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Trumka Takes It to Palin in Her Back Yard
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Last night, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said what many Americans believe but won’t say: Sarah Palin’s rhetoric is poisonous, dangerous and strikes of McCarthyism.
In a much publicized speech to the Alaska State AFL-CIO, Trumka said:
In this charged political environment, her kind of talk gets dangerous. “Don’t retreat…reload” may seem clever, the kind of bull you hear all the time, but put it in context. She’s using crosshairs to illustrate targeted legislators. She’s on the wrong side of the line there. She’s getting close to calling for violence. And some of her fans take that stuff seriously. We’ve got legislators in America who have been living with death threats since the health care votes.
As usual, Palin tried to dodge the issues by writing on Facebook and Twitter—far easier than facing reporters—and calling on her “union brothers and sisters” to join “our commonsense movement.”
Palin left working families in Alaska behind when she trade them for high-profile appearances on FOX News and star appearances at tea party rallies. Her actions, policies and the candidates she supports speak way louder than her tweets and Facebook comments, no matter how much she tries to keep up a faux populist image as caring about working people. Her true colors come through when she supports candidates like Kentucky’s Republican Senate candidate Rand Paul, who told miners across the state that “accidents happen,” and so the federal government shouldn’t be involved in regulating health and safety on the job. Or, as he said, that helping jobless workers would create drug abuse.
Trumka’s message hit the nail on the head:
Quite frankly, America works because lots of people contribute lots of ideas—that’s good—even when some of them are just plain wrong. But people need to come to the table in good faith. That’s not Sarah Palin. She’ll go down in history like McCarthy. Palinism will become an ugly word.
You can read Trumka’s speech here.
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29 Comments
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WOW, talk out political posturing!
Palins comments are NO DIFFERENT than your comments Mr. Trunka.
You have many times talked about “KILLING” a piece of Legislation, or “Rallying the Troops Against” the Arizona Immigration Law.
You must be a promoter of VIOLENCE according to what you have stated about Palins comments.
THIS is one UNION MEMBER that does not believe your lies!
You promoted Obama as our savior. LIE
You promoted Obama Care as a Great Thing. LIE (You and Obama can shove your “Cadillac Tax!”)
Here is the Truth! You, and Obama did not listen to Union Members and US Citizens, when they told you we DO NOT WANT THIS!
So, Now You and the DEMOCRATS will learn that when you do not Listen to the people you Represent, you will find your self NO LONGER REPRESENTING the people that decided to VOTE YOU OUT!
Trumka don’t get down in the slim with Fox News. Best thing you can do is take her on with the issues. Makes you look bad when you or the rest of labor never show up on the Sunday News shows like Walter Ruther did. She is right your beef is not with her it is in Washington.
Richard Trumka is way off base on this one. This is an easily understood use of a metaphor by Sarah Palin.
If you are going to criticize Palin please pick a better example.
Why is Palin hated so much by liberals, liberal women’s groups and the media.
Mr. Trumka, please tell me why you dislike Sarah Palin so much that you would use such a poor example of her use of a metaphor.
If a conservative group were to speak out against a working mother they would be crucified by the media.
Um, REALLY? So, did Dr George Tiller get assassinated because he was targetted and vilified by the FOX news gang and rightwing religious zealots, or just randomly?
Please point out EXACTLY which Republican has been targetted for being “put into the crosshairs” by the left?
You exampled BILLS, and a proposed law, that is NOT in conformation with FEDERAL law. When exactly did Arizona become the source of national policy?
And only a moron would fall for the Messiah BS. I voted for a president, NOT a messiah. So, YOU have that issue all to your own to work out, and NOT include those of us that did NOT want two additional wars, for OUR children to fight, while the right would get rich off the profiteering and risking nothing else, as THEIR kids would NOT attend. And btw, how would you figure the right would fund THOSE additional wars?
Do YOU actually think big business does NOT organize their positions together to succeed in getting THEIR way? Why not Americans in general? Remember UNIONS are Americans grouping together to help get better conditions for themselves ,by collective bargaining. NOT guns, negotiations. What part of that is so UNAmerican to you?
IF you hate UNIONS you hate the 40 hour week, 8 hour workday, vacations, healthcare, and a fair chance at a pension down the road 30 or 40 years, and Big Business is telling you THAT IS TOO MUCH, WHILE THEY, MAKE 300 TIMES THE PAY!
Try factchecking the right now and then since they are usually fudging on the facts from the right.
we are all union members here , most of us i think and we all have a voice to put into this page and we see things different in different ways , butb in the end it pays off for all !
one america was attacked by radical moslums , terrorist who hate americans and freedom , who would kill inocent civilians at any cost , members we are at war , does any one here think we are not ! please let me know i will enlighten you a few kilowatts ! ok …
we had a choice which is called preemptive or preventive war , we either bring it to them or we fight it here ! americans brought it to them which was the right move in most americans minds , the rest had there heads in the clouds or the smoke ! which of those dont have the facts , but like to to think they know it all !
i been in the union over 41 years and been in many places in the country and worked with many union members and dont understand where some are coming from , but most i do , i feel we are getting a sell out from the democarts and we are 60% out off work for are membership and the democarts have almost controled the house and u s senate 4 years and no jobs , what do members think of this , where they behind palin when she was drilling in alsaka , we could of had 70 to 80,000 jobs for using members , where was jack on that one ?? well let all be postive and vote for the right people in america , weither there republican or democart and independent , if there labor friendly creating jobs in america and for americans thats who we should stand behind …
So many willing to regurgitate Fox News and call it their own opinion, so few who bother to actually read or investigate so as to back up ‘their’ opinion with any facts. They call Palin a ‘working mother’, and claim that ‘If a conservative group were to speak out against a working mother they would be crucified by the media.” What media? You can not argue with these factless morons. This is the price we pay, because facts are almost impossible to find on the major media, which is why we need a Labor Party, so finally someone can tell the truth on TV.
Rich is the only national figure I’ve seen who has the guts to call Palin on this claptrap. We’ve seen the result of her kind of rhetoric all too frequently. Remember during the early Clinton years, how the crazies in the extreme right wing militia movements preached hatred of “ZOG”, what they said was a Zionist Occupation Government. Protected speech led to the Branc Dividian massacre, Oklahoma City and the killing of a federal officer in a long running standoff in Idaho. The time to fight back is now, before the insane among Palin’s followers start taking action. Mark my words, killings will follow this claptrap.
Thank you Richard Trumka for speaking the truth about these so called “real Americans.” People who believe this stuff need to hear the truth often and loud because the situation is getting out of hand.
Organized Labor – two of the most spiritually uplifting words I can think of.
Thank you Richard Trumka for being the voice of Organized Labor and working America.
Unionism = beautiful
Labor Day is EVERYDAY!
WOW! Some of these people have chugged the cool aid! Sarah Palin is another Repugnican moronic empty suit like Reagan, and GW Bush and does not stand for anything other than getting rich at the expense of our common good. She’ll say or do anything, including being President if it fulfills her narcissistic fantasies. She’d probably make lush rimbaugh Secretary of State! Can you imagine that! Right on Brother Trumka!
To try to spin something wrong about being in the cross hairs etc etc. just show how wrong and out of touch the union is. Shame on trumka if that is all he has.
America is smarter then that. Go to the issues not our common speach.
Even if Trumpka was wrong, which he isn’t, it in no way makes the union movement out of touch – that is rightie loon logic.
exhausted,,,,Have YOU ever been IN the cross hairs?
As a viet vet, I have NO TOLERANCE for referrences to violent acts.
There are NO cross hairs in politics, accepted with the dead bodies of JFK, RFK, MLK, in our history and ALL of them DEMOCRATS, I will DEMAND that stupid cow, make use of some of the OTHER words in our large political speech inventory.
In other words, “she should be more sensitive, to our tragic history”, much like Muslims should be sensitive to New Yorkers sensitivities to 911.
Your turn to wiggle out of YOUR OWN RHETORIC, rightie.
And WHAT kind of “union member”, could ever take the right’s positions over the left? The right has done everything possible to break unions and leave us at the mercy of Corporate America, as if they care a second about us.
Do you remember big business OFFERING raises? time off? healthcare? pensions? sick time off? I will help you,,,,NO, they fought tooth and nail, even hiring THUGS that killed , beat and intimidated PHYSICALLY, to maintain the sweatshop standards deemed just fine by BIG BUSINESS.
GET a clue !
President Trumka; Are you going to stand strong with all the building trades and not work on the ground zero mosque?????
Or are you going to follow this President over the edge as he turns this country into a third world crap hole.
I left the Democratic Party a long time a go and so have MANY OF MY BROTHERS, What we believe as Union Brothers And What the Democratic Party believe in, Are like oil and water. They will never mix.
HARDWORK , YOU MAKE GOOD VIEW POINTS AND WE REALLY NEED PRESIDENT TRUMKA TO STAND UP FOR THE VICTEMS OF 9/11 AND MAKE A STAND IN N Y GROUND ZERO AND YOUR RIGHT !
THE MOSQUE SHOULD NOT BE BUILT ANY WHERE NEAR GROUND ZERO AT ALL !!! THIS HAS BECOME A POLITICAL IN EVERY WAY !
BLOOMBERG GOT HIM SELF AS MAYOR OF N Y AND THEN HE GOT HIM SELF AS CEO TLO GET HIS FINGERS INTO MORE MONEY AND NOW HES TRING BE SOME KIND OF POMPEDOO DOG ! N Y SHOULD GIVE HIM THE BOOT ASAP ! WHAT A CRAP HE TURNED OUT TO BE , HES ALL ABOUT HIM SELF AND BIG BUCKS AND WHATS IN IT FOR HIM GUY ! HOW SAD AND WHAT A SELL OUT TO N Y
I wonder what you think of the fact that war vets are supporting the “mosque” project: http://peoplesworld.org/iraq-afghanistan-vets-give-support-to-islamic-center/
MOST WAR VETS THAT I NOW THINK AMERICAN , AND FOR THE VICTIMS OF THE 9/11 AND FAMILYS … EVERY ONE HAS THE RIGHT FOR THERE VIEWS , BUT MOST AMERICANS DONT WANT THE MOSQUE AROUND THE AREA OF GROUND ZERO FOR ITS NOT THE RIGHT TIME AND THE RIGHT PLACE FOR THE MOSQUE , WHERE IS THERE HEART , ITS BECOME A POLITICAL FOOT BALL AND WHAT IT IS , IS THE MOLSUM PUSH ! YOU MIGHT HAVE A FEW VETS THAT THINK YOU WAY , YOU NOT THINKING RIGHT , WHAT OUR YOU SMOKING ?
We are stoked in AK! Just so sorry I had to miss this oustanding event — this epic analysis and rally for Alaska workers by Brother Trumka, but I was out organizing in Juneau. ASEA for UA! Back in A-Town now where Sarah Palin’s desparation is increasingly showing as much as her dim-wittedness, we are never shocked at her ongoing assaults on organized labor.
In Solidarity
Sam Rhodes – ASEA/AFSCME Local 52, AFL-CIO
THE LABORERS JUST ASKED TO GET BACK INTO THE AFL CIO , I HAD WRITTEN LAST WEEK ABOUT ALL THE WORK THE LABORERS HAD TAKEN FROM PIPE FITTERS AND PLUMBERS IN AREAS OF SITE WORK AND DEMOLITION CRAFTS WORK I HAVE NOT HEARD FROM THE AFL CIO YET !
ONE THING ABOUT PALIN SHE OPENED UP ALSKA FOR DRILLING AND WHICH WOULD OF CREATED 70 TO THOUSAND JOBS FOR THE UNION CRAFTS , BUT THE DEMOCRATS DONT STAND BEHIND DRILLING IN ALASKA AND THEY STAND WITH THE FREAKS OF AMERICA THAT STOP EVERYTING FROM BEING DONE AND CREATING JOBS AND PROGRESS IN AMERICA !
Dear patriot,
Rather than singling out religion as a basis for wrong-headed union activity, we should join together with workers of all faiths, believers and non-believers, etc. Moslems are workers. too.
Labor increases its power when we find common ground with our sisters and brothers. Labor weakens when we engage in boycotts such as the one you appear to advocate.
Why not call for a series of one-day stay-at-home strikes to raise the issue of joblessness? Everyone needs a job.
America must not emulate the religious intolerance that is so prevalent abroad. Let us continue to be a beacon for freedom.
P.S. I was surprisred to read that you “left’ the DP, since few people are card-carrying members.
You can’t talk to these idiots, they want to tear america apart just because they don’t get there way, the problem is there going to get there way and we’re all going to be in real trouble then the working class republican will see the truth but it will be to late.
Too late, but at least we’ll all know whose policies led us here..HECK, we know now! We had Bush for 8 years and the economy collapsed around our ears….what more does it take? Blame it all on Obama and the Dems. We aren’t THAT stupid!! Sure, let’s return to the failed Bush policies. That’ll fix it…or US! I can’t figure out why business would want us all to fail! They fail too if the Bush policies continue! Or do they know something we don’t? Do they have some kind of failsafe button they can push that will keep them from teh brink? Bailouts? HECk, the Amerikan taxpayer is broke! No more bailouts are possible! Or are they? Forgetful? Are we really THAT forgetful? MAYBE!
M. Trumka’s comments are so far off base , it is ridiculous. If this is from the President of the AFL-CIO heaven help us because his head is in the sand. Or somewhere else!!!
He should look in the mirror, if it is able to stay on the wall.
AMERICANS AND AMERICAN UNION MEMBERS MUST ASK THEM SELFS AND THE LEADERSHIP OF THE UNIONS THE QUESTION WHERE DO THEY STAND AND THE MEMBERSHIP ALONG WITH MILLIONS OF AMERICANS OUT OF WORK WITH IMMIGRATION AND ILLGALS IN AMERICA ?
WE TAKE INTO AMERICA EACH MONTH 125,000 FOREIGN BORN WORKERS AND I ONE YEAR THATS 1.5 MILLION WE HAVE TAKEN IN OVER 2 MILLION FROM JAN 20 TH WHEN OBAMA HAS TAKEN OFFICE AND THE DEMOCRATS HAVE CONTROLED CONGRESS AND THE U S SENATE FOR ALOMST 4 YEARS , NOW WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO SEE THE PROBLEM WHY AMERICANS DONT HAVE WORK ? DO WE HAVE A LAND FULL OF EDUCATED IDIOTS OR WHAT !
CONGRESS AND THE U S SENATE VOTED TO SEND MILLIONS OF AMERICAN JOBS OUT OF THE COUNTRY WE LOST OVER 5 MILLION JOBS WITH CLINTONS NAFTA AND THE WE HAD TAKEN IN 32 MILLION FOREIGN BORN WORKERS FROM 1990 TO 2000 AND OVER 14 MILLION ILLEAGLS AT THAT TIME AND THIS INFO CAME FROM THE GOVERMNENT SITE , AND NOW WE PUT THE TRUST FOR ALL AMERICANS IN THE HANDS OF ACORN TO DO THE CENSUS FOR 2010 AND THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION WILL PAY THEM A BILLION AND OVER THE NEXT 6 YEARS WILL PAY ACORN 8.7 BILLION OF TAX PAYERS MONEY ! JUST WHAT DOES ACORN DO FOR THE BIGGEST PART OF AMERICANS OTHER THEN SPEND MONEY THAT MOST AMERICANS DONT KNOW ABOUR EVERTHING THEY HAVE IS BRAND NEW DO THEY USE UNIONS OR IS IT ALL JUST FOR SPECILA ITEREST AND WHERE IS THE TRANSPRANENCY . ACCOUNTABILITY AND HONESTY FOR ALL AMERICANS TO SEE , CONGRESS AND THE U S SENATE PROVIDE ALL THIS MONEY TO THEM WHAT COMMITTEES AND WHATS MEMBERS OF CONGRESS AND THE U S SEANTE TAKE CREDIT FROR ALL THIS WILD SPENDIND AND NO ACCOUTIBILITY AND ITS ALL ONE WAY FOR THEM !
WHY UNION MEMBERS DONT HAVE JOBS THERE 2 MANY PEOPLE AND TO MANY JOBS TAKEN OUT OF THE COUNTRY AND WHEN AMERICAN TAX PAYERS IS SENT OVER SEAS TO BIG AMERICAN COMPANYS , CONGRESS AND THE U S SENATE SHOULD HAVE MAD GUIDE LINES THAT AMERICANS AND UNION MEMBERS SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN ALL THE JOBS EVER WHERE IN THE WORLD THAT WORK WAS BEING DONE BY TAX PAYERS MONEY ITS OUR MONEY NOT THEREs , THIS SIS WHAT THE PROBLEM WITH CONGRESS AND THE U S SENATE IS WITH 35,000 LOBBYIST IN WASHINGTON WITH SPECIAL INTEREST , THEY HAVE SOLD LABOR DOWN THE RIVER , THE BIG QUESTION WHERE WAS OUR UNION LEADERSHIP ALL THESE YEARS SITTING AND DOING OR WERE THEY IN BED WITH THIS GROUP WITH THERE HHAND OUT AND BEING PAID TO KEEP THE MOUTH SHUT , THE QUEATION AND ANSERS WILL BE COMING OUT SOON THIS NOVEMBER MILLIONS OF AMERICANS OUR NOT HAPPY WITH ALL THE CORRUPTION IN THE DEMOCARTIC PARTY AND IN WASHINGTON AND WHY ONE OF THE GREATIST NATIONS ON THE PLANET ! WHAT BROUGHT THIS ECONOMY TO ITS KNEES IS THE DEMOCARTIC PARTY AND NOT THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION , WE HAD ONE OF THE BEST ECONOMY FROM THE TIME OF JFK WITH BUSH , YOU CAN NOT CHANGE THE FACTS , AS V P JOE BIDON TRYS TO MAKE CLAIM TO , ITS VERY SAD TO SEE POLITICAL PEOPLE AT THIS HIGH LEVEL TRYING TO COAT A CAKE THATS FULL OF CRAP AND TELLING YOU TO TAKE A BITE , WHO WANTS TO EAT THERE CRAP , ?
WELL ALL I CAN SAY IS THIS FALL VOTE FOR CHANGE AND YOU WILL SEE JOBS , YOU HAVENT SEEN THEM IN 4 YEARS , NOW ITS TIME FOR REWAL CHANGE ! GOD BLESS ALL AND OUR TROOPS FIGHTING FOR OUR FREEDOM AND DEMOCARCY .
Thanks so much. I can’t believe how violent some of these lunatics talk. They should be arrested as far as I’m concerned. They are inciting some freak on the fringe to act on their suggestions and if and when it happens, they’ll claim total innocence.
And to all you jerks responding to this, why are ya’ll even on this site? If you have a job and are getting a decent wage, it is purely because of the union members who have fought for you for the last hundred years.
If it were up to the jack butts ya’ll are defending, you would all be on minimum wage and thanking them for allowing you to have the job.
Trumka is right. Palinism promotes stupidity and is anti-working class.
Thank you, Mr. Trumka, for your ‘light’ on the subject. I see that the Psy Ops are busy trying to discredit you. Who cares! We’re out here and like hearing it like it IS! Palin needs to tone it down. Heck you couldn’t even get NEAR a Bush event, say nothing of packing ‘heat’ in the vicinity! Less heat; more light, PLEASE!
The most unbelievable comments here are those attesting to some vast, fundamental difference between the Democratic and Republican Parties. What a laugh! Also – this idea that there has been some huge change in the government’s role with the arrival of Obama. Hogwash! Things are still the same as under the Republicans, because, in many ways, they are still in charge. They control the Supreme Court, and can bring Congress to a standstill at will. Their weasels have not been rooted out from EPA, CIA, Justice or anywhere else. Obama, the most conservative of Democrats, is so afraid of them that he appointed Bush people to Defense and SEC. On top of that, the far right wing of the Republicans dominates both TV and radio, spewing their racist BS to America’s growing supply of blooming idiots. The fact that the Democrats are useless is no reason for working people to support Republicans – that would be like a chicken voting for Colonel Sanders. This is the price we pay for not having a Labor Party, because that would upset the bosses.
I can understand not being enthused by the Democrats. The only thing that would be more foolish would be believing that the Republicans and the Tea Party wing of the Republican Party would help workers. Their policies would return us to the time of the robber barons and illegal unions. Ask people like Rick Scott – he’d be glad to return to those days (Rick Scott of Colombia HCA medicare fraud fame who’s running for elected office). I don’t think returning to the past is quite as attractive as some of these people think it is. Thanksgiving dinner at grandma’s may have been nice, but the economic conditions of the late 1800′s and early 1900′s were horrible. Maybe they need to forget the romantic fantasy of the past and look at the reality. Palin may be beyond hope but her gang needs to be awakened.