White House reacts to book claim that Rahm once said, "fuck the UAW"

[DrSteveB]

"While not specifically denying that Emanuel uttered those words (my emphasis), a White House aide rejected the implication that the chief of staff wasn't looking out for workers toiling at GM and Chrysler.

Throughout the entire process that saved the auto industry, Rahm tirelessly defended and advocated on behalf of the auto workers," the aide said. "Any suggestion to the contrary is simply ridiculous."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/03/rahm-emanuels-fuck-the-ua_n_704809.html


Ok the obligatory question I ask is: Why in the world did Rahm say "fuck the UAW" if he was looking out for them?

Call me weird, but when I am looking out for X, I don't say, "Fuck X".

[county worker]

1. There is a difference between the non union workers and the UAW.

Those hired now are not paid the wages nor do they have the benefits won by the UAW. When I think of the UAW in think of pre bailout.

[Scurrilous]

2. Weird. n/t

[snooper2]

3. I guess you didn't see the video of the union workers

Running the UAW reps and head honcho's out on a fucking rail during a meeting...

As they said "This meeting is over" all you hear is applause

[Jackpine Radical]

4. "Call me weird, but when I am looking out for X, I don't say, 'Fuck X'."

That's retarded. :sarcasm:

[griffi94]

5. maybe he should be drug tested

[tularetom]

6. Somehow I never hear any reports that he said "Fuck Goldman Sachs"

Or even that he ever said "Fuck Newt Gingrich" or "Fuck John Boner".

I hear all the time about how "tough" he is but as far as I can tell the "toughness" is directed only against progressive members of his own party. I think he's scared shitless of republicans.

I just plain don't like that guy and I don't believe he has the best interests of the country or Obama at heart.

[Jackpine Radical]

8. He's not scared shitless of Republicans.

That would be like a shark being afraid of sharks.

[Kalyke]

9. Well, baby nurse sharks attack each other in utero.

Therefore, it is possible for a shark to be afraid of another shark.

[Jackpine Radical]

11. You learn the damnedest things on DU. (nt)

[AndyA]

7. Why is Rahm even a part of the Obama Administration?

He came with a lot of baggage, and he is responsible for many of the Republican Lite Dem Blue Dogs in Congress. Those Blue Dogs, by the way, have been a giant problem for Obama and the rest of the Dems in trying to accomplish things this year.

They didn't cooperate on health reform, so we didn't really get reform. With no competition and no cost controls in place, what we ended up with falls far short of what we were promised.

They can't be counted on to support the party on anything.

I guess Obama adheres to the "keep your enemies closer" meme.

I can hear Rahm making that comment.

[Jackpine Radical]

10. Blue Dogs are only a problem if you assume

that their agenda is different from that of the administration.

Personally, I saw the appointment of Rahm as the first sign of potential DLC-flavored trouble in the Obama Administration. I rationalized it with the old LBJ line: "I'd rather have him inside the tent pissing out than outside the tent pissing in." That rationalization worked for a while, until we started seeing that Obama hadn't just got him close so he could put a leash on him. It fell apart entirely when we saw the sabotaging of progressive Primary candidates. Rahm was really pissed at the UAW for opposing Blanche Lincoln in her primary.

[JoePhilly]

12. I would bet the average UAW worker has thicker skin than the average DU poster.

In fact, I suspect that the average UAW worker has at one time or another said ...

"F**k you", "F**k-off", "F**k person X", and ... "Go F**k yourself" in regards to lots of people they care about, but with whom they are frustrated with at some particular moment. Probably some have said each of these in the same day to DIFFERENT people.

Get inside a fortune 500 board room or senior executive meeting, and don't be too surprised to hear similar language.

I seriously doubt that the average UAW worker gives a "FLYING F**K!" about Rahm's alleged use of that phrase.

[nashville_brook]

13. and i bet the average UAW member has a thicker skin than Rahm -- but that's not the point.

that the word "fuck" was used...was not the point.

it's the intent. as in, this administration believes the UAW can go fuck themselves, b/c for all the admin cares the UAW is just old and in the way.

[JoePhilly]

14. That's BS.

I've Obama did not care about Unions, he'd have let the auto industry fail completely. That's what the GOP wanted because they actually want the Unions to "go fuck themselves".

Much like most of the problems this country faces, Obama did not make the mess. It was handed to him. The entire auto industry was going to go down the tubes.

Perhaps he should have allowed that to happen.

Oh ... and actually, it is the use of the word fuck that has everyone here on DU riled up. Actually, its the flip out response to just the ALLEGED use of that word, which is even sadder.