AFL-CIO to White House: 'Labor isn't an arm of the Democratic Party'

[Bluebear]

The major labor federation AFL-CIO took sharp objection tonight to a White House official's assessment that they'd "flushed $10 million of their members' money down the toilet" in the "pointless exercise" of supporting the failed bid of Bill Halter to unseat Sen. Blanche Lincoln.

"If that's their take on this, then they severely misread how the electorate feels and how we're running our political program. When we say we're only going to support elected officials who support our issues," said AFL-CIO spokesman Eddie Vale. "When they say we should have targeted our money among some key house races among Blue Dog Democrats — that ain't happening."

"Labor isn't an arm of the Democratic Party," Vale said. "It exists to support working families. And that's what we said tonight, and that's what we're gong to keep saying."

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0610/AFL_to_White_House_Labor_isnt_an_arm_of_the_Democratic_Party.html

[tblue]

1. It would behoove the WH to clarify that statement asap.

This is an INSULT and the WH needs to do some serious apologizing and bootlicking real soon.

[DearAbby]

5. I agree with that.

I am insulted.

[laughingliberal]

10. I wouldn't look for that. They never apologized for the 'fucking retarded' comment.

:nuke:

[liberation]

45. I believe they did..

... but it was one of those "I am sorry you got offended, but you must have misunderstood what I said" BS. non-apologies.

[laughingliberal]

101. As I recall, Rahm apologized to developmentally disabled people but not to the progressive groups.

Could have missed it but I think they skipped us with their apology.

[liberation]

118. Yup, something like that...

... as I said they issued one of those BS "double fuck you" non-apologies apologies.

[Ganja Ninja]

22. What needs to be clarified?

The message seems pretty clear to me. Unions must accept corporate democrats, you have no choice, resistance is futile. Don't forget to show up in November. Solidarity!

[Divine Discontent]

2. hear hear! I am a progressive, who is a registered Democrat, but I want people who stand up for the

poor, the disabled, the laborers in society, and civil rights and equality for all citizens - if the party I've selected doesn't follow most of those issues, I will not always support their candidates. Those in power shouldn't become complacent with what happened in Nov '08 - that's a long time ago when it comes to what's transpired.

[RedRoses323]

25. Dam skippy!

:headbang:

[Divine Discontent]

76. we will prevail! continue rock'n on!

so tired of these milquetoast centrist candidates who capitulate to the conservatives. the 'right' got pretty much everything their way from 2001 til the swearing in of Obama, and now they're getting their way again far too many times on these compromised bills!

:headbang:

[wolfgangmo]

43. Senator Paul Welstone said...

"If we don't fight hard enough for the things we stand for, at some point we have to recognize that we don't really stand for them."


By the evidence I would say that America is not willing to fight for it's people.

[dflprincess]

46. It's certainly true that Democratic party no longer stands for its base

(and that statement of Paul's has been my sig line for a long time now).

[Jakes Progress]

50. Wellstone's statement and life

are a joke to the beltway Democrats. If they were one tenth the Democrat Paul was, we wouldn't be in the mess we are in.

[Joe Chi Minh]

84. They're still the people's party. They represent corporate persons.... On May Day,

the CEO'S of the major corporations will be celebrating the generosity of their chums, the corporations, with a special float.

The political reality seems to be, it's the lobbyists way or the highway; and you ain't gettin no unbiased media, for starters.

[defendandprotect]

56. While I can't disagree with you at all, I really think Americans haven't been political...

whereas Europeans have always understood politics and rulers --

Americans have long been given the idea "in polite society, you don't discuss

politics or religion" -- well, could there be two more important subjects for discussion?

So -- there isn't that tradition -- except from union members to fight.

And there has long been a campaign here in America against unions -- a very successful

right wing campaign. And, even when unions survived and thrived, they were purposefully

infiltrated by organized crime to serve the interests of elites.

One of the things that has always driven me nuts is that liberal/progressive organizations

always proceed with simply their own agenda -- one issue!

We needed women and labor to come together -- and to embrace human rights organizations --

NAACP, I've noticed, will happily always speak for human rights, homosexual rights, women's

rights. And that's what they should all be doing!

We have the numbers so it's never too late --

but too often we are given the leadership -- across the board in every realm -- that the

elites want us to have!

[Divine Discontent]

77. how sad. one good (bad) thing, so many are losing their homes, perhaps a spark has started that

will make the fire burn.

[defendandprotect]

54. And we now still have Lincoln on our hands -- !!

[leftstreet]

3. K&R

[Starry Messenger]

4. Damn right.

I can only hope my own union starts growing a spine.

[Hannah Bell]

125. +100.

pro-union, but some union leadership isn't worth much.

fewer union actions today, in the midst of the strongest attack on labor since reagan, than there were in the 70s by a big margin.

[saracat]

6. Thank you Organized Labor!

[realisticphish]

7. Right

we don't automatically have to vote for whoever Obama, or any other party leadership, endorses, and to imply as such is insulting

[flyarm]

8. Union member my entire adult life..what a fucking insult! And this admin will pay dearly for it!

I am beginning to think that is what they want!

Go play golf Obama ..the gulf is dying..but we know how important golf is to you!

Oh and about all those jobs not created and so many losing unemployment bennies..we union folks won't forget...come Nov.

[roguevalley]

9. union too. keep going, white house. piss on some of the most

dependable workers on campaigns. fuck the white house.

[laughingliberal]

11. K & R for Unions. eom

[LooseWilly]

12. The Whitehouse forgot to tell me specifically that I'd flushed my money...

Of course... the joke's on them... the money I flushed down the "Halter toilet" was money I saved by not donating to the DSCC, the OFA, or any other pan-Democratic organization.
Money that I'm going to continue to save by not donating to the DSCC, the OFA, or any other pan-Democratic organization.

Nice of the Whitehouse to not only make me not feel in the least bad about that... but to actually make me feel good about which rolls of the dice I choose to gamble my money on.

It feels good to be a "fucking retard"...

[flyarm]

14. seems many of us are in the "Fucking retard" brigade..I am damn proud of it too! eom

[krkaufman]

16. hear, hear!

this is basically what I've been telling them (DSCC, DNC, OFA) when they call me asking for donations. ("I don't trust them to put my money behind candidates that represent my views.")

[glitch]

35. I'd rather be a fucking retard than a fucking retread.

Perhaps Obama will tell us why he chose to surround himself with those in his next book.

[chill_wind]

13. K & R.

[avaistheone1]

15. This admin is smug and condescending to labor and to progressives.

:thumbsdown:

[defendandprotect]

57. Agree -- so what do we do next?

[safeinOhio]

91. 3 things to do...

1. Organize


2. Organize



3. Organize


Damn, they are doing it China now. Ask Honda.

[EFerrari]

17. I guess the Democrats aren't in enough trouble with Labor yet.

Good grief.

[John Q. Citizen]

75. Good grief is right.

[rpannier]

18. Who is the person who made this statement

The Admin needs to find out who it is ASAP and deal with the damage control

As to a waste of money, I disagree -- I doubt she would have been this aggressive on the financial sector if it weren't for Halter

On a truly positive, political spin when she gets crushed in November the Senate Dems and DLC will have to deal with the fact that it was one of theirs that dragged

[LooseWilly]

19. They'll blame it on the "bruising primary"...

And people will lap up the excuse, just like they lapped up the "Gavin Newsom legalized Gay Marriage in SF, causing increased GOP voter turnout in '04, causing Kerry to lose" canard.

The DLC will not deal with shit... they'll spin. Don't delude yourself... save your hope for the Lotto... it has better odds than hoping for something positive to come out of the DLC...

[KamaAina]

61. That's quite some canard

the "Gavin Newsom legalized Gay Marriage in SF, causing increased GOP voter turnout in '04, causing Kerry to lose" canard.

Kerry carried CA in '04. How could homophobia-driven increased GOP turnout there possibly have caused him to lose?! :wtf:

[JoeyT]

20. This looks like one long exercise in pissing off the most reliable Dem voting blocks.

Labor, gays, environmentalists, minorities and women and the people that aren't in those groups but support them.
Jesus, what else is there?

[Hell Hath No Fury]

42. And that is EXACTLY the stated goal --

of the DLC. They wanted to "free" Democrats of depending on "special interest groups" to get elected. You know, "special interest groups" like labor, women, enviromentalists, LGBT -- you know, regular Amrican people.

I will hunt down the quote and post it -- it will make your skin crawl.

[defendandprotect]

58. Right ... DLC-corporatist thinking . . . .

free to commit capitalistic suicide!!

And take us all with them!!

[emmadoggy]

104. Add public school teachers to your list. nt

[vi5]

21. I know this is politico and all....

....but it's sad and pathetic that this is 100% believable regardless of the source. Simply because the pattern of dismissal and condescension to reliable democratic voters and constituencies with real concerns.

The fact that the white house even dipped their toes in the water of this primary in favor of Lincoln who stymied them on so many things all but convinces me that they don't actually want progressive votes in the house or senate and they may not even want their majorities because it gives them more excuses to not get things done and to not have to twist arms and to not have to actually be aggressive or piss anyone off.

[Hubert Flottz]

23. The AFL CIO didn't make the White House a toilet...

Politicians beholden to the big corporations did that and are still doing it.

The labor leaders decided to back a democrat instead of a DINO. The message cost 10 million dollars to send, but I hope Senator Lincoln and her fans heard it. The unions back people who back the middle class and in the case of the Arkansas election on yesterday, labor supported the person they decided could fill the bill. Only a "retard" wouldn't understand that.

[defendandprotect]

59. And our election process a toilet . . . guess Dems aren't going to have much of a

response to the game-playing with closing of polling places!

20 miles to cast your vote? 40 of 42 polling stations closed -- !!

Substitute "early voting" day also shut down!

And we've been depending on Dems to save us from computer voting!!???

[madrchsod]

24. politico,ben smith,rigged election and politico`s favorite source....

"a white house offical"

[frylock]

105. kill the messenger..

the white house has yet to issue a denial. hmmmmmmn. and how about those closed polls? just a figment of our imaginations?

[freddie mertz]

26. I hope labor (and the rest of us) will have a chance to pay those bastards back...

In 2012.

What we need is a viable, progressive alternative to the current administration.

[NightWatcher]

27. Labor: Fucking Retards Part Deux?

boy howdy, 2012 is going to be a shocker for the Democratic Party when all of us fucking retards dont vote for the Dems. How many more times this season are the DLC Dems, the Clintons, and Rahm going to piss on Progressives, Labor, Civil Rights, Environmentalists...

Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, well (to quote the dumbass) wont get fooled again

[safeinOhio]

92. Labor will speak

in November in the Arkansas general election and we'll see who is tossing $ down a toilet. He who laughs last.......

[xchrom]

28. pain can be a powerful teacher -- the way halter lost is painful today.

the admin may find some pain tomorrow.

[Spheric]

29. K&R for labor! /nt

[TheKentuckian]

30. K&R

[annm4peace]

31. thank you, thank you, thank you AFL-CIO

I'm so tired of the Corporate Democrats.

[theaocp]

32. I waiting with baited breath

for Obama to do nothing about this. Therefore, he will endorse it by default. People in this country don't ask for much and BOY do we get it. Primaries are a GOOD thing, people. This anonymous coward is just annoyed that Blanche had to install something into the financial "reform" that actually does some good and irritates their Wallstreet buddies. Primary everyone! Then, maybe they'll listen.

[MilesColtrane]

49. Not to be pedantic, but...

It's "bated breath".

"Baited breath" is what you have after eating bait.

[theaocp]

96. I thought the point was that

my breath was baited, thus inviting a response. Oops.

[myrna minx]

33. K&R for Labor. n/t

[Bluenorthwest]

34. AFL-CIO since my first working day

So guess where I stand? Not with the McClurkinites, nope. Not with the anti equality crowd in the White House.

[mzmolly]

36. The AFL-CIO did the right thing.

They made Lincoln work for her seat and they ran a progressive against her in the primary. I applaud them regardless of the outcome.

[aquart]

37. I wrote to thank Vale and the AFL-CIO

[e-mail]

[notadmblnd]

38. If Rahm doesn't watch his mouth, he's going to spoil any chances

for Obama's second term. As things are going, I won't vote for him again.

[Carolina]

100. me neither; I'll just sit out the election or write in

Dr. Dean, Dennis Kucinich, Michael Moore, Rachel Maddow, Helen Thomas or Skinner!

[LynneSin]

39. CONGRATULATIONS POLITICO.COM - YOU CREATED THE HEADLINE

I notice this article comes from Politico too.

And I understand that the Union is upset but seriously, upset at whom? That unnamed white house source probably is the person from Politico that created this news story.

[Jakes Progress]

51. Always easy to avoid the truth if you refuse to see it.

[LynneSin]

55. It's always easy to create the truth if we use unnamed sources too

:D

[defendandprotect]

62. Unfortunately, "WH sources" are too often accurate . . .

and sometimes deliver messages that are predictions for the future --

Of course, few comments can beat Rahm's "F------- retards" which still echoes loudly!

[LynneSin]

72. And Catholic authorities are convinced that Priests are not pedofiles...

that need punished by the church.

You hear it enough times and say it enough times perception becomes reality.

[defendandprotect]

79. Without "unamed sources" we would have found out nothing about Watergate ....

that's why the right wing element is always trying to plug "leaks" --

Vatican is simply another right wing hierarchy trying to protect its ass --

lying and self-investigation the usual means --

and that effort re sexual abuse in the church has been going on for few thousand years

according to the Italians --

but few believe what the Vatican has to say --



Sadly, there is a familiar rimg of truth to this report ... reminiscent of

Rahm's "F-ing Retards" -- more likely than not --

After all, we can't deny that Obama, Clinton and Rahm were backing the DLC candidate, can we?

That is . . . eh . . . the corporate candidate?

[LynneSin]

89. Eventually the named sources followed (although Deep Throat was never known)

Also there was actual reporting integrity during the Watergate years. ]

But hey, if you think Corporate owned Mainstream Media is to be trusted then go for it. I'll remind you of that if I ever see you criticizing them for anything else because really you can't have it either way.

Me? I like to hold unnamed suspects until I have enough information to validate the facts. Sometimse the truth comes out and other times it turns out it was just the media doing their best to help alienate the left from the democratic party.

I just we as DUers look pretty silly when we bust on sites like Politico.com as being right wing shrill site and then use them for a news source when it helps some of us validate that Obama is a bad person.

[defendandprotect]

94. No -- "Deep Throat" was revealed . . . Mark Felt, former FBI . .

though I think many still question that --

Also there was actual reporting integrity during the Watergate years.

There was little reporting integrity . . . it was only the Washington Post which kept

after the story. NY Times certainly dropped it.


But hey, if you think Corporate owned Mainstream Media is to be trusted then go for it. I'll remind you of that if I ever see you criticizing them for anything else because really you can't have it either way.

You'd be very foolish because I'm a champion of calling the MSM our "corporate press" --

"Mockingbird" -- our CIA/Pentagon press.

"The myth of a free press died with the assassination of Pres. John F. Kennedy" --



Me? I like to hold unnamed suspects until I have enough information to validate the facts. Sometimse the truth comes out and other times it turns out it was just the media doing their best to help alienate the left from the democratic party.

No reason not to be suspicious of the "press" . . . but there's also every reason to be

suspicious of a White House -- Obama/Rahma and Bill Clinton and DLC -- backing Lincoln the

corporate candidate.

It would also seem reasonable to be suspicious of Rahm/DLC who not so long ago delivered the

long remembered .... "F-ing Retard liberals" --


I just we as DUers look pretty silly when we bust on sites like Politico.com as being right wing shrill site and then use them for a news source when it helps some of us validate that Obama is a bad person.


Unfortunately, Obama and Rahm are making their own reputations --

Sadly, all on their own!

The bad news Obama/Rahma are creating every day -- from health care "deform" to new attacks on

Social Security and Medicare --

from "Oil rigs these days don't spill" to "The Gulf will bounce back" insanities --

and from support for other candidates who should have been let go -- Lieberman and Specter.

Too many issues to even bother relating right now -- nuclear, wars, charter schools ... on and on.

[Jakes Progress]

102. So you are new to this stuff, huh?

You don't know that Washington types give quotes with the stipulation that they not be quoted because it would get them in trouble? Try working as a journalist for a couple of days in Washington and you wouldn't make such silly statements. The very people in Washington who decry the use of the quote are probably from the office where the quote originated. It's one reason journalists are often cynical. They see this kind of stuff all the time.

[Bluebear]

69. You HONESTLY think the AFL-CIO is issuing a statement based on "politico"?

And they don't know exactly who said this? Whooee.

[defendandprotect]

80. I think the new "F-U" message was clear in Obama/Clinton/DLC backing for Lincoln . . .!!

[LynneSin]

90. Yep!

I do agree. But that's how we play it here at DU so I guess that's how it is.

[liberation]

120. Gibbs acknowledged the statement...

[frylock]

106. we're all still awaiting that denial..

GIBBS: I don't think that the President would necessarily agree with that characterization made by somebody here.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8523670

[chill_wind]

111. Nope. Politico was not alone. Ambinder got the Senior Officials missive, too.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8523670

[totodeinhere]

130. Oh come on. Gibbs himself has confirmed it.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=8525096&mesg_id=8525096

[Hell Hath No Fury]

40. Bravo!

People first, Party second. As it should be.

[Name removed]

41. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[roody]

44. You go Eddie!

[highplainsdem]

47. K&R

[MilesColtrane]

48. Damn straight, Mr. Vale.

[Brickbat]

52. Now that's what I'm talking about! The more labor can stand up to its interests, the less the

Democratic party will take it for granted. I love this. Solidarity! K&R!

[defendandprotect]

53. Unfortunately, unions/labor are now smaller -- and corporate hold

over party is now more emboldened --

in fact, Rahm Emmanuel/DLC is now in the White House -- !!


Over decades now, we have seen the power of the liberal organizations deteriorating

mainly because -- simply my opinion -- they have never united to fight corporatism.


Women's organizations held firm on supporting any candidate who would say they would

protect Roe vs Wade. Doesn't add up to much when the rest of the agenda was corporatis.

Almost too late now for liberals/progressive organizations to unite.

Look at the sweeping damage done to the nation . . .

colleges/universities were always hierarchal power -- but now they've pretty much been

completely corporatized and militarized.

All of government and its agencies have been corrupted by corporatism.

Nature is going to have the final call on this mess --

Elites will go down but they're going to take us all with them!

[Better Believe It]

83. But labor provides more money and human resources than ever before to Democratic Party candidates

Hundreds of millions of dollars and tens of thousands of full-time campaign workers in the November 2008 election.

No one else even came close .... outside of corporate donors.

And they'll always be able to give more money, now much more with the Supreme Court decision, to subsidize both major parties and their candidates than labor can.

[defendandprotect]

97. Agree -- but SC has now ensured that $$ can be replaced by corporations . . .

as for volunteers/campaign workers look at what just happened to ACORN!

PLUS, my experience seems repeated in the experiences of others . . . . i.e.,

the volunteers are used and discarded --

Don't call anyone after election day!

:)

[Dr.Phool]

88. In the White House?

The whole fucking cabinet is full of them!

[Better Believe It]

95. No. Just Solis in the Department of Labor.

[burnsei sensei]

60. The interests of labor

are not the same as the interests of management or investors.
Third Way ideologues want us to believe in a warmed-over version of free labor ideology, a system that was exploded with the advent of the Gilded Age.
Sorry, we're not buying in.
We don't want the Gilded Age we have.
We understand that the elite and their obedience-trained managers are not on our side.

[colsohlibgal]

63. You Go Eddie!

Way to fire truth back to power!

[closeupready]

64. Amen to that.

K&R

[pattmarty]

65. I don't see the controversy. The DEMOCRATIC party in 1934, 1941, 1945, hell ...........

.......all the way up to LBJ stood for the working class and the oppressed. I know they weren't perfect even then, but today the Republican party if fucking disgustingly awful, and the Dems are just terrible. Not too much of a choice is it?

[closeupready]

66. Also, if Blanche was such a shoo-in, why'd she have to do a run-off?

Just saying...

[amborin]

67. K&R

[Greyhound]

68. And this is how the "Democratic" Party will return to its role as "loyal opposition".

Emphasis on the loyal...

Lord Acton said, "The issue which has swept down the centuries and which will have to be fought sooner or later is the people versus the banks." Today we can update it the corporations and in either case we're talking about the parasites behind these institutions.
:kick: & R

[bobbolink]

71. The problem is that with our Rugged Individualism, "the people" don't know how to come together.

In that aspect, we are still "everyone for themselves".

I fear it will take a whole lot of pain and suffering before those walls come tumbling down.

It really is up to us. There are more of "us".

[defendandprotect]

81. Good to remember . . .

:)

[RoccoR5955]

70. K & R Solidarity Forever...

The UNION makes us strong!

[happygoluckytoyou]

73. PLEASE SEND YOUR OPINION TO.... http://www.whitehouse.gov/

[me b zola]

74. K&R

[blindpig]

78. Labor needs it's own party

One that will not compromise and betray the working class.

[defendandprotect]

82. It was Susan B. Anthony's wish that one day there would be a Labor/Women's party . . .

-- and it looks like there's going to have to be a lot of "labor" involved in

creating anything new from this criminal wave corrupting our government --

and election process--!!

:)

[blindpig]

99. We'd better get to work

The time is getting late. Given events, Capitalism becoming ever more rapacious in it's death spiral and taking down our very environment with it, we might have a historic window.

[defendandprotect]

126. Unfortunately, I think Obama was supposed to be the "historic window" . . . ???

While I didn't have absolute faith -- I did vote for him --

and beyond disappointed, occasionally absolutely shocked!!

Let's see what we hear from labor . . . while there's anything left of unions!!!

But it's always really frustrated me that liberal organizations have not come together --

the NAACP would always speak of everyone's human rights in fighting for their own . . .

but haven't seen that among other liberal groups. Too often labor was shutting out women.

Now women are close to majority of work force/? Think that's right/?

Women's groups are another frustration, specifically because they've too often been able

to sideline as "one issue/abortion" groups.

Capitalism becoming ever more rapacious in it's death spiral and taking down our very environment with it, we might have a historic window.

Couldn't agree more with you !!

2012 is coming up quickly -- how many here really get this?

[blindpig]

131. Obama and liberalism are distraction and misdirection

Their primary purpose is to set limits on change, limits always favorable to the ruling class. We will get nowhere if we can't get beyond that.

[elehhhhna]

85. The Democratic Party isn't an arm of Labor, either. So there.

They've made it abundantly clear since at least Clinton.

[Better Believe It]

86. 'Labor isn't an arm of the Democratic Party' Coulda fooled me!

:)

Without the money and resources of the labor movement the Democratic Party wouldn't have a leg to stand on .... much less an arm!

And without that backing the Democratic Party would rapidly move in the direction of becoming a smaller and generally "conservative centrist, blue dog" type minority party (its current trajectory)which in turn could lead to a merger with what's left of the Republican party "centrists and moderates" to form a new political party. It might call itself the Republicrats Party.

[walldude]

87. Why are the Democrats alienating all their voters?

What the fuck is going on here? I mean it's not even like they are being nice about it. It's all one big Fuck You...

[Aleric]

93. IMPEACH RAHM!!

Wait... he's not President? Who's president again? I forget.

[UrbScotty]

98. Where I live, you wouldn't know that. The UAW runs almost EVERYTHING in my local party.

[hay rick]

103. K&R and Amen.

[CANDO]

107. My "Teamsters for Obama" bumper sticker is coming off my car.

I've been tempted to take it off before this, but now it is a certainty. I'm sick and fucking tired of being taken for granted. We in the labor movement need to start our own party.

[maryf]

108. Hope some of their affiliate unions are listening to this

Especially the teachers' unions. Regardless, the arm of Labor needs to be stiff and attached to a fist right now...

[whathehell]

109. Good for Vale for "talking back".....Maybe next time Labor will back

back a Green Party candidate...I'd love to see a viable third party in this country...These Dems are all but useless.

[LawnKorn]

110. The take away here should be "The Democratic party supports working families like the Unions do."

It is high time we vote in some real progressive candidates that are interested in working for the citizens, and not for themselves.

[femrap]

112. This White House is

really on my last nerve.

Now it wants to send the Nat'l Guard to help folks in Gulf fill out pages and pages of mandatory paperwork required by BP. Still spineless. I'm sick of them.

I'm sure there are plenty of unemployed administrative/financial/accounting people in the region who would like the work.

The Nat'l Guard? :wtf: do they know about financial paperwork?

I give up. We're inept.

[donheld]

127. +1

[Name removed]

113. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Bluebear]

114. Press Secy Gibbs today acknowledged that it came from within the White House. We are not teabaggers

thank you.

[tqla]

115. Is there a link? I can't find anything on this verification.

[Bluebear]

116. Yes here you are

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=8523670&mesg_id=8523670

[tqla]

117. okay I see the quote but it's hardly a total verification. Here it is:

MR. GIBBS: I don't think that the President would necessarily agree with that characterization made by somebody here. I think we would certainly agree that we are likely to have very close elections in very many places throughout the country in November. And while the President might not have agreed with the exact characterization, I think that whether or not that money might have been better spent in the fall on closer elections between somebody -- between people who cared about an agenda that benefited working families and those that didn't, that money might come in more handy then.

This could very well be Gibbs just assuming it came from someone there because that's what people are saying. We need to know who said it. And even when and if we find out the truth remains, it was in fact millions of dollars spent to lose. The wording was harsh though with the reference to a "toilet". If I was a Halter supporter I would be pissed off too. But I don't trust "anonymous" quotes. It could be Politico trying to make waves.

[Bluebear]

119. Sorry, it was from someone "their" or Gibbs would not be making any such statement.

Everything the White House does in this administration or any other is very carefully scripted. Gibbs would not be answering a question on an "assumption". Best of luck though.

[Name removed]

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[liberation]

121. That is a very creative interpretation...

[Name removed]

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[Hippo_Tron]

128. They both kind of have a point

Labor spent 10 million on Bill Hatler's race to send a message to other Democrats that this could happen to them if they don't vote the right way on labor's issues. That's a pretty expensive signal. On the other hand, it's a signal that labor wouldn't have had to buy if they felt that Democrats were listening to them.

[ProudDad]

129. It would have been nice if Obama hadn't promoted that execrable POS B. Lincoln

She's one of the best republican stooges for corporate USAmerica that money can buy...

If obama hadn't pushed for her maybe that Union money wouldn't have been "wasted"...

Thanks a f*ckload, barry.

But then we all knew Obama's NOT a Progressive, right?