Wednesday, September 07, 2011

New York Sun: Palin Only Key Republican Addressing Union Issue

Yesterday the New York Sun editorialized about the importance of Sarah Palin's response to James P. Hoffa's Labor Day comments and the economic crisis in the country which union households also face:
"It turns out that Mrs. Mrs. Palin understands this issue down to the ground. She brings to it the perspective of being the daughter of two union members and the wife of long-time union member, most recently of the Steelworkers, and is, in her own right, a one-time card-carrying member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. Addressing what she called 'the hard working, patriotic, selfless union brothers and sisters in Michigan and throughout our country,' she warned the rank and file against being taken in by 'union bosses’ thuggery.'

"She was referring to Mr. Hoffa’s deciding to introduce Mr. Obama at the now famous labor rally in Detroit by declaring that labor was his army and ready to march and exhorting, in respect of the Tea Party, 'let’s take these sons of bitches out.' Said she: 'Just because you claim to represent union members doesn’t mean you are on the side of the angels. The greed of too many of these union bosses has all but destroyed the labor movement in this country, helped chase away our jobs, and is killing the American dream.'

"Quoth the Alert Alaskan: 'To see where this leads, look at what’s happening to the working class in our industrialized cities. These cities are going to hell in a hand basket thanks to corruption, crony capitalism, and the union bosses’ greed. The union bosses derive their power from your union dues and their promise to deliver your votes to whichever politician they’re in bed with. They get their power from you, and yet their actions ultimately hurt you. They’re chasing American industry offshore by making outrageous, economically illogical demands that they know will never work. . . .'”
. . .
"There’s more in Mrs. Palin’s full Facebook posting, and if it is a taste of a campaign ahead, the race will be richer for it. For where are the rest of the Republicans? The Drudge Report has been leading with the story all day. Aside from Drudge, Mrs. Palin was way ahead of the press. Where is the Republican presidential field? Some say that Mrs. Palin is just teasing the Republicans and that she won’t run in the end. But right now there is no one else coming at this issue from quite the angle she is — or with the plain spoken news sense."
[emphasis added]

4 comments:

James Nicholas said...

"“Union bosses,” she added, “will still figure out a way to keep their gig, and so will their politically aligned corporate friends. As long as these big corporations have a good crony capitalist in the White House, they can rely on DC to bail them out until the whole system goes bankrupt, which, I am afraid, is not very far off. "

That's one right between the eyes. The striking forthrightness, the basic truthfulness... very welcome. This gal is something else. Very gutsy, and still very much a woman. Sarah Palin is good company. Which brings to mind in contrast one Paul Gigot, who is a pleasant enough man, well spoken and all, but an apparent elite, much like the power brokers of the republican party, who consider Tea Party citizens in general and Sarah Palin in particular not worthy of their attention and respect.

I guess it just wasn't his night. Too bad, really. Paul Gigot "could ah been somebody..."

T. D. said...

Yes, interesting the contrast in thinking/evaluative ability that it shows between New York Sun editorial comment and Wall Street Journal editorial comment.

Unfortunately in intellectual and media circles being right in the face of group think gets no praise and being wrong gets no blame.

James Nicholas said...

That's the sad truth of it. Good stuff, Terrence.

T. D. said...

JN, did you see the positive assessment in the NYT?

"But something curious happened when Ms. Palin strode onto the stage last weekend at a Tea Party event in Indianola, Iowa. Along with her familiar and predictable swipes at President Barack Obama and the 'far left,' she delivered a devastating indictment of the entire U.S. political establishment — left, right and center — and pointed toward a way of transcending the presently unbridgeable political divide."

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/10/us/10iht-currents10.html

Paul Gigot, call your office.