Obama says Wisconsin conducting “an assault on unions”
posted at 12:15 pm on February 17, 2011 by Ed Morrissey
Barack Obama spoke with Wisconsin television station WTMJ earlier this morning to weigh in on Governor Scott Walker’s efforts to force unions to accept restructuring of the public sector to solve long-term budget crises in the state. Wisconsin Republicans swept the state elections in 2010 in the aftermath of large budget shortfalls. Obama conceded the need for action, and claimed credit for his federal pay freeze as an example of his own leadership, but accused Walker of conducting “an assault on unions.” Eyeblast provided this clip:
He told TODAY’S TMJ4 in an exclusive interview that sacrifices should be made to deal with fiscal changes, but that public employees should not be vilified.
“Some of what I’ve heard coming out of Wisconsin, where they’re just making it harder for public employees to collectively bargain generally, seems like more of an assault on unions,” Mr. Obama said to TODAY’S TMJ4′s Charles Benson in a one-on-one talk.
“I think everybody’s got to make some adjustments, but I think it’s also important to recognize that public employees make enormous contributions to our states and our citizens.”
This is yet another meaningless cliche from Obama. Everyone contributes to someone, either customers or communities, or both. Public-sector workers get compensated for their “contributions,” and they do so with a great deal less accountability, more job security, and in most cases better compensation than employees in the private sector do. Walker’s efforts intend on rectifying that balance by bringing pension contributions and health-insurance costs in line with the private sector and making it easier to terminate those employees who waste taxpayer money through incompetence, non-performance, and insubordination.
Taxpayers want more accountability and less bureaucratic entrenchment from their government. Unions have conducted an assault on those concepts for decades. All that Walker, Chris Christie, and even Andrew Cuomo have done is to stop retreating and start fighting back for fiscal sanity and public-resource accountability. For Obama, that is apparently one retreat too few.
Blowback
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Thanks for the reminder. I knew there was another state to add to the list.
Let’s hope this movement spreads.
Knucklehead on February 17, 2011 at 12:57 PM
shuffing = shoving
WisRich on February 17, 2011 at 12:57 PM
I sure hope so. Followed by arrests and firings.
Vashta.Nerada on February 17, 2011 at 12:58 PM
Obama is irrelevant now. Why should I care what he thinks.
Dusty on February 17, 2011 at 12:58 PM
Lots of nice info about this from a Madison Conservative Radio host, Vicki McKenna
WhoU4 on February 17, 2011 at 12:58 PM
President Cloward Piven speaks…………
……and works busily to “TRANSFORM” the U.S.A.
Hey you dumb bleeping Moderates and Independents that voted for him……hope you like your new U.S.S.A.
Please find something to impeach this man on.
PappyD61 on February 17, 2011 at 12:58 PM
Good to know we have our own reporter on the ground in Wisconsin.
I heard a couple days ago that Scott had the National Guard on standby on my local Chicago news.
Any truth to that?
Knucklehead on February 17, 2011 at 1:00 PM
This article just made my day! Finally, an assault on public section unions, finally. Get rid of them all.
SWChance on February 17, 2011 at 1:02 PM
You wonder why does this dolt want to get involved in local issues the way he so wrongly does. I figured it out. Deep down inside he is just a “community organizer”. That’s all that he is and he can’t help himself. He certainly doesn’t belong in the White House. Well, you knew that.
Jeff on February 17, 2011 at 1:03 PM
Anybody seen MadisonConservative post today?
Count to 10 on February 17, 2011 at 1:03 PM
Every single one of those union members who called out sick should be fired for violation of their contract, abuse of sick time. Get some teachers in there who want to teach the kids.
Kissmygrits on February 17, 2011 at 1:05 PM
I’m against Obama and the unions, but I’m calling BS on these numbers. If your $4 million figure is the present value of a 30-year income stream (and what annual amount are you using) at a certain discount rate. Fine. That’s a useful bit of present value information.
That said, comparing a defined-benefit pension to a 401K balance is not that simple. The pension recipient is entitled to a benefit payable to a surviving spouse (or surviving ex-spouse) and that’s it. There’s nothing left over afte the death of the survivor of them. And when you cite a $4 million 401K balance at age 50, what’s the expected withdrawal rate and what’s the expected rate of return (growing in an income-tax deferred resolution) on the balance that remains in the plan? Heck, a conservative 5% return would have the balance growing (assuming the first withdrawal came at the end of the first year) by $200,000. On those numbers, the recipient could withdraw $200,000 for life (say, $120,000 after federal and state income tax), and he still leaves a surviving spouse and, significantly, OTHER BENEFICIARIES a $4 million balance at his death.
Moral of the story: be careful with the numbers you throw around.
BuckeyeSam on February 17, 2011 at 1:06 PM
One good thing on the side of Good is Obama is like 1-for-25 for picking winners. He picked Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, and he won there, otherwise he picks loser after loser, so if I was the unions, I would ask Obama to stay out of it.
WoosterOh on February 17, 2011 at 1:06 PM
The government should not be allowed to organize and strike against the American people.
FloatingRock on February 17, 2011 at 1:07 PM
Shovel-Ready.
Del Dolemonte on February 17, 2011 at 1:07 PM
****BREAKING****
No Democrat Senators are in the Senate. Law enforcement agents are out looking for these Senators.
They need a single Democrat on the floor before the Senate can vote.
Inside: “pandemonium”
“madhouse”
“undercurrent of anger”
“teetering on the level of getting out of hand”
WisCon on February 17, 2011 at 1:08 PM
The public employee unions need to be de-certified: they work for the public, not a private corporation and have means of redress already.
Second is a class action lawsuit brought by parents against the Teacher’s Union and its members who pull such a stunt in violation of their contracts.
ajacksonian on February 17, 2011 at 1:08 PM
iowahawk has a GREAT suggestion:
tree hugging sister on February 17, 2011 at 1:09 PM
If you are bringing in $130k + per year from age 50 to Age 80(30yrs) like so many end up with, paticularly in places like NJ and NYC its like having a 401k with around $4Million at age 50 in Private sectore to retire with.
Plus, Govt. workers have their healthcare cost taken care of at no additional cost.
its the same ballpark.
Teachers on up are retiring in early 50′s with close to if not over 6 Figure Pension for Life Incomes all over the country. To do that in the Private Sector you’d need to be very wealthy.
jp on February 17, 2011 at 1:10 PM
seriously?
cmsinaz on February 17, 2011 at 1:10 PM
WisCon, where did you pick this up? Was watching FOX, but just turned on WISC for updates.
WhoU4 on February 17, 2011 at 1:10 PM
It just came over on 1310 WIBA.
They can’t hold the vote unless there is a Democrat and they have all left.
WisCon on February 17, 2011 at 1:13 PM
Here is the replacement for Hail To The Chief.
Drained Brain on February 17, 2011 at 1:13 PM
They obviously consider themselves to be above the law.
Any of our resident HA legal “minds” care to check in on this particular angle?
Del Dolemonte on February 17, 2011 at 1:13 PM
Thanks!
WhoU4 on February 17, 2011 at 1:14 PM
Hell yes it’s an assault. And we need a president that will rescind executive order 10988.
Public union busting needs to go full steam ahead. A public sector union is the most ridiculous idea ever. And we’re seeing abundant evidence as to why that is so.
ButterflyDragon on February 17, 2011 at 1:14 PM
talk about childish…
cmsinaz on February 17, 2011 at 1:15 PM
Obama is right. This IS an assault on public sector unions.
Appropriately so.
Finally.
JonPrichard on February 17, 2011 at 1:15 PM
I think I feel a few questions coming on…
;)
mankai on February 17, 2011 at 1:16 PM
Didn’t they pull the same thing in Texas over that redistricting thing?
Count to 10 on February 17, 2011 at 1:16 PM
So when does he sue Wisconsin?
james23 on February 17, 2011 at 1:17 PM
I called… it’s a recorded message.
Think I’ll call again…
mankai on February 17, 2011 at 1:17 PM
Count to 10@1:16,
They sure did. d’s are hatefull critters, aren’t they?
L
letget on February 17, 2011 at 1:18 PM
The medical care component is not insignificant. I’m still not buying your comparison to a $4 million 401K balance. Who has run the numbers you cite?
BuckeyeSam on February 17, 2011 at 1:20 PM
And this is the playbook of community organizers, more rightfully named community agitators. ObaMao has done destructive damage to our country via this method.
onlineanalyst on February 17, 2011 at 1:20 PM
Thanks for the updates. What time is the vote scheduled for?
Knucklehead on February 17, 2011 at 1:20 PM
After the recorded message, you are given the option to go to the press line or you can search the directory. I searched for “Jones” and I was put through to some union lackey.
mankai on February 17, 2011 at 1:22 PM
I think it would have already been done by now if there had been a Democrat senator present.
WisCon on February 17, 2011 at 1:23 PM
Cant they do something with the 2011 budget so these clowns that are calling in sick dont get paid?
Dissolve the 2011 budget. Put in an emergency budget that funds the important issues.
WoosterOh on February 17, 2011 at 1:24 PM
Wisconsin’s attempt to get their budget under control isn’t so much about addressing union benefit excesses as it is addressing the three tiered class society of the Privileged, Collectors, and Serfs that the Democrats have been carefully constructing over the past several decades.
The Privileged are the unions, greens, attorneys, (liberal) pols, media and a few assorted others… They live outside normal market forces, using the Collectors to suck the life energy from the Serfs to support their lifestyles and goals.
It’s a commonly misunderstood aspect of Communism, Socialism and Liberalism — the reality is these philosophies all have several things in common :
They all have the end goal of setting up a tiered class society where the Privileged live outside of normal market forces, sucking the life energy from the Serfs (worker-bees) to support the Privileged life of excesses.
They all have a marketing phacade making all sorts of promises of benefits to the Serfs, which are never fully realized.
They all campaign heavily against capitalism and private enterprise. One way or another this campaign justifies all sorts of abuse of private enterprise to gain their end goal of being able to collect and live off the life energy of the Serfs.
In the case of Liberalism, there is a never ending campaign of Class Envy against capitalists and it’s managers. Class Envy is used by the Liberal Privileged to justify the creation of the B>Collector Class who is then subjected ever increasing tax rates — effectively turning them into Collectors of Serf life energy within the private sector that the Collectors control. This life energy is then turned over to the Privileged to live on.
It’s all a great system for the Privileged, while it lasts. Eventually, the end result of these political philosophies is always fiscal and moral bankruptcy.
drfredc on February 17, 2011 at 1:24 PM
Sadly, I am sure his Attorney General is drawing up the papers right now.
SC.Charlie on February 17, 2011 at 1:24 PM
Uh Oh. Rush just said there was a anti- Governor Scott Walker protest sign with crosshairs on his forehead.
Where is the civility?
portlandon on February 17, 2011 at 1:24 PM
Does BHO support the teachers that brought their students to the protest…?
d1carter on February 17, 2011 at 1:25 PM
Let me be clear. SOME public employees make enormous contributions to our states and our citizens, and some do not. The whole problem with unions is that they protect the ones that do not and discourage the ones that do.
MikeA on February 17, 2011 at 1:26 PM
Yeah, they are. So?
PJ Emeritus on February 17, 2011 at 1:27 PM
Previous post in response to headline, sorry
PJ Emeritus on February 17, 2011 at 1:27 PM
silly rabbit, civility for thee but not for me
-any dem/lib bonehead
blm will never mention this little tidbit, its all praise and glory to those mighty protesters.
cmsinaz on February 17, 2011 at 1:28 PM
Yeah, I think they went up to Oklahoma.
This is disgusting.
INC on February 17, 2011 at 1:34 PM
Are all Marxists cowards…?
d1carter on February 17, 2011 at 1:37 PM
Buckeye – are you leaving out the fact its also a defined payout retirement plan, hence it’s comparative numbers?
I took his numbers as roughly $125k a year x 30 years + medical benefits = $4M over that 30 year payout.
By comparing it to the defined payout – the 401k assumption is valid.
Odie1941 on February 17, 2011 at 1:38 PM
The Democrats are holding this state hostage.
WisCon on February 17, 2011 at 1:39 PM
Unions were created to collectively bargain with owners/corporations. A public-sector union gets to negotiate with politicians, NOT with those responsible for paying for their outrageous demands (taxpayers).
The governor is finally standing up for the taxpayers. He is not seeking to enrich himself, buy union votes or screw workers for personal gain. He is acting responsibly and making very reasonable demands on behalf of taxpayers.
For those who lied and called in sick, it should be noted on your work record and disciplinary action should be taken… that’s how it works for the rest of us who have to answer to a real boss.
mankai on February 17, 2011 at 1:40 PM
What the idiot liberals and idiot conservatives don’t realized that this is a two front class war – with BOTH the bailed out rich and parasitic poor performing a pincer move on the middle class. Last I checked, nations without a middle class only went one of two ways – communism or fascism. I’ll be in my bunk.
abobo on February 17, 2011 at 1:40 PM
Is there anything that will get Obama to shut his mouth. Imagine his going on TV and meddling in something that is, frankly, none of his business…but then that is rapidly becoming an Obama calling card, his and his wife’s.
jeanie on February 17, 2011 at 1:40 PM
States (and the citizens thereof) Assaulting the Unions?
It’s about time. The unions have been assaulting the citizens of the states for well over a hundred years.
sdd on February 17, 2011 at 1:41 PM
I want to see law enforcement bring one of the Democrats back in cuffs… And then after the vote lock them up for a few hours.
WhoU4 on February 17, 2011 at 1:43 PM
They can’t hide forever. I’m wondering if the police really have the power/guts to bring in any of the missing Dem’s.
Knucklehead on February 17, 2011 at 1:43 PM
Yes. Governor sent the Texas Rangers out to arrest them and bring them back.
Vashta.Nerada on February 17, 2011 at 1:44 PM
BREAKING NEWS!
Being reported that Wisconsin Senate Democrats got on a bus and left the state.
Unbelievable. Like Texas all over
WisRich on February 17, 2011 at 1:46 PM
Unions are just labor monopolies that were put together to counter local employment monopolies. Once the employer monopolies disappeared, the labor monopolies began to predate on individual employers.
Count to 10 on February 17, 2011 at 1:49 PM
Leftists in Wisconsin are calling these reasonable measures Hitleresque, as if Hitler was anti-union. He was not. Hitler dismantled unions but reorganized them to get rid of Jews in their hierarchy as well as make them more pro-Nazi.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_Labour_Front
itsnotaboutme on February 17, 2011 at 1:50 PM
Word is that they have left the state.
http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/116381289.html
WisCon on February 17, 2011 at 1:50 PM
Obozo may have jumped the shark here…I certainly hope so.
belad on February 17, 2011 at 1:50 PM
Can we get Obama’s take on this blatant obstructionism and disregard for the will of the people by the Democratic State Senators of Wisconsin?
I would love to know how they are going to be paying for their little hiatus.
WisCon on February 17, 2011 at 1:55 PM
Seems to me like there are a bunch of empty seats, need special elections, while they wait, the Governor should appoint new representatives from those districts.
WoosterOh on February 17, 2011 at 1:55 PM
It appeared marching teachers were physically preparing for assualt. Obama must have his picture in reverse.
seven on February 17, 2011 at 1:55 PM
Cut off all their state credit cards, freeze their assets.
WoosterOh on February 17, 2011 at 1:57 PM
It’s none of your business, Obama. This is a State of Wisconsin matter so how bout you just go back to watching SportsCenter and let the grown-ups clean up your mess.
David2.0 on February 17, 2011 at 2:00 PM
Oclueless in DC…kind of hard to vote “present”, when the taxpayers are at the windows…
lovingmyUSA on February 17, 2011 at 2:07 PM
Lovely.
Which side are the cops on?
Sadly, whenever I’ve seen strikes or union trouble the cops always side with the unions. Brotherhood and all that…
reaganaut on February 17, 2011 at 2:07 PM
Some pictures of the democratics getting on or off this bus would make for a great campaign ad for the next state election. ‘Democratics abdicating their responsibility’
slickwillie2001 on February 17, 2011 at 2:08 PM
Mr. Obama, where is your call for civility by the unions?
Fallon on February 17, 2011 at 2:11 PM
Democrats and Organizing for AMerica are completely corrupt. Bussing in protesters? Is this BS like what Obama did to defeat Hillary in Iowa?
Fire the”sick” teachers who are at these protests!
clnurnberg on February 17, 2011 at 2:12 PM
I’m assuming that the governor of Wisconsin has already cut off the pay of the senators who refuse to do their job.
Vashta.Nerada on February 17, 2011 at 2:13 PM
Love the idea! Spreading it around. XD
MeatHeadinCA on February 17, 2011 at 2:15 PM
“an assault on unions”
Well, shut my mouth!….congrats boy king, you finally got it right!
try again later on February 17, 2011 at 2:15 PM
Time for the Republicans to make this bill even worse for the unions, and then to ram through everything else they possibly can.
WisCon on February 17, 2011 at 2:16 PM
When the going gets tough, Democrats turn chickensh*t and run away from their responsibilities like little children.
They did it in Iraq, Afghanistan, Vietnam, Wisconsin and elsewhere. They’ll do it again.
It’s who they are. It’s what they do.
Fire them all.
Good Lt on February 17, 2011 at 2:16 PM
Could they be fired or arrested for leaving the state when they the police were coming after them?
ConservativePartyNow on February 17, 2011 at 2:18 PM
Rush is now saying that the unions are bussing in fellow union people to swell the ranks of the union protestors. A state that turned upside down from blue to red in one election cycle should be able to withstand this. Maybe someone out there needs to bus in counter protestors?
jeanie on February 17, 2011 at 2:18 PM
Sounds dangerous. I know how these vile union thugs work… they will bring Cairo to Madison.
MeatHeadinCA on February 17, 2011 at 2:20 PM
MeatHeadinCA on February 17, 2011 at 2:22 PM
Here we go again. What goes on in Wisconsin’s Statehouse is really none of your damn business Mr. President!
Susanboo on February 17, 2011 at 2:23 PM
In what way is this any business of the President of the United States? I guess if you are bought and paid for by unions you owe them something. Fire this bum.
Zelsdorf Ragshaft on February 17, 2011 at 2:24 PM
Chompsky said he hopes we will follow Greece. Øbama blames state government for its “assault on unions”.
Here it comes, gang.
petefrt on February 17, 2011 at 2:27 PM
The battle lines are being formed, and Obama will explicitly align himself with the protestors. It will be interesting to see how Obama reacts when the liberal protestors become violent.
GaltBlvnAtty on February 17, 2011 at 2:31 PM
Well, yeah it is his business because if this bill passes here it will passes all over the country, and that will have a huge impact on the Democratic Party.
So I bet he is sweating like crazy right now.
WisCon on February 17, 2011 at 2:32 PM
Hundreds of millions of dollars in political contributions to democratics hang in the balance…
slickwillie2001 on February 17, 2011 at 2:37 PM
The 10th Amendment to the US Constitution forbids MEDDLING in those Prerogatives Reserved to the Individual States but since the Current Pretender in Chief and His Regime view the Constitution as just a scrap of Old Paper, the MEDDLING will continue until the States have had enough.
Impeach this Idiot now.
old trooper2 on February 17, 2011 at 2:49 PM
Obama and his will lose on this because those who pay for the inept union members and union thug ‘leaders’ and their Utopian lalaland have had it.
2012 will be more fun than 2010.
Schadenfreude on February 17, 2011 at 2:54 PM
Speaking of public unions, Senate Republicans just voted YAY! on the FAA bill which allows the TSA goons to unionize.
Rae on February 17, 2011 at 3:15 PM
It is very hard to get the public service unions to accept the fact that their 40 year free ride is ending. They can’t seem to understand the fact that if you only have so much money something has to give.
duff65 on February 17, 2011 at 3:39 PM
duff65 at 3:39
My guess is that many of them do understand, and the private sector working Americans, along with their children and grandchildren, will just have to give a lot more.
GaltBlvnAtty on February 17, 2011 at 3:44 PM
WELCOME TO THE AMERICAN CIVICS WAR.
Wisconsin is the first battle.
Mutnodjmet on February 17, 2011 at 3:59 PM
So where are the Republican “leaders” backing up Walker in similar fashion?
If we had even a fraction of the resolve and ferocity of the Left, there wouldn’t be a Left left.
rrpjr on February 17, 2011 at 3:59 PM
Some conservatives may not like some of the policies of NJ Gov. Christie and may call him a RINO, but at least he does work to LEAD.
==============================================
http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/116381289.html
“They can’t pass this bill if there’s not a Democrat in the chamber,” Cullen said.
Cullen said he believed all the Democrats were now outside Wisconsin, though he declined to say where.
“I think they’re all out of state. I am anyway,” Cullen said.
Speculation in the Capitol pointed to Illinois as the state where Democrats had headed.
WisCon on February 17, 2011 at 1:50 PM
==============================================
When one hears of elected officials, elected State Representatives & Senators who are supposed to LEAD, but rather choose to run away – they may think that they are tying to stall the process – after all – they are not used to being in the minority, especially in WI.
What these people are, in fact, are COWARDS, and I have no respect for these people as Americans anymore.
They are just like “Brave Sir Robin” who ran away. Are they still getting paid?
If my representative left the state, regardless of whether I voted for them, I would go to their house and/or anywhere else I would have to go to FIND him/her, and drag their sorry ass back to the state capital where their true responsibility is.
These dirtbags put their allegiance in the same basket with corrupt teachers’ union leaders who do not have any respect for the welfare of any chld in school, or anyone else who, in their minds, simply exists to work to provide them with a pension.
The also should be responsible to pay the costs for the diverted law enforcement resources needed to try & track them down….. The teachers’ union leadership should also investigated
Do they truly believe that they can subvert an elected representative body by simply abdicatinig their responsibility as elected officials, leave, and attempt to blackmail voters to do what they want????
If this is so, then we do not live in a republic anymore.
Well if they continue to play this game… we’ll see how long it is before all bets are off. I am not willing to forfeit the future of my nieces & nephews, my children, in addition to my own retirement, just so that I can be blackmailed without any ability to respond. Perhaps these people need to be tarred & feathered, Sons of Liberty style…
“No taxation without representation.”
How about… No blackmail regardless of representation.
If there is no legal remedy for this (e.g. new use of the RICO Act?), then if something bad were to happen to any of these elected officials, I can’t say that I’ll lose any sleep over it.
Danny on February 17, 2011 at 4:01 PM
Reminds me of one of my favorite cartoons of all time: You’re Just Gonna Have to Tighten Your Belt
slickwillie2001 on February 17, 2011 at 4:02 PM
“Public employees are our friends, our neighbors…..”
But if the public employee UNIONS do nothing to help get us out of the fiscal mess that they have a significant part contributed to its equation, then they will have to start to bite the bullet like the rest of us and ante up.
If not… and government employees simply do not want to see that there is not enough money for benefits that former politicians lied about being able to provide, and if their union leadership insists on this pursuit of blackmailing the rest of us, than those same union leaders are fair game – for continuing to put the futures of rest of us & our children, their neighbors, friends, etc., at serious risk for their selfishness, then… all bets are off.
President Obama (yes he is mine too whether I like it or not), by agreeing to this by picking government winers over non-government losers, is obviously supporting union leadership.
Civil wars have started over dumber things….
Danny on February 17, 2011 at 4:16 PM
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