File this story under “media ObamaZombies”: Wisconsin Puts Obama Between Competing Desires
The battle in Wisconsin over public employee unions has left President Obama facing a tricky balance between showing solidarity with longtime political supporters and projecting a message in favor of deep spending cuts to reduce the debt.
Really? Well, it would have been nice if the Times’ article had discussed that latter part. Instead, they proceed to tell us that “the White House is barely involved” with getting all their political supporters to travel from all over the country to protest in Wisconsin, not to mention other states. SEIU plans protests across the country over the next few days (instead of, you know, working.)
Over the weekend, the White House and Democratic Party officials pushed back against criticism from Republicans that Mr. Obama and his political network were meddling in the Wisconsin dispute.
Administration officials said Sunday that the White House had done nothing to encourage the demonstrations in Wisconsin — nor was it doing so in Ohio, Florida and other states where new Republican governors are trying to make deep cuts to balance their budgets.
Well, that’s good enough for me! The WH said so. That’s all we need.
And, officials and union leaders said, reports of the involvement of the Democratic National Committee — specifically Organizing for America, the grass-roots network born of Mr. Obama’s 2008 campaign — were overblown to start with and were being inflated by Republicans sensing political advantage.
Grass roots? It was a professional agitator group put together by Tream Obama for the 2008 elections.
“This is a Wisconsin story, not a Washington one,†said Dan Pfeiffer, the White House communications director. “False claims of White House involvement are attempts to distract from the organic grass-roots opposition that is happening in Wisconsin.â€
That’s from Mr. Astroturf himself. But, um, you see
Before Mr. Obama complained late last week of an “assault†on the unions by the Republican governor in Wisconsin, Scott Walker, the Democratic Party had alerted its volunteers in Organizing for America to support the protests there and elsewhere, seeing an opening to show solidarity with the labor movement and rev up the party’s liberal base ahead of the 2012 elections.
By the weekend, national party officials were taking credit for encouraging the protests, especially through the use of Twitter and other online social networks.
The WH says they weren’t consulted on the use of what is essentially Obama’s organizing baby, OFA. Sure. Right. If you believe that, you’ll believe that Obama was qualified to be president and has done a good job.
Crossed at Right Wing News and Stop The ACLU.
Hopefully the “Fleebaggers” will stay in Illinois for another week. The longer the protests last the more aware average Americans become of all the radical leftist elements of the new “Democrats Against Democracy” movement. As this standoff and the protests drags on, more of the Wisconsin union employees will have to go back to work. This will leave more of the renta mob types and avowed Bolsheviks and assorted nut jobs. These protesters assert that the solution to the states fiscal problems is to raise taxes. I doubt this goes over well with most people.
Excellent points. This is national news, and everyone is getting a good view of what the public sector unions are doing. No matter how much the media spins it, the average American will be be disgusted by the greed of the unions, especially with so many people out of work.
Barely involved? They ought to be keeping their focus on the federal problems they’ve been elected to deal with, and let the states deal with their own problems.
And, they ought not to stand with thugs, but since they ARE thugs, they wouldn’t get that.
[…] Hooray! NY Times Says Obama White House Barely Involved With Wisconsin Protests The WH says they weren’t consulted on the use of what is essentially Obama’s organizing baby, OFA. Sure. Right. If you believe that, you’ll believe that Obama was qualified to be president and has done a good job. […]
I can’t believe what I’m hearing from you people. Do you work??? Or are you independently wealthy? This action affects all workers. If you remember your history you would know that at the beginning of the industrial revulution workers had no rights. The captain’s of industry treated workers horribly (child labor, no days off, incredibly un-safe working conditions) All these conditions change in the USA because workers collectively bargain with the only power they had- their labor! I guess there are Americans today who would like to see our workforce return to this situation like things are in China , how’s that for the American Dream. Today, lets take away a fundmental power; one of the few that the masses on middle class americans have and tomorrow lets start enslaving ourselves more lets give up day’s off, over-time pay, lets give up being able to work in a safe enviorment lets give it all up you IDIOTS!!!
I can’t believe you!
Back then there was a great need for unions to protect rights and safety of all workers. Nowadays, the unions aren’t needed- what with OSHA and other organizations that do the protecting- all they do is battle over money, exist to protect their own entities, and further their own political agendas; but not to protect workers. My husband was in a union- which was ultimately foisted upon his company- and it did nothing for the average hard worker- but protected the hell out of the crappy ones who didn’t do their jobs. Yet, the business being a private company- did not effect my tax rates, only my husbands paychecks.
The public sector unions are filled with corruption, and they DO use my tax dollars to fund said political agendas, which is WRONG by any standard. If our tax dollars are being used to do things I don’t agree with- then I should have a say whether or not it happens. Unions are not the knights in shining armor that they once were, and even an old timer union worker should be able to see and admit that. And public sector unions are now an arm of the Democrat party, which is obvious by the fact that they elected Obama, and continue to be at his right hand on a daily basis.