Kerry takes on Schwarzenegger over union power

Washington Post ^ | Oct. 13, 2005 | Dan Whitcomb

[FairOpinion]

Sen. John Kerry, losing Democratic U.S. presidential candidate in 2004 and a possible contender in 2008, took on Republican California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on Thursday by lobbying against his initiative to curb the power of the state's labor unions.

"This represents part of an ongoing effort by the Republican Party to create an unfair playing field, to change the balance of democracy in America," Kerry said.

"They are willing to try to take away the democratic rights of working Americans," said the Massachusetts senator, who was speaking to reporters at a fire station with Democratic Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

[upchuck]

The governor has said enough is enough.

Yes he has and thank God for that.

[NordP]

"I still don't understand the twisted logic that says making union members vote on how their money is spent is "taking away" their democratic rights?"

Here, try these on, click your heels three times, and say..."There's no place to go, there's no place to go, there's....whooo, I'm dizzy!"

[Digger]

The doofus just pushed the inititive forward by 6 points. Now we only need OwlGore here & it will be a cinch at passing.

[RichInOC]

"Remember, Kerry, when I promised to kill you last?"
"That's right, Arnold, you did..."
"I lied."

[BigBobber]

I wonder if Kerry's man Friday is in a union? The one who keeps the batteries in his cell phone fresh.

[Sunnyflorida]

"Sen. John Kerry, losing Democratic U.S. presidential candidate in 2004"

He's not 'losing" he lost.

[NonLinear]

Nice Commando quote!

"What did you do with him?"

"I let him go."

[SandRat]

Sen. John Kerry, losing Democratic U.S. presidential candidate in 2004 and a possible contender in 2008, took on Republican California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on Thursday by lobbying against his initiative to curb the power of the state's labor unions.

"This represents part of an ongoing effort by the Republican Party to create an unfair playing field, to change the balance of democracy in America," Kerry said.

No FAIR NO FAIR I CAN'T CHEAT! "JFnK"

[onevoter]

I was once forced to belong to AFSCME (one of the "we take your dues out of your paycheck either way - support us or it goes to charity" unions). For one thing, I believe the ACLU should step in and stop the practice of forcing employees to have deductions taken out of their paycheck - if you can imagine the ACLU actually doing something useful for a change. For another thing, it aggravated most of the employees that not only were their dues used to support Democratic candidates but we were also sent AFSCME magazines in which half of the magazine was devoted to an anti-Republican diabtribe. I don't know how much was used for phone calls, magazines whose only purpose was to promote the Democrat agenda and personnel to make the calls and print and write the magazines, but I would bet it amounted to a significant percent of what they receive in dues - which left very little to actually be spent on representing the people who paid to keep the union going.