions and negative talking points, like are in these paragraphs, . "So there’s got to be an understanding of, on the one hand, we’ve got to revere public employees -- I was saying when I was in Cannon Falls that people are tired of politics, but they’re not tired of government. They may not realize it, but government are our troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. Government are our teachers in the classroom. Government are the FEMA folks who help people when there’s a flood or a tornado or a natural disaster. (Applause.)


But we also have to acknowledge -- and sometimes Democrats aren’t good at this -- is acknowledging that not every program in government is working perfectly and we’ve got to make adjustments to become more efficient and more productive, just like the private sector does. And the more we’re willing to be open to new ideas and reform and change, the more we’re going to be able to rally public opinion behind all the outstanding work that public employees do as opposed to public opinion being turned against public employees."

[madfloridian]

2. What did he say?

[Brickbat]

3. What did he say? I'm not surprised, whatever it was.

[dennis4868]

4. I don't know what he said either...

but I am sure it is hyperspeculation by the PL...no doubt in my mind...twisting Obama's words to put him in the worse light...

[Donnachaidh]

10. ahhh *hyperspeculation*

even concocting new words to marginalize the flood of dissatisfaction does NOT make it go away. Sorry.

:rofl:

[DontTreadOnMe]

5. I am cringing too

Obama is just handing over the White House... losing it all by himself. "Shared Sacrifice" is a losing strategy.

I almost get the feeling that Obama wants out. He was the first black President. He attained that goal. He doesn't want to be the "angry black man". Can you imagine the stress it must be to protect his family from some crazed assassin? And not JUST while he is President, what about after? He is playing it safe. He is protecting his legacy. No matter what happens to the country, his family is set for life. Don't rock the boat. When a politician gets in that mode, all is lost.

The "generic" GOP candidate has a good chance of beating Obama, and that is really scary.

The GOP smells blood, they always do. And they are going to run GW all over again with Perry.

GW won twice!

[madrchsod]

8. here`s the exchange.....

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2011/08/obama-conducts-town-hall-in-iowa/1?csp=34news


i`m glad the folks were not kissing his ass...maybe he`ll realize that people are pissed off and they will stay that way until he wises up.

steve..our fight is in the states. even here in "union friendly illinois" with a democratic governor we still can`t get a pay raise.

the teachers in chicago are fed up with being blamed for everything...you noticed obama dissed them big time. obama will get his billion but will he get our organization? i guess that will be up to us.

[pnorman]

11. This is all I could find:

7:10 p.m. -- A former teacher asks Obama whether he can do anything to help support collective bargaining rights for public sector unions.

Obama, who got big support from unions, celebrates their contributions to American society, from weekends to the eight-hour day -- but also says public unions "should be on the side of reform when reform is needed."

Judge for yourself whether or not this is cause to "primary him out" next year, and virtually GUARANTEE as Reptilican in the White House!!

[PATRICK]

14. Have some personal interest in the parsing

Does this mean he will veto any GOP Postal "reform" legislation that effectively would negate our recent hard negotiated good faith contract settlement(rule of law) among other convenient rapes of the system that does no harm to the federal budget whatsoever? Or does it mean that he backs such "reform" as he does for taxpayer funded billionaire ownership of the education system with a constant churnover of undertrained TFA shock troops?

Of course I may be wrong but there has been no impolite hint of WH displeasure at Issa's scorched earth plans for the USPS. Do we need a cut in postal service(hurt to the economy) and a loss of 100,000 decent jobs(massive hurt to the economy) or in the long run a AT&T bust up of the USPS into a private plaything of more billionaires(hurray, a few more low wage, low benefit salary jobs!) and ZERO effect on the budget deficit? How exactly is that bleeding and "sacrifice" going to help the economy?

So is it we must just set an example, turning back union history 100 years for the sake of a lie about reform and sacrifice, and begin turning the biggest escapee from the spoils system into a sacred feast for fat cats? oh, this will make those suffering from NOT having unions so much happier too, to see there is no hope in America whatsoever for the working man.

I get the impression(through his own free and unforced statements) in principle and attitude the president is not with us. He is Reaganite to the core and as an ideologue has redefined the universe to think this is best for us, the same way most GOPers already do, except that the Turd Way slap on of making this agenda in parallel with claims to "backing" unions is in fact always a sneering slap in the face to their neglected base. Reform. The future. Getting with it. Abandonning the FDR past(which never came to complete fulfillment anyway). Shut up and die, go broke, gut your rights, gut the law and vote like our rich donors tell you to do.

It is infinitely more infuriating to be betrayed by a declared friend than and avowed enemy.

So it is important to parse these gratuitous horror statements by a campaigning incumbent because from what I have seen from education "reform" coming right from the WH I have little hope for the future of a public sector universal service USPS or for the appointments on the board of governors Obama gets to make term that will decide our fate.
Our contract gave in to a two tier employee system that halves wages and with no benefits to new hirees except for health care after a year(mandated anyway right?). We get no raises for a year including the treading water cost of living increase. Our wage scale is comparable now to the private sector and wage hikes have merely tred water compared to inflation. Our competitors are unionized. I suppose the UPS Teamsters should have their contract rewritten for reform?

One way or the other, these backhanded policies give the impression that we indeed shall be screwed insofar as the government has one greasy hand in the stamp funded public service. I hope in the short run that this president will back the Dem legislation proposed to insure the Post Office survival from Congressional GOP malicious attack.

[femrap]

9. He's long gone....

and paid well to do as TPTB tell him to do.

Where have you been?

[jwirr]

12. This is the stupidest thing he could have said. Was he in Southern

MN or Eastern IA? Iowa is a right to work state but that part of Iowa is not in favor of it. That is where most of their strong unions are located.

It is one thing to ignore his base like us, it is another to cut his foot soldiers off at the knees. They are already not going to the convention in NC and now he adds insult to injury.

Look, President Obama in this shared sacrifice deal of yours - we have already given at the office. Now it is the turn of the rich. Listen to Buffett.