Pelosi Says “F*&k You” to Trumka and the AFL-CIO

[flyarm]

Pelosi Says “F*&k You” to Trumka and the AFL-CIO
By: Jane Hamsher Saturday September 26, 2009 11:17 am
please read this in it's entirety............
http://campaignsilo.firedoglake.com/2009/09/26/pelosi-says-fk-you-to-trumka-and-the-afl-cio/
snip;

It's notable that among the Change to Win unions, only the Teamsters came out against the Baucus bill. (Whoever sold Hoffa on ditching the public plan is no doubt talking fast and trying to explain why he is now being kicked in the face.)

Incoming AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka has been outspoken in his insistence on the inclusion of a public option in any health reform bill, and has threatened to withhold support from Democrats who won't vote for it. Over the past week there was a lot of winking in reports that the White House was leaning on progressive groups to drop their support for the public option. It absolutely did happen, but the use of the word "groups" is probably misleading -- the organization they are talking about, the only one that matters, is the AFL-CIO.

Since other unions outside the AFL-CIO are working the yo-yo on the trigger, Trumka is the lone holdout. He's the mainstay, and there is tremendous pressure building within the AFL in response to arm twisting from the White House for him to cave. And if he falls, it's going to be difficult for the rest of the veal pen not to follow suit. So, he's being directly threatened.

The message is clear: "Get in line or we pay for your precious 'public option' by fucking you on health care benefits."

If Trumka suddenly starts singing the praises of triggers (even if they instantly "yo-yo" it back and insist he was misquoted), you'll know it worked.

[flyarm]

1. Chamber Of Commerce Attacks Schumer’s Public Option Amendments

Chamber Of Commerce Attacks Schumer’s Public Option Amendments
By: Jon Walker Friday September 25, 2009 1:52 pm http://campaignsilo.firedoglake.com/2009/09/25/chamber-of-commerce-attacks-schumers-public-option-amendments/

Live Pulse has a letter from the US Chamber of Commerce attacking four amendments that have yet to be voted on in the Senate Finance Committee. (Rockefeller C1 – Applying new rating rules to the large and self-insured (ERISA) market, Schumer C1/C2 – Public Option Amendments, Wyden C1 – Healthy Americans Act)

The Chamber attacked the two public option amendments from Schumer, but did not bother to mention Rockefeller's more robust public option amendment. The letter indicates that the Chamber must believe that Rockefeller's robust public option is already DOA.

The fact that the Chamber did feel the need to publicly go after the two Schumer public option amendments at least leads me to believe that they have some concern that the amendments might have a chance in the Senate Finance Committee or on the full Senate floor. The lobbying on both sides of the public option issue should get very heated over the weekend.

[flyarm]

2. Senator Sanders Unfiltered: US Congress Bought & Paid For?

Senator Sanders Unfiltered: US Congress Bought & Paid For?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9-vkpKu5Fg&feature=player_embedded

Senator Sanders : "since 1998 big Pharma has spent 1.6 billion $$$$$$$ on Lobbying.."

[SammyWinstonJack]

3. K&R

[flyarm]

4. funny how a dose of truth gets threads unrec'd..pathetic isn't it!

i guess all the paid posters are hard at work!

[stillrockin]

6. true that

[slipslidingaway]

5. knr nt

[GrantDem]

7. MY message is clear: Fuck us on healthcare and I stay home.

Pass anything but real healthcare reform with a REAL public option and the dems will not get my vote. Since all they are worried about is getting re-elected anyway they can do so without me.

[flyarm]

8. they seem to think all they need is the big bucks from Pharma and insurance industry folks and

wall street and the Banking industry folks...the media....to win an election...they don't think they need us ..they just need big commericals and wammy they think they will win...

well maybe they will..they say ......whoever counts the votes..........

and it is all perception anyway..didn't we all learn that for 8 years ?????????perception..

we don't pick our leaders do we??????????do we really??????????

funny i remember having my vote thrown out in Fla in 2000 and in 2008...

[hootinholler]

11. It should be fuck us on healthcare and we stay home...

From work. Nothing moves, gets made, gets unloaded from ships or loaded on trucks. Nation-wide.

The hell with staying home from the elections. Fuck us on health care and we stay home altogether.

-Hoot

[WeCanWorkItOut]

9. The AFL-CIO has been too submissive for a long, long time

They gave up wage increases for the sake of comprehensive coverage.
They should have fought harder to help keep prices down.

For example, we recently went through an "imaging mania,"
a huge increase in the number of CAT scans. Lots of
very expensive machines, LOTS of X-ray radiation. Finally even
the New England Journal of Medicine realized, maybe all this
radiation is not a good thing. But were the unions
trying to stop it? Or did they just want the bills paid?

Have the unions ever tried to cope with the excess salaries
of many doctors? Or did they just want the bills paid?

And what about the obesity epidemic?
What about the increasing monopoly power of the hospitals?
What about excess drug prices? Unfortunately, the unions
were willing to give up wage increases, just so they all
wouldn't have to worry about such stressful issues.
Really a pity.

[Better Today]

10. Unrecommend.... Bad writing all the way around, doesn't make

a bit of sense unless someone is really, really up on all the minor nuances of what's been going on with the health care bills. It claims Pelosi said something she didn't, not even by a long shot. Matter of fact, she's only mentioned once, making the article almost wholy about Trumka and unions. Then as pointed out by the OP, the supposed message is from "the White House," not Pelosi at all.

From what I can figure from such a poorly written article, the AFL-CIO has been accepting of lowering wages for some unions in order to get cadillac insurance policies, and now they are worried that these workers will be targeted with the related tax that has been suggested.

However, the trigger is also discussed, though I have no earthy idea why in this article.

Unrecommend for piss poor reporting.

[flyarm]

12. thank you , at least you are willing to discuss your opinion before unrecommending..

and i appreciate your opinion!! sincerely!!

This had many unrec and no one had posted at first..i appreciate everyone's opinion , even when it is different than mine..but to unrec without comment is childish at best.

I see your point as well!

[ProSense]

13. "White House was leaning on progressive groups" Total BS.

White House Denies Pushing Trigger Option, Dem Groups Concur

Pelosi shoots down public option 'trigger'

[Vidar]

14. K&R