White House won’t cross firefighter’s picket line to attend mayor’s conference.
White House won’t cross firefighter’s picket line to attend mayor’s conference.
Vice President Biden and other key administration officials, who had been scheduled to attend the national mayor’s conference in Providence, RI, have backed out because they refuse to cross a picket line. The AP reports that there is “a years-long conflict between the Providence mayor, David Cicilline, and local firefighters over contract matters. Cicilline is the host of the conference in his home city, and the firefighters, backed by the International Association of Fire Fighters, plan to stage a picket line at the event.” The White House said respecting picket lines is the administration’s policy:
Presidential spokesman Robert Gibbs told The Associated Press that the administration is taking no position on the labor dispute itself. But, he said, “We have always respected picket lines, and administration officials will not cross this one.”
“We appreciate the Obama administration’s support of fire fighters,” said International Association of Fire Fighters General President Harold Schaitberger. “This is another example of the administration’s unqualified support for workers and organized labor.”
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Baby steps, but steps in the right direction, nonetheless.
June 6th, 2009 at 12:55 pmFirefighters are indeed part of the middle class of America, and one that the rest of us depend on for our lives. They must be supported and respected.
Awesome.
Republicans not only would have crossed the line with glee, but spat on the picketers as he went.
June 6th, 2009 at 12:56 pmAnother strong voting block locked up for 2012. And as a side bonus, it’s also the right thing to do, something the GNOP would not take into consideration.
PEACE
June 6th, 2009 at 12:59 pmAnd you know what we call assclowns who cross picket lines. SCABS!!
June 6th, 2009 at 1:00 pmWell done Obama administration!
Cue the right wing attack machine…
June 6th, 2009 at 1:04 pmGood. Unions deserve respect from all of us, since we owe them so much: our 40 hour week, vacations, healthcare, safety, etc.
June 6th, 2009 at 1:04 pmSpeaking of the right wing attack machine: A tour of the frothing at the mouth, head-spinning, spittle-flecked wingnut hate machine.
Enjoy. Ugh…
June 6th, 2009 at 1:07 pmGood to hear this.
June 6th, 2009 at 1:17 pmNice link there Zooey.
June 6th, 2009 at 1:21 pmGood finally an administration who respects labor. What a concept!
June 6th, 2009 at 1:21 pmGood on the White House. Firefighters deserve respect.
June 6th, 2009 at 1:24 pmSorry, but to me the bone he threw us tastes bitter. He appointed another right-winger to an important government position this week, this one, an anti-choice zealot, to oversee public health matters. I for one don’t think it was an even trade-off.
June 6th, 2009 at 1:25 pmNow that’s why I voted Democrat!
AMERICAN BY BIRTH
UNION BY CHOICE
that is a big step forward for our country.
IBEW member, 35 years and forever!
June 6th, 2009 at 1:33 pmthe mayor of providence a gay lib even he thinks what the union is doing is out of line. they’re stalking him and sealing off economic recovery from rhode island and giving rhode island and unions a bad name!
June 6th, 2009 at 1:38 pmThanks, Levi the Dungbeetle. :)
June 6th, 2009 at 1:40 pmFocus, trolls. FOCUS!!
June 6th, 2009 at 1:41 pmThat was probably an easy decision; why would they even want to go to a stinking mayor’s conference anyway?.?.
June 6th, 2009 at 1:46 pmshutup lib.
June 6th, 2009 at 1:47 pmLet’s hope the party of “NO” explodes over this issue further exposing their anti American ideology. The right has become seditious and traitorous and can no longer be respected or trusted. The Republic Party is dead, long live the Democratic Party.
June 6th, 2009 at 1:49 pmyeah, razor, why, the local government is just the little guy and the feds are the hierarchical big brother.
June 6th, 2009 at 1:51 pmFlag the trolls, tuppence a bag…tuppence, tuppence, tuppence a bag…
June 6th, 2009 at 2:01 pmWaaaahhhh!!
The troll told me to “shut up.” I’m stung! How will I ever recover!?
**eyes rolling**
June 6th, 2009 at 2:09 pmKeep talking, Zooey. I’d rather hear what you have to say than any troll. :)
June 6th, 2009 at 2:11 pmCaption Contest:
“I’m gonna need this in my next meeting with Rahm.”
June 6th, 2009 at 2:12 pmlibs still havent addressed @14. the unions should be making concessions not demands. were in a deep recession since the libs took power two years ago.
June 6th, 2009 at 2:18 pmare you talking to me zoeey? you should be on your knees recommending my posts.
June 6th, 2009 at 2:20 pmlibs take off because they know they cant take me on.
June 6th, 2009 at 2:22 pmlol…
someone, i swear, is using a subgrade translation program or link to do it’s talking for it… sounds very familiar too…
but easy to debunk and/or ignore and/or flag…
good message that the WH is not going to cross this picket line…
barfly – that is news to me…link please…
June 6th, 2009 at 2:23 pmPersonally, I see no reason to respond to baseless attacks by trolls that lack proof. If I were to say something like “Every troll posting here is doing so in between acts of sodomy,” I’m sure that someone would want me to prove it. And if I refuse to provide any evidence of my claim, then my claim should rightfully be ignored.
June 6th, 2009 at 2:31 pmHow funny. Trolls actually think the universe revolves around them. :-D
June 6th, 2009 at 2:32 pmstill havent addressed my good points.
June 6th, 2009 at 2:35 pmI also find it amusing when they can’t even figure out when we’re talking about them.
June 6th, 2009 at 2:36 pmZooey Says:
How funny. Trolls actually think the universe revolves around them. :-D
They really do, Zooey, in so many ways — but the underlying realization that no one else wants anything to do with them is what drives the constant attention-seeking.
June 6th, 2009 at 2:37 pmHow funny. Trolls actually think the universe revolves around them. :-D
It’s time for the troll to find an XXX site and “date” his left hand, again.
June 6th, 2009 at 2:53 pmi was just outside doing a menial chore and i got to thinking that maybe my remark was insensitive, and i don’t want that…
but it sounds like even troll-jobs are being outsourced overseas…
there i go again…
back outside…
June 6th, 2009 at 3:01 pmDr. Hussein Matt Says:
linder van tyrannist Says:
were in a deep recession since the libs took power two years ago.
Please provide a detailed thesis on how herr dubyah’s recession is the fault of “libs”.
We’ll wait….
This buttwipe said this yesterday:
linder van tyrannist Says:
Do you really want to know what he thinks about anything?
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Go Liberty Says:
Hey gummy, don’t you have a latte to sip you little sh*thead?
Hey, moron, don’t you have some unleaded to huff?
June 6th, 2009 at 3:27 pmThe troll is concise. Posts maximum idiocy in minimum words.
That’s about the only good point I can see.
June 6th, 2009 at 3:30 pmTrolls fear the gummble-bee-itch!
June 6th, 2009 at 3:36 pmtrolls flagged and ignored. In some ways, it’s even more fun to flag them than to engage them…
June 6th, 2009 at 3:49 pmUnions created the middle class. I’ve been a member of the IAMAW, the UBC, the IAW (they were the parent union for the graduate TA union at UMass) and now the IEANEA.
June 6th, 2009 at 3:53 pmWhat is up with this latte obsession?
June 6th, 2009 at 3:56 pmMy father, on the other hand, was a corporate middle manager who hated unions and never passed on giving me a ration of crap whenever he could, until he was let go because he was nearing retirement and it was cheaper to cheat him out of his pension…
June 6th, 2009 at 3:56 pmdbadass Says:
What is up with this latte obsession?
It’s kind of a French word, right? So it’s, like, gay.
June 6th, 2009 at 4:05 pmwow linder/merdad or whatever now is still here. That so sad that he craves attention that much.
June 6th, 2009 at 4:23 pmThe fascist Republican Party treats unions the same way they treat anyone that is not with them. They treat them as the enemy. It’s just part of the hate/fear mentality of the wingnuts. Unions force management to provide fair wages, so fascist Republicans hate anything to do with unions.
June 6th, 2009 at 4:25 pmI can’t afford a latte right now. :(
.
Dr. Hussein Matt Says:
linder van tyrannist believes rape is natural.
It’s the “culture of life,” dontcha know…
June 6th, 2009 at 4:51 pmBowning down to scummy, lazy union workers. A new low for the president. It just never ends.
June 6th, 2009 at 5:16 pm“We appreciate the Obama administration’s support of fire fighters,” said International Association of Fire Fighters General President Harold Schaitberger. “This is another example of the administration’s unqualified support for workers and organized labor.”
========
I have never known any government official to cross any picket-lines let alone a union picket-line. I always thought, if you crossed union picket-lines that you were considered a traitor to the opposition?
Am I missing something here, otherwise, Harold Schaitberger remarks go in with right-wings drivel of “blame Obama for everything” diatribe.
Let’s see Harold, I don’t recall for example, NYC Mayor Bloomberg or city government crossing picket-lines when MTA went on strike for 3 loooong days in NYC? And for those not living in NYC, 3 days without public transit is like waiting for O’Reilly to admit he “directly” contributed to Dr. Tiller murder.
June 6th, 2009 at 5:41 pmIf you believe that union workers are “lazy” and “scummy” you are pre-judging them. Therefore you are prejudiced against union workers, even though you have never met them. This makes you a bigot.
Jimmy Big Bucks is just showing us how the fascist Republican Party requires its members to hate various groups to help them with their unity.
Groups that I have seen wingnuts express their hatred for include, Blacks, Homosexuals, Hispanics, Jews, non-Christians, pot smokers, liberals, socialists, Communists, Marxists, leftists, Democrats, progressives, the poor, the unemployed, and anyone receiving any kind of federal assistance. I am sure I forgot many of the other groups that wingnuts hate, and if I forgot the group you most closely relate to, please accept my apology.
June 6th, 2009 at 5:46 pmJimmy Big Bucks Says:
Bowning down to scummy, lazy union workers.
Why do you hate American workers, merdad?
June 6th, 2009 at 6:28 pmstill havent addressed my good points.
Still waiting for one…
June 6th, 2009 at 6:35 pmThis stance is quite the opposite of Reagan Republicans. Reagan began union-busting when he fired all the Air Traffic Controllers.
June 6th, 2009 at 6:43 pmi know this guy, staunch repug, he thinks…
used to work at a minimum prison nearby, so i know he was union…
hasn’t worked in years – workman’s comp…
thinks he’s quite the lady’s man… but only married women…
always working out, riding his bike, a real health nut…
he’s been divorced for years, has a few male friends, but mostly hangs out with the women from his gym….
likes to garden too… i do believe he’s gay, but in denial…
and isn’t that what it’s all about…? denial.
June 6th, 2009 at 7:06 pmIt’s summer and we have an infestation of young teen trolls. This one is a malicious troll. It’s very young, and its only intention is to get a rise out of people. It has no intellectual interest, and no vested interest in politics. In its little world it scores biggest when it makes the least effort to get a response and gets one. The more thoughtful the response, the bigger it scores because it’s not making any effort.
Here’s a profile from a study done at the University of Texas which I have highlighted
“Malicious” trolls tended towards strong destructive actions such as spamming and excessive profanity. They showed no tendencies towards any of the Meyers-Briggs known types, instead only indicating significant personality defect PTypes such as histrionics and compensatory narcissism. Other issues were raised with such surprising regularity that one must conclude that virtually all Malicious trolls have both erectile dysfunction and suffer frequent enuresis The average IQ of this group was 83.
You see it don’t you? The expression “troll piss” is right on.
Another thing unique to this group was a concentration of ages not apparent in the others. The youngest of these was 12, the oldest 16, and the average being 15.27 years of age. As is to be expected of this age group, they continued to show a markedly absent sense of maturity and a significantly diminished grasp of rudimentary social skills.
I’ve been wondering why, why, why. Clearly school is out for the summer.
The author also had the opportunity to interview a former Malicious, who chose to go by the moniker “Vlad” in our ICQ discussions. Vlad had stopped trolling some 10 years ago, yet according to the MMPI-2, all of the previously mentioned personality disorders were still present, and IQ had actually decreased..
Pity. We can see them actually getting dumber as they post, the decline is so marked.
Pre-adolescent conditions were strongly marked by cases of Munchausen syndrome[9], characterized by the feigning of the symptoms of a disease or injury in order to undergo diagnostic tests, hospitalization, or medical or surgical treatment. They frequently found reason to stay home from school and watch Captain Kangaroo.
The first three troll types also were preoccupied with members of the opposite sex at a young age, often finding themselves being punished for playing “doctor”. The malicious type, on the other hand, maintained a firm belief in girls having “cooties” until well into their late teens.[10]
Which explains a lot, including such gems as “MySpace whores”.
Anyone wanting to stereotype liberals has a plethora of sources—it’s the stuff of urban myth. So how a young troll comes up with this stuff is no mystery. It’s easy material for an activity that requires almost no effort on the part of the troll.
Why TP? I’m thinking TP gets the infestations we’ve been getting lately, not because of our political content, but because of low moderation.
June 6th, 2009 at 9:47 pmThe same people who call the firefighters lazy commies are the same apologists for AIG officers making millions every year for theft, mismanagement and obfuscation (look it up, Jimmy Big Butt). To those locked in the echo chamber, the guy who runs into your burning house to save your child is worth less pay than the execs for insurance companies that can’t cover their obligations for said fire.
Obama is doing the right thing – again. No wonder the Reich is trying to excoriate him – again.
June 6th, 2009 at 9:48 pmI’m a proud member of the SEIU. I contribute extra to support their lobbying efforts. We provide quality home care that saves the state money, in a big way, and supports the dignity of our clients who can stay in their homes, rather than be relegated to institutions.
We all know what firefighters do. First responders got screwed under the Bush administration. I’m delighted to see our President and Vice-President stand up for them.
June 6th, 2009 at 9:53 pmGood for them. A Republican president would have had them thrown in detention centers until the event was over.
June 7th, 2009 at 12:05 amlinder van tyrannist Says:
still havent addressed my ignorance.
There. Fixed it for ya………………..Troll!!!
UFCW Local 1445.
June 7th, 2009 at 12:26 amlinder van tyrannist Says:
still havent addressed my ignorance.
There. Fixed it for ya…………….TROLL!!
UFCW Local 1445
June 7th, 2009 at 12:28 amHooray for Wal-Mart & Best Buy!
June 7th, 2009 at 1:36 amPunkass troll. ^
June 7th, 2009 at 1:56 amRealityCheck Says:
Hooray for Wal-Mart & Best Buy!
You wouldn’t say that if you worked for either of them.
Why do you hate American workers, RealityCheck?
June 7th, 2009 at 5:53 amYour right, we should not rely on the internet, internet is only a media, but I think while you are writing this article your mind is not in peace… I knew from reading every word you wrote.
June 7th, 2009 at 11:42 amAnyone who crosses a picket line deserves a beating.
June 7th, 2009 at 5:18 pmmhpriep Says:
UTU member 32 years
June 7th, 2009 at 7:51 pmLinden and GoFCUKyourself
Just go kill yourselves. You are a couple of punkass trolls who know you are too stupid to engage in conversation so you make asses out of yourself in the hopes of begging us to pity you. So desperate for attention since in your sad, lonley pathetic lives you are NOTHING. No one likes you, no one respects you and no one ever will. Both of you were born stupid and both of you will die stupid. I say the sooner the better so just go kill yourselves. Do the right thing for once in your pathetic lives
June 7th, 2009 at 7:54 pmRealityPUNK
Hooray for RealityPUNK’s massive stupidity. What would I have to laugh at if it werent for morons as stupid as him
June 7th, 2009 at 7:56 pmUnions suck! The only way they can compete with real competitors is by tariffs and intimidation. Bunch of thugs…just like B.O.
June 8th, 2009 at 10:19 amWhat many who decry unions don’t seem to understand is this: THEIR wages, working hours, safety, sick/vacation leaves, and working conditions are what they are because of UNION bargaining.
reagan began bashing unions, along with many giant corporations who decried having to pay working wages, etal…..moved their offices offshore to defray taxes, moved their factories to third world countries, etc….all during times of RECORD PROFITS, yet they want to blame unions for their demise…..
Wonder who GM thought was gonna buy their cars when they moved their factories to Mexico so they could pay less than living wages during times of record profits….
The repug administrations begining with nixon changing our money to not be covered by gold, to reagan/bush trashing unions, DEREGULATION corporations, utilities and banks while QUADTRUPLING the national deficit, clinton, the DINO and the Contract ON Americans installing nafta with no leveled playing field, lilaWol/hallichainy doubling the debt into the trillions, continuing deregulation and allowing banks, corps to do as they pleased garnering SHORT TERM PROFITS over wise stewardship have brought us to where we are now……
nixon/ford=8 yrs
carter=4 yrs
reagan/bush41=12 yrs
clinton/contractONAmericans=8 yrs
lilaWol/hallichainy=8 yrs…..
That’s 36 out of 40 years of neoconservative republican failed policies…folks!!
3 TRILLION in debt and a disasterous economy and foreign policy quagmired in unnecessary/illadvised occupations costing billions a month….
Yet, here they are, still bashing and blaming American workers and wanting to further dismantle the US Government…
WTF??
June 8th, 2009 at 5:30 pmI am not a republican but I question the pro-union banter on this blog. Unions time has come and gone- there is employment law and OSHA to handle what union used to do. In the past they (union) greatly helped American labor now they strangle American companies and kill business-Chrysler, GM, UAL, etc.
June 11th, 2009 at 1:24 am