GOP Says Dem. Contractor Outsourcing Work (Nadar sig checking)

[Rose Siding]

LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan Republican Party alleged Tuesday that a contractor for the state Democratic Party is outsourcing work to India as he checks the validity of petition signatures for presidential candidate Ralph Nader (news - web sites).

Republicans said Mark Grebner, of Practical Political Consulting in East Lansing, has sent digital copies of Nader's petitions to a data entry firm in India. Grebner declined to comment on the allegation.
...
State Democratic Executive Chairman Mark Brewer has said the party is checking every signature, and it turned to Grebner to help meet Thursday's deadline.

Grebner said he has used foreign workers in the past in countries such as Bangladesh for work that can't be done by his U.S. staff of about 15 full-time workers. That includes work for Republicans as well as for Democrats, he added.

"This really is work that you can't do in the (United States) because it just doesn't make economic sense," Grebner said of the work he sends overseas. "I can't hire people to do some things here."

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/ap/20040721/ap_on_el_pr/nader

[Toots]

1. This is a boo boo of substantial proportions

This one stings.

[CharlesGroce]

2. Practice what you preach...

this Representative obviously does not put the American people first and should be replaced by some candidate who will. It's not just a boo boo, it's lethal! He should withdraw.

[Democat]

3. More trouble we don't need from Ralph Nader - how much money wasted?

Every penny spent fighting Nader is a penny closer to the White House for Bush.

Nader is a Republican operative, nothing less.

[mzmolly]

4. So are the Republicans newly against outsourcing?

Gee, just a short while back it was "good for the country". :eyes:

I coulda swore the R's were for open markets? :crazy:

[Forkboy]

5. No,but it has been mentioned as bad by Kerry

It's not ok because a Dem does it :shrug:

Yes,the repugs are hypocrites though.

[mzmolly]

6. Kerry didn't hire the company in question.

So how is this hypocritical of *him*?

Further, I suggest we await for a source other then the GOP hit squad?

[Forkboy]

7. Kerry is a democrat,no?

the person in question is a Democrat also,no?

I didn't say that it was hypocritical of Kerry personally,but it sure as hell doesn't look good to have one Dem saying one thing and another doing what the other is railing about.It looks hypocritical of the PARTY.

[mzmolly]

8. Actually the person in question has not stated his political affiliation.

At least the story doesn't mention it? But it looks like Lisa has cleared it up below.

I do think Kerry should "renounce" it like Nader does when he collects money and help from Right Wing Anti-Gay groups. ;)

I doubt Grebner was upfront about this practice when he was hired?

We've only got till Thursday to validate signatures BTW.

[Forkboy]

10. Responses

At least the story doesn't mention it? But it looks like Lisa has cleared it up below.

She did...he IS a Dem.

I do think Kerry should "renounce" it like Nader does when he collects money and help from Right Wing Anti-Gay groups.

I think they should both renounce the actions...imagine that.Nader though has nothing to do with this story.

I doubt Grebner was upfront about this practice when he was hired?

Probably not...we don't know,but I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt that he wasn't upfront about it.

We've only got till Thursday to validate signatures BTW.

Do you support the outsourcing then?

[LisaM]

11. Grebner is a slick one

dresses like a total homeless person, but I have no doubt he's got a lot of money stashed away. If he can't afford to hire people in this country, I would be quite surprised.

[mzmolly]

12. Answers.

Nader though has nothing to do with this story.

The story is about the GOP collecting signatures for Nader, then bitching because they are being verified with partial outsourcing. I'd say Nader's related. ;)

Do you support the outsourcing then?

No, like Nader, I renounce this act. Though when Nader renounces an action, he continues to partake. I'd like to find an alternative personally. But, as I said, we have until tomorrow to verify the sigs, so it may not be possible.

[Forkboy]

16. Points

The story is about the GOP collecting signatures for Nader, then bitching because they are being verified with partial outsourcing. I'd say Nader's related. ;)

Damn,I'm slow sometimes...sorry :)

No, like Nader, I renounce this act. Though when Nader renounces an action, he continues to partake. I'd like to find an alternative personally. But, as I said, we have until tomorrow to verify the sigs, so it may not be possible.

Cool,you scared me for a minute!

:hug:

[mzmolly]

18. No problem FB

:hug:

[LisaM]

9. Mark Grebner is a well-known E.L. crank....

he's ostensibly a Democrat. For years, he has put out a snarky book called "Grading the Profs" at Michigan State, which is basically a popularity poll for which professors have easy classes. He's been rubbing people the wrong way for as long as I can remember, and with him, it's always profit first. He in no way represents the Democratic establishment. He's the kind of guy you wish would just go away, but he never does......

[yellowcanine]

13. Mich pubs should go Cheney themselves. There are only so many firms that

do this kind of work. If they outsource data entry to India, so be it. How many Americans are beating down the doors for data entry jobs? Democrats fall right into the Republican trap of making everything good or evil. Not all outsourcing is evil and not all jobs created here are good for the overall economy (for example, a few low paying WalMart jobs might be outweighed by the negative impact of a Walmart on the community)

[trogdor]

14. Thank you.

I'm kinda wrestling with this issue myself. I don't expect American industry to produce every last piece of plastic junk sold at Wal*Mart. I mean, come on. A set of plastic measuring cups. A spatula. A ten dollar clock radio. These items have been 100% imported for a couple of decades, so we might as well get them as cheap as we can so long as they still work, right?

What bothers me is, we don't buy stuff from China because it's better, only because it's cheaper. People will buy microwaves from Wal*Mart for $80, run it for a couple of years, and chuck it in the trash when it breaks and buy a new one. I bet the nation's landfills are so full of Chinese garbage it's not funny anymore.

This is the key difference between someone like me, who drives Japanese cars because they run forever, and someone who would be first in line to buy a Chevy made in Shanghai because it costs, say, $7,000, auto trans and AC included, and shrugs when it blows up or rusts out after three years.

Everything's a commodity nowadays. Maybe that's an improvement over the 1980's obsession with yuppie brand names on toasters, but I'm not so sure about that. At least most of the yuppie stuff was built to last. Somebody should start a fad that involves high-quality Made In USA merchandise. You will notice that when you buy something made in the USA, it holds together longer. It has to because anyone still making things here can't stay in business otherwise.

[LisaM]

15. We had that problem recently with pliers...

My boyfriend was trying to take off a sink handle and the "Made in China" pliers practically exploded in his face. He was so angry and said he would never again buy any tools made outside of the U.S. (though I suspect German-made tools are pretty high quality.) I agree about things not lasting. It's cheaper now to buy a whole new couch/washer/refrigerator/microwave, etc. than to get one fixed, which just seems wrong.

[LisaM]

17. Grebner is in a college town...

he should be able to get plenty of good, parttime help for projects such as these.