Dec 8th, 2008 at 3:47 am
Change I Can Believe In
How nice it is to have a pro-labor president:
President-elect Barack Obama put himself on the side of the workers at the Republic Windows and Doors factory Sunday:
“When it comes to the situation here in Chicago with the workers who are asking for their benefits and payments they have earned, I think they are absolutely right,” Obama said Sunday at a news conference announcing his new Veterans Affairs director. “What’s happening to them is reflective of what’s happening across this economy.
I like it.
41 Responses to “Change I Can Believe In”
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December 8th, 2008 at 3:51 am
Well, I wish we had one now.
December 8th, 2008 at 4:12 am
Maybe Obama really can pull off some changes…
December 8th, 2008 at 5:02 am
This just in: Bill Kristol is still a useless, nepotism-supported sh*t bag:
Thanks for the last 8 years of Big Government Conservatism that explicitly rewarded irresponsible behavior and politicized markets.
F*** off, Kristol.
December 8th, 2008 at 5:21 am
I guess when a politician is proposing borrwing an additional $1.5 trillion from the Chinese, he is not doing to think about how a company without a line of credit and with severe cash flow problems is going to pay for promised benefits. The government can always go into more debt but Republic Windows cannot.
December 8th, 2008 at 6:59 am
I guess when a politician is proposing borrwing an additional $1.5 trillion from the Chinese, he is not doing to think about how a company without a line of credit and with severe cash flow problems is going to pay for promised benefits. The government can always go into more debt but Republic Windows cannot.
Well thanks to Bush’s tax cuts we are in debt. It would have been nice for people to have protested when this was actually happening. But now this is brought up after the fact. Talk about fiscal responsibility is pretty hollow. And another thing Republic Windows is a company and federal government is the government authority. Two different entities where not all of the rules apply. Who doesn’t want a balance budget but when the economy is shitty the government has to spend to move the economy.
December 8th, 2008 at 7:44 am
Too bad these workers make windows and not cars, or Obama would be bailing them out like the auto workers.
That’s what they’re asking for, btw–they aren’t protesting just about their benefits. They think the federal government should bail them out. Does Matt?
December 8th, 2008 at 10:09 am
Was this a joke post? I don’t get it.
December 8th, 2008 at 12:32 pm
Every post from MattY is a joke post. And, I think it’s great that our new Leader takes one side over the other despite almost assuredly not knowing all the facts of the matter. And, I think it’s great that he’s still supporting “direct action” years after supposedly not having any affiliation with ACORN. I haven’t looked into it, but when a company owes a large number of people money generally the best and most lucrative way to handle things is through the courts.
December 8th, 2008 at 2:28 pm
Since the company in question is out of money, this is what most of us call “cheap symbolism”. The workers can sit in that factory all they want, and the company won’t suddenly grow revenue. Obama won’t do anything for them either, but this public statement will make naive people like Matt swoon.
December 8th, 2008 at 3:47 pm
The company won’t grow money, but the workers are sitting in an asset, which can be presumably sold for money. I assume the person who said that court is the fastest way to resolve things was being sarcastic.
December 8th, 2008 at 3:53 pm
So rather than lawful adjudication of bankruptcy via the courts, Matt – and our new President, for that matter – is advocating mob rule?
That’s a great idea. There can’t possibly be bad side effects to encouraging that sort of thing…
December 8th, 2008 at 4:08 pm
Mob rule? You wouldn’t happen to be referring to the last eight years, would you? Bad side effects, like what? A true labor movement, oh the horror!
As for the factory being an asset, the company might have already sold it a few years ago.
December 8th, 2008 at 4:28 pm
I don’t think you could classify the Bush administration as an example of mob rule – since there haven’t been mobs of people trying to enforce their policies. This (ultimately useless) rhetorical backing of a union though? You could end up with actual mobs.
December 8th, 2008 at 4:35 pm
I’m always left with the same question: is the bedwetting reaction union members inspire among the right feigned for political effect, or an honest representation of their perceptions?
December 8th, 2008 at 4:37 pm
They’ve been conditioned to think that way after years of listening to Rush, Hannity & Co.
December 8th, 2008 at 4:45 pm
24aheadetc: I just wanted to remind you that thanks to you and other right wing dumbasses trying to promote your ridiculous “ACORN” fear mongering, I looked up ACORN for the first time in years and donated money to them this year. Thanks!
December 8th, 2008 at 5:16 pm
Republic Windows, as I understand it, is going out of business. Why are people assuming it’s bankrupt?
December 8th, 2008 at 5:24 pm
Oddly enough, I’ve heard that formulation before: “because you pointed out something I didn’t want to hear (i.e., the truth), I’m giving money! Who else is with me? C’mon, let’s all chip in!”
The only question is whether those who say that are getting paid to shill, or whether they’d just useful volunteers.
I just created a summary of ACORN. One thing many people probably haven’t heard is that BHO silently changed his site after the truth about his involvement with that group became known.
December 8th, 2008 at 7:36 pm
24MoronHead: I’m glad you’ve heard that formulation before. I hope every time you slur a good group with your paranoid nonsense, sane people like me will give that group money.
Again, you’re assuming that anyone — and I mean anyone regards you as some sort of respectable commenter representing a position of wisdom.
But no, you’re a clown, and quite obviously so, so when you bark “HA! I tho’t so!”, no one laughs, and no one cares.
ACORN is a fine and decent group, whose work I support, and whose success I advocate.
So take your paranoid sh*t and cram it back up your a**. No one cares about you or your paranoid blog.
December 8th, 2008 at 7:57 pm
I like what he says too, but what’s he going to do about it? We have to break the stranglehold the extremely wealthy and their pathetic sycophants have on our economy, which means breaking them. This is quite urgent not only because of the obvious immorality of the situation but also due to the fact that these people have proved hopelessly incompetent and have run the country into the ground.
December 8th, 2008 at 8:05 pm
wow el cid, i guess your bleeding heart came from the corpse at your feet. but you do have a point as i think that everyone who read your comments about 24aheaddotcom probably all went to visit the site themselves. cant ignore a blowhard they just blow harder
December 8th, 2008 at 11:10 pm
It’s funny the type of discourse “liberals” think qualify as a valid argument, but it goes with the CAP/TP territory.
In addition to BHO silently modifying his site to reflect the newtruth, ACORN also believes in “DirectAction”. As pointed out in their summary, that’s taken the form of explicitly illegal activity that even they admit is illegal. Rather than trying to get what they want through our laws – something that really wouldn’t be difficult due to sympathetic local politicians – they believe in force and mob rule.
December 9th, 2008 at 3:34 am
Let’s not jump to conclusions here. I do applaud Governor Blagojevich for holding B of A accountable, but the accolades don’t cut the mustard if Republic Windows actually is that poor of a credit risk. We are all commenting on half information. However, up until now it seems that banks seem to be exaggerating the risks posed by lending to certain small businesses so I’m willing to give the Gov the benefit of the doubt.
Regardless, this scenario poses questions that we will have to answer many times over the course of the coming years:
http://chaosoutoforder.wordpress.com/2008/12/08/murky-bailout-gets-clearer/
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