He said this five days ago and I wondered how he didn’t stop himself in the middle of the thought and take a rhetorical runaway truck ramp out of the situation, so very contrary was this criticism to the Left’s raison d’être.

And, yet, here we are with President Obama announcing once again that workers striking is immoral and radical:

PRESIDENT OBAMA: Well, I think — I think what has changed is they’re aware of the fact that I’m not budging when it comes to the full faith and credit of the United States, that that has to be dealt with, that you don’t d– you don’t pay a ransom, you don’t provide concessions for Congress doing its job and America paying its bills.

And — and I think most people understand that. I mean, you know, I — I was at a small business the other day and talking to a bunch of workers, and I said, you know, when you’re at the plant and you’re in the middle of your job, do you ever say to your boss, you know what, unless I get a raise right now and more vacation pay, I’m going to just shut down the plant; I’m not going to just walk off the job, I’m going to break the equipment — I said, how do you think that would go?

They all thought they’d be fired. And I think most of us think that. You know, there’s nothing wrong with asking for a raise or asking for more time off. But you can’t burn down the plant or your office if you don’t get your way. Well, the same thing is true here. And I think most Americans understand that. All right?

Thank you very much, everybody.

Yes, I wonder what that would be like. Laying aside the fact that the House making funding priorities for the nation is not only not radical, but part of its Constitutional powers and duty, I suppose maybe Obama’s argument would be that striking union workers don’t “break the equipment.” But let us take a trip to Fremont, Calif. circa 1985. It was the hedonistic capital of the UAW’s GM dominion:

“It was considered the worst workforce in the automobile industry in the United States,” said Bruce Lee, who ran the western region for the United Auto

Workers and oversaw the Fremont plant. “And it was a reputation that was well earned. Everything was a fight. They had strikes all the time. It was just chaos constantly.”

How bad was it? Rick Madrid built Chevy trucks at the plant. “There was a lot of booze on the line,” he said. “And as long you did your job they really didn’t care.”

Madrid said he drank when he was mounting tires. “I’d bring a thermos of screwdrivers with me.”

And it wasn’t just drinking and drugs, Madrid said. People would have sex at the plant, too. If you’re wondering how people kept their jobs, here’s why: Under the union contract workers practically had to commit fraud to get fired.

Some workers hated management so much, they sabotaged the vehicles.

They put Coke bottles inside the door panels so they would rattle and annoy customers. Absenteeism was rampant.

Imagine the press’ reaction if Mitt Romney had used this exact same metaphor. Workers’ rights, they would cry. Foundation of democracy, you dunce, they’d declare. But I think it’s safe to say he’ll get no questions about it.

Or, maybe he’s just seen the writing on the wall and is following in the footsteps of one of America’s greatest governors, Scott Walker. Welcome to the right-to-work team, Barry!