Teamster President, James Hoffa, Praises Bush's Social Security Work!

[Itsthetruth]

Teamsters president praises Bush's Social Security work
By Donald Lambro

THE WASHINGTON TIMES
May 26, 2005

Teamsters President James P. Hoffa, breaking his estrangement from the White House, praised President Bush on Tuesday for attempting to fix Social Security and said Democrats were wrong to oppose any discussion until Mr. Bush drops his personal retirement accounts plan.

Mr. Hoffa said preserving Social Security's long-term solvency and pension retirement reform were major concerns in his 1.4-million-member union and that he was willing to work with the administration and the Republican majority in Congress to come up with bipartisan solutions to both issues.

His words of praise for Mr. Bush's efforts were seen as another sharp break with the AFL-CIO and its president, John Sweeney, whose policies and leadership are being challenged by Mr. Hoffa and several other major unions. "Social Security is a major problem in this country. We have to make sure that it's preserved for those that come after us," Mr. Hoffa said in an interview with Gannett News Service. "I think President Bush should be given credit for the fact that he has initiated a debate regarding what we should do."

"I think it's a huge olive branch to the White House and I hope the White House grabs it," said Derrick Max, executive director of a coalition that is lobbying for Mr. Bush's reform plan. The White House did just that yesterday, saying, "We welcome his comments and hope that it's a sign of things to come.

http://washingtontimes.com/national/20050525-112309-9244r.htm

This is bad. Very bad. Hoffa has broken with the rest of organized labor in proposing a bi-partisan agreement to cut benefits in the name of "preserving" Social Security. Will Hoffa be meeting with and leaning on Democratic members of Congress who oppose "private accounts" but might be agreeable to cuts in order to "save" Social Security?

[fasttense]

1. Hoffa's probably on the payroll. n/t

[newscott]

2. Now there's a dubious endorsement source!

[tk2kewl]

3. I hope the teamsters are listening to their leader sell them up the river.

I wonder how much that payoff cost the taxpayer. :mad:

[Deja Q]

4. The Teamsters in my area take grants then do little work...

Bit of a shame, really.

The Teamsters Union can go enlist itself.

[HereSince1628]

5. Hoffa should be careful of the path his father led.

The Hoffa Family has a tendency to piss off democratic families like the Kennedy's.

[AX10]

6. While I defend unions, the Teamsters is the only union that I oppose.

They are corrupt and do little for their workers. Plus, being in bed with Bush is very telling. Maybe the Teamsters are not the problem themselves, but the Hoffa Family's influence on the union.

[PsN2Wind]

11. I think that Teamsters are mostly out for teamsters.

Case in point. Strike by union members at a Nortwest lumber mill several years ago. Teamsters would drive into a terminal, get out, leaving their truck running, then a scab would get in, drive out to the mill and through the picket line.

[FreedomAngel82]

24. Wouldn't surprise me at all

Especially if he's in bed with the Bush's.

[RBHam]

7. Hoffa Junior cannot be trusted.

I was a Teamster when he ran for President, our Rep came back from Philadelphia with a whole bunch of Hoffa election parephenalia...

There was a T-shirt with the slogan "Hoffa. Restoring The Pride."

I told my Rep that it should read "Hoffa. Restoring The Concrete."

Much guffaws were had by all, but I was serious.

[izzie]

8. I still say Bush, wall street and your money is un-safe

It may be the right way to go but I sure do not trust Bush and his gang with large amounts of money. Do I need to look at anything but the days news to see what is going on with corp and retirement plans in stocks.Does Hoffa plan to be on the board that does the money stuff? My God but I see all sort of bad stuff going on with this deal.

[Patty Diana]

9. Bush probably threatened to Disappear him too!!!!!!!!!

[pnorman]

10. Hoffa junior has been doing that for a long time,

most notably with ANWR. He's an outright PHONEY "labor leader", who's trying to ride on his father's name. In recent times, he's tried to present himself as a "rough-talking, straight-shooting no-nonsense teamster". NOTHING could be further from the truth!. His daddy saw to it that he led a sheltered life at home, and he was on the lawyer track. He didn't even have enough time working under Teamster contract, to run for for Teamster office! So one of his daddy's old pals fixed him up with temporary teamster job during summer vacation, so he became "eligible". Ironically, that guy was almost certainly complicit in the "offing" of Hoffa senior.

This labor faker is the puppet of the corrupt and CRIMINAL elements that dominated the Teamsters in past years. The Reptilicans LOVE him, and will see that the DOJ won't bother him. THAT's what he needs so badly --- PROTECTION.

pnorman

[pnorman]

20. Regarding my above posting:

Here's the web page of Teamsters for a Democratic Union (TDU): http://www.tdu.org/ That's the outfit that helped clean up the gangster-ridden Teamsters --- for a while. There's quite a bit there about Hoffa junior, and it isn't GOOD.

pnorman

[Name removed]

12. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Itsthetruth]

13. You Have An Interesting Way To Misrepresent Postings

"You have a VERY INTERESTING way with your wording.
Hoffa has always been a Bush sympathizer. Almost as much as the Moonie Times you quote.

Moonie Times hates Dems. Hoffa is no Dem. Joshua Frank hates Dems. Funny how you only post articles dumping on Democrats."

It's interesting how you misrepresent my postings. Or did you just not understand my observation that Hoffa has "broken with the rest of the labor movement" by supporting Bush and that this "is bad, very bad"? I hope the word "bad" did not confuse you.

You also seem to be unaware of the fact that James Hoffa supported and campaigned for John Kerry in the 2004 election.

It's clear that you have not read my numerous postings attacking the policies of the Bush government. Or perhaps you have just been looking for posts that criticize Democrats who collaborate with the Bush government, the ones who vote for his appointments and bills before Congress. In fact, I think that's what really upsets you more than anything. I'm sorry to disappoint you, but, I just can't support anyone who collaborates with the Bush government and I wished you felt the same way.

[blm]

15. Wrong. I know Hoffa's plays very well. I never trust his motives.

And you predominantly post against Dems. Just because the articles supposedly come from the left doesn't impress me, because GOP operatives have been posing as leftwing writers for decades.

[Itsthetruth]

17. Sorry: That Idea Won't Fly Here

Now I suppose the easiest way to challenge the views of progressives who criticize Democrats who collaborate with Bush is to not challenge their views! Just suggest they are all a bunch of "secret" right-wingers on the Republican payroll!

Sorry. I don't think that particular conspiracy notion will fly here or on any other progressive website.

Perhaps it would be better if you just indicated what you disagreed with progressives on and why. This is a discussion board and I'd like to know your views on such matters.

[blm]

21. I never said they ALL were. Just the ones who consistently write against

Dems.

The ploy is all yours. My creds are solid and I doubt you'll find many here who believe I'm not here to fight for progressives and against Bush.

Since you claim that Kerry and Bush are no different, then YOU are the one who is collaborating with BushInc, because it shows complete disregard for Kerry's advocacy for progressive causes for over 35 years.

I don't believe you are just unstudied and ignorant, so I do believe you have a purpose in mind and I don't believe advocating progressivism is the motivation. Your posts are far too aimed directly at Democrats and distorting their actual records.

[Itsthetruth]

22. We Seem To Have Gotten Off Subject

"Since you claim that Kerry and Bush are no different, then YOU are the one who is collaborating with BushInc, ...."

Where have I ever claimed that? Please post a link. Now it's true that I have pointed out, along with many other posters, that John Kerry supports the occupation of Iraq. I don't. I hope you don't. I'm sure you won't or can't dispute the fact that while Bush and Kerry are in basic agreement on some important issues such as NAFTA, the Patriot Act, the continued occupation of Iraq, they also have differences, even on Iraq! For example, John Kerry believes he has a better plan to win the war against Iraq. Kerry is opposed to withdrawl from Iraq and does not support the insurgents.

"Your posts are far too aimed directly at Democrats and distorting their actual records."

Where have I distorted any Democratic Senators record? Their votes speak for themselves. Kerry voted for the Bush Iraq war resolution while 23 Democratic Senators voted against it. The leader of Senate Democrats, Harry Reid, led Senate approval of two especially nasty pieces of anti-consumer legislation, the "tort reform class action" bill and the bankruptcy bill. These are facts, not distortions of their voting records.

"My creds are solid and I doubt you'll find many here who believe I'm not here to fight for progressives and against Bush."

I'm not familiar with your "credentials", however, I did not claim that you're not progressive on some important issues or that you are really not against George Bush and his policies if you fail to speak out against those Democrats who collaborate with Republicans.

In any case, we somehow got off subject here. What do you think the AFL-CIO, Teamsters and Democrats opposed to any bi-partisan scheme to cut Social Security benefits ought to do about Hoffa's statement?

[B Calm]

14. Fucking Teamsters have gave all unions a bad name!

[Toots]

16. I will gladly cross a teamster picket line. I will not support them

as long as Hoffa is their leader. Teamsters built a new Union Hall in Houston with Scab Labor. What does that tell you?

[Itsthetruth]

19. Don't Cross A Strike Line Just Because You Don't Like A Union Official

I have never and will never cross any union picketline. You are only hurting union members when you do that. And such actions contribute nothing to improving or changing the leadership of the Teamsters or any other union. That only helps the employers and corporate America.

[katinmn]

18. That's a real shame.

:-(

[FreedomAngel82]

23. Those democratic Congress members better not compromise

You can't trust Wall Street with your money. No way in hell. My grandfather told me a story about when he was young dealing with his brother around the time of the great depression. I think this was before Social Security but he never was specific. His brother was a bit older then him and he had $5. Back then $5 was a big deal so his brother opened an account and put it in the bank. One day his brother needed the money and so he went to get it only to find out the money wasn't there and he never got it back. So this whole ordeal is just crap. Bush and his gang of thugs are trying to drain our country and he's been using Social Security and taking money from the program. Clinton did it too but Clinton repaid it and Bush isn't planning on it. Damn thief.

[GetTheRightVote]

25. Sounds like a big pay off was done here with Hoffa

I hope the Teamster members realize it and do not go for it.

Scum, simply scum ball.

:kick: