April 27, 2011
Put out your own fires!
The 300,000 member International Association of Fire Fighters has hollered "May Day" to the Democratic Party--on the national level. This decision is a head-scratcher. The fire fighters are all over the political spectrum from the very conservative Republican-leaning Milwaukee fire fighters to the militant Madison fire fighters. No group got more applause at the Capitol than the fire fighters, headed by a really solid union leader Joe Conway, who brought bagpipes and members to the Capitol.
Why would the fire fighters leap into the cauldron now? It seems odd. Just when teachers and AFSCME are going to need lots of help collecting dues given the Walker administration's line in the sand of no dues collection from state employees. Is the announcement designed to light a fire (pardon the pun) under the AFL-CIO? Is it from uncertainty? Is it likely to lead other public unions to follow?
WELCOME HOME, PAUL. Wealthy, experienced, leading Republican Paul Ryan was in Kenosha yesterday for a listening session, and he got an earful! It was a near riot as a couple hundred voters in Kenosha told Ryan, in no uncertain terms, that his Medicare plan is unacceptable. The crowd also wanted an end to the Bush tax cuts; they want hands off Social Security. This was a nightmare for the GOP. The so-called author of the Koch plan could not handle the animosity. If Ryan, The Bright One, can't handle it, imagine poor Sean Duffy or James Sensenbrenner trying to sell the idea in Ryan's bag.
Back to Cato, Heritage and Bradley Foundation, Paul. Better start over!
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Re Fire Fighters, it is quite obvious. Other unions are angry with both parties as well. It is as though there are NOT two parties in many cases. In their article, they note that there is nothing that will pass to help their work in Congress. Congress IS the culprit in every area from prostitution to oil, to Wall Street and their gimmicks, gambling, and wars constructed as "democracy building" or human rights issues, and their major prostitution to corporation lobbyists and that election dollar. As far as Republicans go, they may be influenced by their lovely little tea party, but they have become the party of baloney or BS...whichever you prefer.Grandpa's Republican Party of small business is DEAD. If American voters accept the current Republican manipulations secretly being pushed, one might think they deserve the consequence.....but that is not so. Too many of them are just struggling too much to learn all the manipulations and undercurrents.
-hmj | madison, wi | April 27, 2011
Ed:
You might want to check out David Sirota's article about this letter/issue at Salon:
http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/index.html?story=/politics/war_room/2011/04/26/labor_movement_national_democrats&source=newsletter&utm_source=contactology&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Salon_Daily%20Newsletter%20%28Not%20Premium%29_7_30_110
Cheers.
-Ralph Novy | Hillsboro, Wisconsin | April 27, 2011
In a democracy the people have to lead their "leaders." "Leaders" won't get out in front if there is no fire at their back.
Without a push from the democracy -- AKA, the people -- leadership degenerates into retreatership.
The Republicans would never win an elections if the Democrats weren't determined to turn election boxes into coffins for movements, selling hope and delivering apathy.
Now is the time for the "leaders" to move in the direction the people are pointing.
Got to go now and congratulate the real heroes in the firehouse at my corner for standing up to the sellouts.
-Glenn Fritz | Park Ridge, IL | April 27, 2011
Are you following what's between the lines in the voter ID bill? It's all skewed to Republican causes. We must stop this bill now.
-Maria Caliente | Middleton | April 27, 2011
Ed:
I think you missed the most important part of the message here. The fire fighters have suspended payments to *federal* candidates of both parties, but:
"Re-focusing our work on the states will serve to bolster...."
-Dale Pierce | Middleton, WI | April 28, 2011
Here is a link to the original blog by the IFFA. I support them and wish AFT would do the same.
http://www.iaff.org/11News/042611FIREPAC.htm?sms_ss=facebook&at_xt=4db9c7af26b2c0f0%2C0
-Laura Chern | Madison, WI | April 28, 2011
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