Rahm, union buster? Exactly what Dems don't need at this crucial time

[quinnox]

Obama needs to get on the horn to the guy and order this to be taken care of, at once. Don't give the republicans this kind of ammo to use in commercials, its like handing them a .357 magnum loaded.

[polichick]

1. Big mistake to give this corporate tool a speaking spot...

...at the convention.

[fredamae]

2. Is Rahm really a Dem? Or does

he just call himself one?

[woo me with science]

3. How about correcting the goddamned right-wing, union bashing narrative?

It's debt ceiling debacle all over again. Rather than CORRECT twelve years of Republican lies about the reasons for our economic problems and what is needed to solve them, Obama chose instead to cement Republican talking points about austerity and give speeches about pea eating.

Now we have an opportunity for Democrats to seize this moment to passionately and persistently correct the lies and reframe the right-wing narrative about unions in this country, and Obama is choosing not to take sides.

It is time for Americans to stand up and DEMAND that our party represent us again. Enough of this Third Way, Republican-enabling bullshit.

This is an opportunity. It is about what Democrats should stand for.

[bbgrunt]

16. +1000

[frazzled]

4. How can you call this union busting when ...

Negotiations and collective bargaining have been continuing since November, and negotiations are still ongoing.

Are scabs being brought in? No. The two sides are really down to 2 or 3 relatively negotiable points: (a) teacher evaluations (which the teachers and union themselves helped write) and (b) call-backs. There's also air conditioning, but that seems to me something thrown in as a wild card.

The hours and the pay have been successfully negotiated. This is how it's supposed to work.

Stop acting like this is Wisconsin. It's far, far from that scenario.

[quinnox]

6. I'm making a point how this will be framed by republicans...

and how the Dems need to be united now, not have this dispute start becoming nationwide news that drags on for weeks, right before the election.

[frazzled]

8. Perhaps, but that's not how the responses are treating it

It's an invitation to the usual Rahm bashing by people who, in general, have no skin in this game and who aren't familiar with all the issues.

What's becoming clear to me over these last days leading up to the strike is that all the problems in CPS that grew for years under the iron fist of Daley are suddenly bursting forth in a new administration, : especially things like class size and air conditioning (it's too bad we've been having an unrelenting heat wave for the last 6 months), which are pretty difficult with the hundreds of millions of dollars of deficit the district has been left with. And if you think Emanuel is a hard ass, you haven't met Karen Lewis, who is a pretty draconian character herself. I swear she can make Rahm look like Little Boy Blue at times.

This is truly unfortunate timing for this event, and I pray it will be settled soon. I've had the sense for a month or two that no amount of negotiation was going to avert a strike. I just hope that once all the concerns are publicized, the two sides can finally seal the deal on the negotiation. Because, honestly, they don't really seem that far apart.

[mopinko]

12. ^^this^^ very true imho

i think it will only go a day or two. people wanted to make their points, but in the end nobody knows how bad this looks better than rahmbo.

[sabrina 1]

5. I heard him on the car radio claiming that this was an unnecessary strike as they were

close to an agreement. Let's hope he does get a call from the Party leaders so that he can act like a Democrat and start supporting the working class for a change.

[milwaukeelib33]

7. I'm in awe this is even happening

In this day and age where during an election campaign hundreds if not thousands of political advisers plot a course to victory, smooth road bumps, remove obstacles, etc., that nobody saw this coming. Nobody said "hey, ya know, a strike is on the horizon in the third largest school district in the country, and it also happens to be the President's hometown, we'd better take care of it". Seems to me a massive screw up on somebody's part.

[sabrina 1]

9. I don't think anyone should be surprised at all. I am surprised it took this long since

the policies of Rahm Emanuel have been to privatize the public schools, to bring in outside Charter School Businesses, while promoting the closing down of Public Schools.

What IS surprising is that they were so arrogant, so convinced that they could destroy the Public School System, bully the Unions (which Rahm and his business cohorts have been doing since he took office), keep firing public workers in favor of hiring less qualified but cheaper labor, hand over public funds to private Corps where profits have to be made from the money that SHOULD be going to education.

This battle has been brewing for a long time. But they always forget when it comes down to it, the American people support the working class over Big Business. Rahm assumed he had control over the Unions and could just ram through his Privatization policies without any interference from the lowly working class.

This strike is extremely important to start rolling back these policies of privatization, as we have seen with Scott Walker and the rest of the Anti-Public School Koch brother supported elected officials.

Either the people stop them now, or before long everything will be privatized.

This isn't just about the few points they are negotiating, it is about saving the Public Schools from the Privatizers, which sadly, Democrat Rahm Emanuel is a part of.

[Vincardog]

11. I agree with everything sabrina 1 said here /////^^^^\\\\ while this is not

about money "Money s the only thing they can strike over".

[CC]

10. Why should Obama use his position

as President and interfere with a local problem? That would give the GOP lots of ammo to use against him. Much more than the problems with one single school district. If the two speak with each other about it privately I would hope they keep it to themselves and not make it public, any of it even that they spoke to each other. In a perfect world this wouldn't happen now but the world isn't perfect. Meanwhile why should we play into the GOP playbook make it look like Obama has nonexistent super powers to fix everything and/or anything so they can blame him when it doesn't happen?

[Vincardog]

13. Maybe President BO can use the telephone to call his old friend.

[meow2u3]

15. BO needs to tell Rahmbo to stop acting like a rethug

Real Democrats don't bust unions.

[milwaukeelib33]

14. Similar arguement to WI

When labor needed serious high-profile backing, PBO left it alone as a local issue. I agree for the most art with your analysis, here in WI we're left wondering "what if"? Had he interjected would Wanker been tossed and put a halt to repug enthusiasm that has WI in play this Nov, possibly a second R Senator, and delivered us Lyin' Ryan?

I know there are differences between the two situations, mainly that repugs are running things here, which is why this strike impasse boggles my mind even more- the supposed good guys are in power in Chicago and IL, just get it done already.

[Autumn]

17. I hope Obama gives him a call and

Last edited Mon Sep 10, 2012, 07:20 PM - Edit history (1)

asks him if he's ready for an ass kicking.