Union-backed, tax-funded fraud group remains optimistic ... The liberal activist group ACORN is trying to turn its negative publicity into a positive. The group, formally known as the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, wants to double its membership to 1 million members next year, as it celebrates its 40th anniversary. The group has turned into a punching bag for Republicans over the past few years. Just this month, Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele accused the Obama administration of partnering with ACORN to rig the upcoming census in favor of Democrats. In an ACORN voter registration drive during the 2008 election, 400,000, or about 30 percent, of the registrations proved to be faulty, and some were fraudulent. The activity triggered investigations in 13 states. The Obama campaign denied that ACORN was involved with its own voter registration drives. ACORN also had an embezzlement scandal last year involving the brother of ACORN founder Wade Rathke, who was dumped by the group’s board. (newsmax.com)
Obamalinsky's first 100 days ... arack Obama and his team are engaged in a long-running campaign with important milestones. What is his end goal? What should we look for in the meantime? The evidence to date suggests that President Obama is not simply formulating his own goals, but has rooted it in the tactical prescriptions of leftist godfather Saul Alinsky. Alinsky: “… taking a new step is what people fear most. Any revolutionary change must be preceded by a passive, affirmative, non-challenging attitude toward change among the mass of our people,” — according to Rules for Radicals: A Pragmatic Primer for Realistic Radicals, by Saul Alinsky, 1971, Random House. Many observers praised Mr. Obama’s “change we can believe in” slogan as clever marketing, but might it be more than merely clever? His “change” mantra, combined with an almost Reaganesque appeal to “hope,” were designed to calm the fears many people have concerning radical social change so that they would more readily embrace the full range of the agenda that Mr. Obama and his allies have in mind for America. (thebulletin.us)Bonus links:
• Summary of Saul Alinsky's 'Rules for Radicals'
• More Saul Alinsky stories: here
• 'Rules for Radicals' at amazon.com
Related video: 100 Days of No Accountability
Si Newhouse busts another Labor-state News Union ... The reorganization plan announced two weeks ago to keep The Jersey Journal of Jersey City publishing was apparently not enough to keep its local newspaper guild office open. With the layoffs of 17 employees -- including five in the newsroom -- as part of the plan, guild leaders say they have only seven local members left, not enough to meet the $425 monthly rent on their nearby office. "Because our numbers are dwindling, we can't afford to keep the office open," said Guild president Ron Leir, who also lost his job in the cutback. "It is the shrinking of dues." The Journal also raised its single-copy price as of today, increasing it from 50 cents to 60 cents, the paper announced, noting it is the first such price increase in 15 years. Leir and other guild leaders spent last Saturday cleaning out their office on the city's west side. "At one time the local was more than 60 strong. We are consolidating down to one file cabinet. We plan to carry out the garbage and file cabinet one day next week," another guild officer who requested anonymity said in an e-mail. Guild leaders at the Advance Publications daily agreed April 13 to the cost-cutting plan that also gives the newspaper greater flexibility in assigning jobs and events to cover, a virtual tearing down of beat walls. (editorandpublisher.com)President causes panic
Obama rekindles 1970's-style secrecy, paranoia ... Do you reject "federal authority in favor of state or local authority," or "government authority entirely"? Are you "dedicated to a single issue, such as opposition to abortion or immigration"? If so, you are a dangerous, right-wing extremist according to Obama's Department of Homeland Security, which bans the use of the word "terrorist" unless it's applied to us right-wing extremists who, for example, are so extreme as to view the grisly murder of the unborn in their mothers' wombs as cold-blooded murder. Are you a veteran returning from Iraq or Afghanistan after risking life and limb to protect your fellow Americans? If so, you are a ticking time bomb likely to be recruited by those dangerous right-wing extremists. After all, the vaunted Extremism and Radicalization Branch of the Homeland Environment Threat Analysis Division, Department of Homeland Security, warns that you "possess combat skills and experience that are attractive to right-wing extremists," and these Obama-ite loons are concerned that right-wing extremists "will attempt to recruit and radicalize returning veterans in order to boost their violent capabilities." Have we really come to this? Has Adolf Hitler's propaganda chief, Joseph Goebbels, been reborn and recruited by the Obama administration to scare the heck out of the American people with absurdities such as this whacked-out document? Obviously recognizing that public knowledge of the nonsense alleged in this document is very undesirable, the weirdoes who prepared it did not want you to see it. They warn: "No portion of the LES information should be released to the media, the general public, or over non-secure Internet servers." Too bad. The Washington Times got their hands on a copy and revealed it to the entire world. (linncountynews.net)
Employer fights back v. oppressive, corrupt union ... Supermarket chain Bashas' is fighting back against the United Food and Commercial Workers union with a mailer of its own. "We felt it was time for us to set the record straight," said Bashas' spokeswoman Kristy Nied. The mailing, which arrived over the weekend in mailboxes throughout metro Phoenix, accuses the union of trying to destroy the Chandler-based food chain. Union spokesman Corey Owens disagreed. "The union is not interested in any way in destroying Bashas'," he said in an interview. "We just think they have a responsibility to their workers." The union has sent out four mailings, criticizing the company for the way it treats workers and contending there are health and safety issues in stores. The union represents employees at eight stores that were unionized when Bashas' bought them. The supermarket chain has at least 153 stores. Bashas' took issue with the claims in the union mailers. "Employees work hard to ensure that you have a safe and healthy environment to shop in," the grocer's mailer said. (azcentral.com)
Shameful ACORN socialists in life-threatening protest ... Protesters disrupted several foreclosure auctions Tuesday on the Sacramento County Courthouse steps, winning a temporary cancellation of one and sending an unidentified auctioneer to the hospital with chest pains. Bidders on dozens of foreclosed Sacramento-area homes, all declining to provide their names, called the ACORN protest the first major disruption of an established auction schedule that plays out every weekday at the courthouse following 37,000 foreclosures in the capital region since January 2007. The chants, whistles and bullhorns created a commotion that made it difficult to hear and conduct the auction. Then the auctioneer began to collapse and was later taken to a local hospital. Other auctioneers, who said they were associates of the man at LPS Financial Services of Sacramento, said he had a pacemaker. "I think it's a shame he had a medical condition and that happened," said ACORN spokeswoman Christina Livingston. "That was not our intention by any means." (sacbee.com)
Obama spends money we don't have on union-only organizing, politics ... I am contacting you to alert you to a wasteful executive order that President Barack Obama has signed that will cost American taxpayers billions of dollars in wasted spending. Obama's order, signed Feb. 6, authorizes and encourages government contracting agencies to use union-only project labor agreement (PLA) on federal construction contracts. A union-only PLA requires contractors recognize unions as the representatives of their employees on that job site; use the union hiring hall to obtain workers; obtain apprentices through union apprenticeship programs; and to obey the union's work rules and job classifications. PLAs needlessly increase the cost of construction by limiting the competition for such projects, and they also discriminate against people who are exercising their right to not join a union. Our employees at Chico Electric deserve the right to work on federal construction projects that are funded by their own tax dollars, and America deserves the right to know its hard-earned tax dollars are being spent effectively. (chicoer.com)United Auto Warriors
SEIU to remain on strike v. oppressive Red Cross ... Dozens of home-care workers employed by the Canadian Red Cross in Sudbury hit the picket line for the second time in as many months -- just hours before their union and their employer were to resume contract negotiations. The workers are all members of Local 1 of the Service Employees International Union, which was to sit down to negotiate with Red Cross officials at 6 p. m. Monday. If those talks showed any promise, rotating strikes would be halted while contract talks aid Dave Cheslock, staff representative with SEIU Local 1 in northeastern Ontario. (thesudburystar.com)Andy Stern's SEIU business plan smacked down
Labor-state Teamster militants slapped with defamation lawsuit ... Times Supermarkets filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the Hawaii Teamsters and its president for libel and defamation, claiming the union’s boisterous boycott campaign is based on lies and distortions. Times and the Hawaii Teamsters and Allied Workers Local 996 have been at war since a brief strike in December 2008 set off by failed contract talks over wages and benefits. Times president and CEO John Quinn said the company was taking the unusual step of suing the union “to put an end to this ugly and malicious campaign.” The lawsuit, filed in First Circuit Court in Honolulu, names the union and its president, Ron Kozuma, and accuses them of publishing and broadcasting false and defamatory claims that have hurt the store’s business. The lawsuit seeks compensatory and punitive damages but didn’t set an amount. “The union has carried on a campaign of negative, untrue and unlawful attacks against us and our customers in an effort to smear Times Supermarkets’ name and extort concessions from the company,” said Quinn, president and chief executive officer of QSI Inc., which does business as Times Supermarkets. “We did not make this decision lightly, but the union’s effort to lie and mislead our customers is defamatory, and this is a first step toward clearing our company’s good name.” Kozuma did not immediately respond to a message left at the Teamsters office. (bizjournals.com)
Union Bullsh*t #4: Piggish and Shameless: SEIU Flings Swine Flu GOP’s Way ... Yes. You read the above right ... The absolutely shameless SEIU is tying the GOP to the swine flu panic. According to Politico: "The Service Employees International Union has launched an online petition criticizing Republicans for delaying the confirmation of a Health and Human Services secretary in the face of a swine flu outbreak. The union accuses Senate Republicans of delaying the confirmation of nominee Kathleen Sebelius to “curry favor with extremist outside groups” and depriving the department of leadership as the nation confronts a potential flu pandemic. “This is simply unacceptable,” the union says on its website. “This disease is spreading as we speak, but right now, a Bush-appointed accountant is running the department. We need an HHS secretary NOW. Sign the petition telling the Senate to vote immediately to confirm Gov. Kathleen Sebelius. If we don’t act, the swine flu might just turn into another Hurricane Katrina.”" Hopefully, someone else sees the SEIU’s boarish [sic] behavior for what it is and call them out on it. (laborunionreport.com)
Sen. Mark Begich placed on Dirty Money Watch ... WHO: Sen. Mark Begich (D-Alaska), a co-sponsor of the Employee Free Choice Act (aka Card Check). WHAT: Begich received the following dirty money: Communication Workers of America (PAC) $5,000 in 2008 cycle. Boilermakers Union (PAC) $5,000 in 2008 election cycle. International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (PAC) $10,000 in 2008 election cycle. American Federation of Government Employees (PAC) $7,500 in 2008 election cycle. Service Employees International Union (PAC) $10,000 in 2008 election cycle. United Steelworkers of America (PAC) $5,000 in 2008 election cycle. WHY IT’S DIRTY: Multiple officers and members of these unions, including division presidents, secretary-treasurers and business managers, have been convicted since 2001 of felonies ranging from embezzlement, falsifying official reports to government, mail fraud and conspiracy. The Communication Workers of America and the American Federation of Government Employees have had eight convictions, The Service Employees International Union has had nine convictions and The Boilermakers have had 10 members convicted, while the IBEW has had 14 members convicted. The United Steelworkers of America, which includes Paper, Allied-Industrial Chemical and Energy Workers International Union (PACE), has had 30 convictions among its membership. The amounts of embezzled funds range from over $5,000 to over $100,000. WILL BEGICH GIVE IT BACK: Begich did not respond to The Examiner’s request for comment. THE SCORE: Number of Democrats who have given it back: 0 • Number of Republicans who have given it back: 0. (washingtonexaminer.com)
Obama-Chávez reminiscent of Obama-Wright ... During his campaign, President Obama took a lot of heat over his inaction regarding outrageous statements made by his old friend and mentor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright. Wright was busy damning America while Obama passively remained part of the congregation. The national feelings on the issue eventually forced candidate Obama to break his relationship with Wright. After that, one might expect the president to have learned a lesson about passivity - obviously, those who thought so were wrong. At the recent Fifth Summit of the Americas in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, the president was subjected to anti-U.S. tirades from two sworn enemies of the United States, Venezuela's Hugo Chávez and Nicaragua's Daniel Ortega. Unfortunately, all the president did was smile. While diplomatic niceties may prevent him from taking a poke at those who heap insults on the nation and people he represents, there is no requirement to glad-hand and backslap those doing the insulting. (hollisterfreelance.com)International Collectivism
Obama salutes success of Latin leftists ... The United States on Tuesday congratulated Ecuador's leftist President Rafael Correa on his election victory and voiced hope for cooperation after a rocky patch between the two countries. Correa, an ally of US nemesis President Hugo Chávez in Venezuela, claimed a second term in office as exit polls showed him ahead, although his main rival refused to accept defeat. "We salute the people of Ecuador for conducting peaceful and transparent elections (on Monday) and congratulate President Correa on his victory," said State Department spokesman Robert Wood. "The United States will continue to build on our cooperation with Ecuador, consistent with our commitment to supporting Ecuadorian democracy, prosperity and security." (google.com)
Mideast Progs take to privatization ... “Real privatization is the way to salvage the country,” Rafsanjani said in a meeting with representatives of labor unions. According to the Article 44 of the Constitution most state-run companies must be privatized. The former president went on say that if the number of job opportunities exceeds the number of job seekers, then workers can gain their full rights. He also said creating a “feeling of contentment” among workers increases “productivity”. Rafsanjani also said labor union protests were very influential in the victory of the Islamic Revolution in 1979. He also praised the role of workers in the Sacred Defense (the 1980-88 Iraqi war against Iran) and their contributions to reconstruction efforts which started after the war. (tehrantimes.com)
