Esquire compares Obama, Chávez ... As the Honduran constitutional crisis moves inexorably toward some endgame (this, the original "banana republic," must eventually come in from the cold), let's go easy on tossing around the term "military coup" and reflexively comparing the situation to Iran's ongoing tumult. According to the country's oddly prescient constitution, it was actually ousted President Manuel "Mel" Zelaya who had crossed the forbidden line. The military, in fact, was merely fulfilling its prescribed duty against Latin America's resurgent threat of continuismo — the tendency of elected leaders to stay beyond their expiration dates, Chávez-style. (esquire.com)
Obama hoisted by his own petard ... The Republican National Committee is using President Obama's own words against him — showing the new president in a tough new ad with his feet up on his desk and defending his economic stimulus plan while the ad points out the nation's rising unemployment rate. As Mr. Obama's poll numbers are dropping in key states over fiscal worries, the new RNC Web ad offers a preview of the anti-White House talking points the nation is likely to keep hearing as Congress considers whether the ailing economy needs a second stimulus program. The slick, campaign-style ad uses five times a clip of Mr. Obama telling ABC News this week from Moscow, "There's nothing that we would have done differently." (washingtontimes.com)Related video: Nothing
Leftist U.S. Administration plays hardball against LatAm constitutionalists ... "The topic not for discussion is the return of ex-President Zelaya, unless he hands himself over to justice," Micheletti, who was appointed by Honduras' Congress after the coup, said after returning to his country from Costa Rica. On the eve of Thursday's talks, the U.S. Embassy in Tegucigalpa said Washington had suspended $16.5 million in military assistance programs to Honduras, and added an additional $180 million in U.S. aid could also be at risk. (reuters.com)
Colombian power-tripper hearts LatAm leftist thugs ... For nearly seven years, Colombian President Alvaro Uribe has led a successful fight to reclaim his country from the plague of narcoterrorism and to rebuild national confidence. Simultaneously, Mr. Uribe first orchestrated re-election to a second term in 2006 and has since worked assiduously to be "drafted" for a third term beginning in 2010. In so doing, a determined center-right free-marketer has put himself in the anti-term-limits company of ultraleftist autocrats, including Hugo Chávez of Venezuela, Evo Morales of Bolivia and Rafael Correa of Ecuador. All three have used extraconstitutional means to allow themselves multiple terms in office and, together with neighboring Nicaragua's uber-left, uber-corrupt President Daniel Ortega, have supported their Honduran ally Manuel Zelaya in his criminally quixotic quest to remove restrictions to presidential re-election. (washingtontimes.com)
Global Leftists unite ... A leading member of the “Progressives for Obama” network is speculating, apparently with good reason, that the leftist governments of Barack Obama and Hugo Chávez have come to an understanding that Honduras should be turned over to anti-American forces allied with the Venezuelan communist ruler. Tom Hayden, once known as Mr. Jane Fonda because of his marriage to the pro-communist actress, has written a piece for the Talking Points Memo website about “new diplomatic collaboration” between Obama ― who swore an oath to represent American interests in foreign affairs ― and Chávez, who represents the interests of Iran and the Castro brothers. (smallgovtimes.com)
Obama front group takes time to listen to union bigs ... The leadership of Organizing for America, the group that has taken over for the Barack Obama campaign's sprawling grassroots volunteer organization has launched a Pennsylvania listening tour. The goal is to hear directly from volunteers and supporters of the president about their priorities, what issues they'd like to see tackled, and what resources they need. Local stops have been scheduled in Doylestown and Allentown. The Doylestown stop is scheduled for July 20 at 6:30 p.m. at the Doylestown Library. The Allentown "listening session" will be held at 6:00 p.m. July 23 at the IBEW union hall at 1201 West Liberty Street. (blogs.mcall.com)
Union-backed fraud exposed ... Almost $10 million in union contributions went to the Association of Community Organizers for Reform Now (ACORN), and its affiliates according to U.S. Department of Labor financial disclosure forms called LM-2’s. The bulk of the donations came from the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), which contributed $7.4 million between 2005 and 2008 to the national organization, state chapters and allied groups. SEIU’s single largest donation of $1.5 million went to the ACORN Community Labor Organizing Center (ACLOC) in 2006. SEIU also made a $1.3 million donation to ACORN International in 2005. The United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), the Longshore and Warehouse Union, the Communication Workers of America (CWA), and the National Education Association (NEA) were other top contributors. SEIU Locals 100 and 880 were listed as allied organizations on ACORN’s web site until The Examiner highlighted this connection. (washingtonexaminer.com)
Trumka-in-waiting plays the gender card ... AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Richard Trumka this morning announced his candidacy for president of the AFL-CIO to succeed the retiring John Sweeney. Trumka has served as AFL-CIO secretary-treasurer since 1995. Gregory Junemann, president of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE), announced June 8 he is running for secretary-treasurer. At a rally that drew several hundred supporters at the University of the District of Columbia in Washington, D.C., Trumka also introduced his running mates. Joining Trumka on the ticket are Liz Shuler, executive assistant to the Electrical Workers (IBEW) President Edwin Hill, for secretary-treasurer and incumbent AFL-CIO Executive Vice President Arlene Holt Baker for re-election. This marks the first time two women have run for the AFL-CIO’s top offices. (blog.aflcio.org)
Meddling Congress favors workplace friction over common goals ... Whatever the outcome of the current desperate tug-of-war between unions and management, exemplified by the battle over passage of the proposed Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), one thing seems clear: employees will become collateral damage. According to Pat Lynch, business productivity expert and president of Business Alignment Strategies, here’s why: the on-going workplace warfare is not about making employees a priority; it’s about the relative power of labor and management in the United States. By giving most employees the right to form and join unions, Congress added a third party to the labor relations process whose role is to help achieve a balance of power between employers and workers. More than 70 years later, that balance remains elusive for two primary reasons: (1) self-survival is the number one priority for unions and management, and (2) there is no shared vision of the workplace. Without a common goal, it is impossible for labor and management to work as a team. (smartbrief.com)
Obama Dems lust for Card-Check lucre ... Sen. John Thune (R-SD) says the “Employee Free Choice Act” – the Orwellian name for the “card check” bill to end secret ballot unionization elections – isn’t dead yet and could even be tacked onto another bill and pass the Senate with little or no notice. In a conference call addressing the “Employee Free Choice Act” Sen. Thune stressed the importance of not accepting compromise. Thune stated “the cloture vote is the critical vote” because – if the measure gets to the floor, Democrats may yet be able to muster the votes necessary to overcome a Republican filibuster. Even if the Employee Free Choice Act was revised to pass the cloture vote it “is going to move further to the left as you get into conference with the house…with pretty much most of the elements of the original bill when it comes out of conference.” Thune made clear the importance of continued grassroots resistance to EFCA saying “they must keep the pressure on.” (humanevents.com)
Stimulus fails due to ugly pro-union, Jim Crow-Era racial discrimination rule ... Paying union labor $50-60.00/hour to caulk windows makes Obama's "Weatherization Program" too costly to ever pay off as an "energy efficiency measure". That is the kernal of truth reported by NPR here: "Weatherization Program Hits Rough Stretch" by Elizabeth Shogren: Congress mandated that prevailing wages under the Davis-Bacon act must be paid to workers employed with "stimulous" funding. They decided that prevailing construction wages are the the benchmark for comparison, meaning nearly $60.00/hour in New York and over $50.00/hour in Chicago. This of course makes "weatherization" of houses so costly it can never be paid back in "energy cost savings". This whole conundrum has stymied initiation of the program -- an example of why the "stimulus funding" is not being spent. (americanthinker.com)
Workers suffer in labor-states ... The Labor Department said last week that employers cut 467,000 jobs in June and the unemployment rate rose to 9.5 percent, the highest in 25 years. Among the states, New Jersey reported the largest increase in initial claims, with 7,876, which it attributed to seasonal layoffs related to school closings and manufacturing job cuts. The next largest increases were reported by Massachusetts, Kansas, Kentucky and New York. The state data lags initial claims by one week. (washingtonexaminer.com)
Typical labor-state union-dues embezzler awaits wrist-slap ... Federal prosecutors say a Dundalk man has pleaded guilty to embezzling money from a labor union for waterfront guards. Thirty-one-year-old Paul Peters II is the former president of the Waterfront Guard Association Local. He pleaded guilty Thursday to embezzling funds from the union and employee welfare and pension plans from January 2002 to September 2005. Prosecutors said he used union funds to pay the costs to board horses, improve his home, buy stock and make mortgage payments on his house. Thirty-two-year-old Brian Armentrout, the union's recording secretary, pleaded guilty Tuesday to embezzling money from the union between 2003 and 2004. The independent union is for security guards and watchmen at the Port of Baltimore. (wjz.com)
Gov't-union strikers oppress Toronto ... Striking CUPE workers ringed-in a private medical transportation company Thursday keeping 300 to 400 patients from getting service, the company said. The picket line was set up around AmbuTrans property just after 5:30 a. m., effectively knocking the company's fleet of patient-transfer vehicles out of business for most of the day. The Scarborough-based company normally sends out around 40 vehicles each morning to respond to calls in Toronto, Durham and York region. Toronto paramedics are part of CUPE Local 416 and have been on strike alongside the city's garbage collectors and other outside workers since June 22. (stcatharinesstandard.ca)
