| Obama: Stifles dissent, ruled by Alinsky, no ordinary Marxist POTUS, sends Rahmbo on crisis-search, snafus GovCare, laid low by anti-jobs agenda. Mismanagement: Revealed: thetruthaboutplas.com, Jim Crow-era discrimination governs Stimulus, Job-Killers recover, organizers target small business, unions back fraud-by-mail voting, ACORN seeks revenge, union dues embezzled, P2P in the desert, Toronto agonizes. International: Obama leads DINO surge, ACORN boosts Ortega, Chávez draws the line but runs out of Joe, S.A. unionists grieve Communist oppression. |
Slavish devotion to union thugs exposed ... When Pennsylvania’s labor unions aren’t denying workers the right to opt out of paying union dues or inflating labor costs of public construction and infrastructure projects, they are pushing wasteful and discriminatory union-only project labor agreements. Although the authors of this piece don’t mention Project Labor Agreements specifically, we’re sure they would agree (as the Allegheny Institute has here) that PLAs are a perilous example of devotion to organized labor that is not helping Pennsylvania’s economy. (thetruthaboutplas.com)
Obama stifles dissent as U.S. chafes under New Prog policies ... At some point of embittering clarity, Americans will open their eyes to the glaring significance of the Obama era and see the Power Grab Years for what they are. Whether this realization comes in time to stave off the eradication of the United States as we thought we knew it, or whether it comes too late, I predict it will surely come. If it comes in time, the realization that the nation dodged history's bullet will produce massive waves of relief. If it comes too late, the understanding of our fallen state will live on as the lost lore, not of a subject people exactly, but of a self-subjected people. That's because in this strange historical instance, the American people, beginning with but not limited to those of us who voted Barack Obama into the White House, seem to have agreed to shoulder the heavy, costly yoke of exponentially increasing government control of our lives. Make that exponentially increasing executive branch control of our lives — even more alarming given the cult of President Obama's personality already evident. With a rubberstamp Democratic Congress, it is the Obama White House that calls the shots, and it doesn't let dissenters forget it. (pottstownmercury.com)
Alinksy Rules ... The foundation of today's liberal Left politicos is not that of King, it is none other than the rankling divisive strategy of mid-century Marxist-oriented Chicago community organizer Saul Alinsky, an avowed and proud atheist. The very heart of the liberal Left in America now pounds to the beat of Saul Alinsky's cacophonous bellowing, not to MLK's calm appeal for harmony. If a verbal fight were to take place pitting the unifying voice of Martin Luther King against the divisive rhetoric of Saul Alinsky, who would win -- King's right-minded moral dogma of unity and fair play or Alinsky's amoral left-leaning diatribe of division and crotch-kicking? If there were a ten round "Ideological Fight of the Century", on whom would you bet your future? Our current leaders on the Left are so steeped in Alinsky's ideology, either by once following him personally, by pro-actively studying his principles and philosophy during college, or by embracing and purposefully initiating his tactics in their activism and speeches, that they are de facto dedicated to Alinsky. These Left leaders who include Rahm Emanuel, Nancy Pelosi, Hillary Clinton, Gerald Kellman, Arne Duncan, and President Obama, among a long list of others, use Alinsky's ‘sacred' divisive political playbook far more often than the ‘accursed' Right imaginarily thumps their Bible. (americanthinker.com)Bonus links:
• Summary of Saul Alinsky's 'Rules for Radicals'
• More Saul Alinsky stories: here
• 'Rules for Radicals' at amazon.com
Obama approval tumbles: No ordinary Marxist Presidency ... Are the people rejecting their saviour? Barack Obama’s approval rating has slipped to below that of George “Dubya” Bush at the same stage in his presidency and this is causing some concern among right-thinking (by which, of course, I mean left-thinking) people. This is by no means the death of the dream that began in January – approval ratings slide up and down erratically – but it is at least an early intimation of mortality. For this is no ordinary presidency, this is the reign on earth of The One: his approval rating was intended to break the mould by rising inexorably to 100 per cent and beyond. The problem about a mega-hype like the Obama scam is that when it goes pear-shaped it will crash and burn like nothing we have seen since that other hot-air powered marvel, the Hindenburg. Here we are, six months into the great adventure and already our hero is in deep doo-doo. How is it with the economic rescue package? Terrific – if you are a Wall Street banker. But if you happen to belong to that uncovenanted majority of the population, the lumpen salariat, you may be coming to the conclusion that crossing FDR’s depression-prolonging New Deal with LBJ’s Great Society is not the answer to your problems. This one will run and run; and so, eventually, will its instigators if they want to stay ahead of the mob with tar and feathers. (blogs.telegraph.co.uk)
Rahm Emanuel searches for a new crisis ... Recall that vice-president Joe Biden “promised” and “guaranteed” that there would be an “international crisis” within six months of Obama’s presidency that would cause him to make unpopular decisions. This crisis is now overdue since it’s just over six months since Obama took office. What will Obama’s crisis be? A geopolitical flare-up that will act as a pretext for U.S. military involvement overseas? Or a terrorist attack that will create the perfect excuse for Obama to backtrack on promises that he is already stalling on, such as the closure of Guantanamo Bay? An attack on U.S. soil will also stoke accusations that the Democrats are “soft” on the war on terror by Republicans, providing another excuse to beef the police state and chill free speech at home. Or will Obama act as the soothing savior when an engineered swine flu epidemic, promised to return deadlier than ever in the fall, or something even worse causes panic and chaos? (prisonplanet.com)
Two-faced on GovCare ... I'll close by urging people not to look the other way while harmful changes are implemented, otherwise we'll be retracing the steps of Holocaust victims who didn't see the writing on the wall. Get informed, Google "Barack Obama and Saul Alinsky rules for radicals." Call your senators; ask why a volunteer police force is being created to enforce energy mandates. Or, why those who propose government-run health care voted not to be obligated to take part in it themselves. (visaliatimesdelta.com)Bonus links:
• Summary of Saul Alinsky's 'Rules for Radicals'
• More Saul Alinsky stories: here
• 'Rules for Radicals' at amazon.com
Dick Morris: Anti-investment agenda comes home to roost ... Clinton was called "irrelevant" after the congressional defeats of 1994, when his ratings hovered in the high 30s. Bush seemed almost out of power in the last years of his administration, when his approval dropped to the low 30s. Now Obama faces the loss of power that comes with dropping poll numbers. The two early symptoms of this creeping impotence are his inability to pass the union card-check legislation or to force action on healthcare before the August recess, once highly touted administration goals. As is usually the case, the apparent cause of these defeats — the buildup of public disapproval of both bills — is not what is really at work. Rather, it is the president's obvious inability to improve the economy that is exacting the daily toll in his approval ratings evident in all of the surveys. Like the body counts that mounted in Iraq and drove Bush's numbers ever downward, the rising unemployment numbers are stripping Obama of his popularity and power. (jewishworldreview.com)
Disgraceful Jim Crow-era racial discrimination laws govern union-only Stimulus projects ... I am speaking at the National Black Chamber of Commerce Legislative Conference in Washington, DC as a panelist for a session called ”Revitalizing the U.S. Department of Transportation” today. NBCC President Harry Alford invited me to discuss the impact of pro-union policies such as Executive Order 13502 and federal prevailing wage laws under the Davis-Bacon Act on U.S. DOT projects. This current event provided us with an opportunity to remind readers that Project Labor Agreements discriminate against non-union workers and they especially discriminate against minority and women owned businesses and their minority and women employees. (thetruthaboutplas.com)
Son of Card-Check: D.C. Job-Killers alive and well ... Businesses, workers, investors and consumers are worse off when shops are unionized. Labor contracts cut into profits, curb growth and eclipse companies' futures, which hurt all parties; potential workers are priced out of jobs; consumers pay more for products and services from unionized companies and often get less quality in return. Government needs to get out of the business of propping up unions, which means politicians need to stop taking their generous campaign contributions. Organized labor's declining membership and failing power are evidence that it's not essential to economic advancement or a rising standard of living. (investors.com)
Union operatives eye lucrative small business sector ... As the owner of a small paving company in La Grange, I oppose the bill. I've seen for myself how unions squander their members' dues while trying to unionize fair-paying businesses that faithfully provide goods and services to the public. Must my business be unionized to gain the support of these labor secretaries? The National Small Business Association has come out against this bill. According to a recent study commissioned by the Independent Women's Forum, 61 percent of small business owners, once informed about the bill, believe it would hurt their business. (chicagotribune.com)
SEIU-AFSCME fraud suspected in typical vote-by-mail union balloting ... In-home care providers for the elderly and disabled in Missouri have voted overwhelmingly for union representation, forming what they say is the state's largest health care union. The unionization vote passed 2,729 to 499, according to results of a mail-in ballot released Wednesday by the state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations. (columbiamissourian.com)
NYT: Tax-funded, union-backed fraud group strikes back ... The community organizing and voter registration group Acorn filed a federal lawsuit here Wednesday claiming that a state statute that is being used to prosecute some of its former employees is unconstitutional. The group, whose official name is the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, filed the lawsuit against the Allegheny County district attorney, Stephen Zappala, who is prosecuting the former Acorn employees, and the Pennsylvania attorney general, Tom Corbett, seeking to strike down the law. Acorn hopes the lawsuit will prevent criminal prosecution of its local leaders and office, which have been under investigation by Mr. Zappala’s office for eight months, said Witold Walczak, legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania, which is representing Acorn. “They already charged the employees, and they’ve hinted they might go after Acorn next,” said Mr. Walczak, who believes this is the first time such a law has been challenged in federal court. (nytimes.com)
Typical Chicago union-dues embezzler defunds the Left ... Federal prosecutors have charged a Chicago suburbanite with embezzling $24 million from a group of labor union pension funds. In a criminal information announced Wednesday, John A. Orecchio was charged with one count of wire fraud and one count of embezzling money from a union pension fund. The 43-year-old Orecchio, formerly of Arlington Heights, was accused of taking money belonging to Carpenters, Operating Engineers, Teamsters and Millwrights unions starting in 2002 and continuing through September 2006. Defense attorney William Ziegelmueller said the charges were expected. He said Orecchio has been working with various authorities to make amends for his conduct. (kwqc.com)
Union bigs dominate Sin City ... Current and former members of the Clark County Commission said a Tuesday vote — taking a Beltway-widening contract away from the lowest bidder and giving it to Las Vegas Paving — might set a perilous precedent. The company that lost the bid, Fisher Sand and Gravel, has threatened to sue the county, alleging the commission’s pro-union leanings prompted it to violate bidding rules and award the contract to a company that, unlike Fisher, uses union labor. The hearing on the contract appeared carefully orchestrated. An attorney for the International Union of Operating Engineers explained that state statute allows the denial of a bid if a party is determined “not responsible.” Commissioner Steve Sisolak then played video from a Phoenix TV news station about a pattern of violations by Fisher, which Sisolak used to argue that the company is not a “responsible bidder.” (lasvegassun.com)
Teamster threat adds to Toronto strike woes ... A potential strike by 340 unionized train engineers is threatening to derail vacation plans and strand tens of thousands of passengers during Via Rail's peak summer season. The engineers, members of the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference, are threatening to walk off the job at noon tomorrow if they haven't negotiated a new agreement. Their last contract expired in 2006. The two sides were still bargaining yesterday. A federal mediator is assisting with negotiations and both sides claim to be optimistic. But a statement by the union yesterday suggested it is "increasingly frustrated" and that a strike "would cause chaos for the tens of thousands of commuters who rely on Via Rail service in the busy Montreal-Toronto-Windsor corridor." Russ and Julia Mounsteven had their daughter check on travel alternatives should a strike leave them stranded during a pleasure trip to Ottawa. "It's too smelly in Toronto to do anything," Julia said, referring to the civic workers strike that has left the city without garbage pickup for more than a month. (thestar.com)International Collectivism
Obama asserts global DINO leadership ... Meanwhile, in the wider world, American foreign policy is beginning very satisfactorily to fill the vacuum left by the Soviet Union. The Obama administration has set itself the objective of establishing Marxist regimes in the remaining democratic states of Latin America. Fidel has had his thunder stolen by Barack. The current project, being enthusiastically pursued by the White House, is to reinstate the Marxist fruitcake Manuel Zelaya, client of Venezuelan strongman Hugo Chávez, as president of Honduras. Zelaya’s return is being demanded by Chávez, Nicaraguan Sandinista president Daniel Ortega and Evo Morales, president of Bolivia. These hoods are the Latin American chapter of the Axis of Evil, but Washington loves them. When the Honduran democrats stood unexpectedly firm against Zelaya’s return, Chávez telephoned the State Department to ask for help. Correct me if I am wrong, but I somehow do not think that when Fidel Castro was having problems subverting a Latin American democracy his first instinct was to ring up Condie Rice and cry on her shoulder. (blogs.telegraph.co.uk)
ACORN takes on Nicaragua ... Nicaragua’s corrupt, authoritarian president Daniel Ortega is now pushing a change to his country’s constitution to extend his rule. Ortega is a former communist backed by Venezuela’s anti-American strongman Hugo Chávez. He uses vote fraud, arbitrary arrests, and intimidation to expand and perpetuate his power. Ortega has been emboldened by the Obama Administration’s demand that neighboring Honduras permit the return of its corrupt, bullying ex-president Mel Zelaya, who was removed for similarly seeking to perpetuate his rule. (examiner.com)
Chávez draws a line in the Honduras sand ... Venezuela will not withdraw its remaining diplomats from Honduras, ignoring an ultimatum by the de facto government of the Central American country, the Venezuelan foreign ministry said yesterday. The Honduran government of Roberto Micheletti installed after a June 28 coup gave Venezuelan diplomats 72 hours to leave on Tuesday. It said the oil-exporting country led by President Hugo Chávez was meddling in its internal affairs. Venezuela ignored the order because it did not come from the “legitimate and constitutional government” of Honduras, the foreign ministry said in a statement that urged Honduran authorities not to mistreat any Venezuelan diplomats. Chávez is a staunch ally of deposed Honduran President Manuel Zelaya, providing him with support and a plane since he was sent into exile in his pajamas by soldiers last month. (stabroeknews.com)
Chavistas struggle to save Latin America from term limits ... The interim government of Honduras is on a collision course with Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, who has threatened to use “all the necessary resources” to prevent the closure of the Venezuelan embassy in the troubled Central American country. The Honduran government says diplomats based at the embassy are fomenting destabilizing street protests in support of ousted president Manuel Zelaya. It has ordered them to leave by Friday. A senior Honduran lawmaker told Venezuela’s El Universal newspaper that several Venezuelans had been arrested during the demonstrations and “have not explained their real intentions.” The attempted “meddling in our internal affairs” had prompted the government to act against the mission, said Ramon Velasquez Nafar, vice president of the Honduran Congress. (cnsnews.com)
Workers Paradise plagued by shortages ... Venezuela, a traditional coffee exporter that boasts one of the best cups of java in South America, may have to import coffee for the first time ever this year or face shortages, industry experts said. Producers say rising costs and prices fixed by the government have caused production to fall and illegal exports to rise. The government says poor climate and speculation by growers and roasters is to blame. "There is a serious shortage," Pedro Vicente Perez, coffee director with the national agricultural federation, Fedeagro, told Reuters. (flex-news-food.com)
Union militants smack down Communist leadership ... Members of the Chemical, Energy, Paper, Printing, Wood and Allied Workers Union held pickets outside their employers’ factories yesterday as their strike over wages entered its third day. Cedric Maluleke, Ceppwawu spokesman, said the aim of the pickets at Tiger Brands in Isando, Sappi in Springs, and Sasol Nitro in Bronkhorstspruit, was “to ensure that employers reconsider their offer of 7%”. The Communication Workers’ Union might embark on mass action next week after “substantive” negotiations over pay failed with fixed-line phone company Telkom. Union members said yesterday there was unhappiness over wages, the threat of possible job losses through restructuring and poor administration. (thetimes.co.za)
