GOP defeats Susan Rice and Michigan unions
Yael T. AbouhalkahIt’s odd listening to Democrats complain about the mean old GOP and how its U.S. senators forced Susan Rice to withdraw as a Secretary of State candidate and how Michigan’s Republican lawmakers brazenly approved a right-to-work law this week.
What did Democrats think the GOP was going to do after the November elections? Roll over and play dead?
No, the Republicans are using the muscle they still have left to achieve the change they want.
And the GOP strategies are working.
In the case of Rice, she and President Barack Obama couldn’t stand the fact that the administration’s Benghazi failures would have been brought up for weeks on end by John McCain and other Republican senators during her confirmation. So she bowed out.
The GOP played hardball in this case and won. The MSNBC panelists will complain that McCain and others besmirched Rice’s reputation, calling her dumb and otherwise being demeaning to her.
But the Republicans will just shrug their shoulders and point to the scoreboard.
They won. It’s called politics in Washington, D.C., and Rice - and Obama - lost this round.
As for Michigan, the people’s elected representatives and their Republican governor made the decision to plunge ahead at the end of the year to kick unions in the groin.
But it doesn’t really matter that lots of union representatives and Democratic legislators cried out against what they saw as unfairly taking advantage of the workers of Michigan.
The Republicans had the power to get done what they wanted to get done. They took their opportunity to do so.
If the Democrats and unions don’t like it, they need to elect new people to the legislature and select a new governor.
But for now, the GOP is riding high nationally with the rejection of Rice as U.S. secretary of state and the adoption of right-to-work laws in Michigan.
Anybody want to bet against John Boehner and his crew outfoxing Obama and the Democrats on the fiscal cliff issue, too?
William R. Nelson
5 months, 1 week agoSusan Rice: I’m Withdrawing My Name From The Nomination Process Because I Don’t Want My Hearings Devolving Into irrelevant, Pointless Political Bickering About Massive Lies I told About Murdered Americans.
But let’s blame Republicans anyway.
George Hunsucker
Northland
5 months, 1 week agoI thought you libs were all about elections having “consequences” yt? Right-to-work laws FREE people from having to donate to political causes with which they disagree. I thought you libs were all about “choice” yt?
As for Rice, she clearly lied to the world and more importantly, America, and is being held accountable. I know you think it is perfectly ok yt, but the majority of Americans don’t.
Rick Adams
5 months, 1 week agoI will bet against Boehner.
And I hope the Republicans remember the benefits of kicking a woman of color [Rice] off the island next time they have an election. Just like Akin you can only act dumb so often before it bites you.
George, you might want to check exactly what the law is - I know you won’t, but what the heck. It is exactly like being having a membership at Costco and its benefits … but not wanting to pay the yearly fee out of your paycheck.
If you don’t want to join Costco … don’t, but don’t expect that they will sell you ( better wages, safety, hours, training, equipment, advancement opportunities ) the same products that members get at the same rate.
George Hunsucker
Northland
5 months, 1 week agoWhat in the law are you referring to Rick?
Workers have the CHOICE whether to join a union and pay dues. What’s so tough about understanding that Rick?
And, you are correct it is just like Costco. I have the FREEDOM whether to join and pay them a pay. If I don’t, that is my CHOICE.
Corporations are not stupid about tossing GOOD employees away.. What happens today is like the case of Chrysler employees drinking on their lunch break, returning to work, getting fired and now, thanks to the UAW, are now back on the job.
If you were running Chrysler, would you choose to keep employees such as these??????
Phil Cardarella
5 months, 1 week agoLet’s see: It is OK for the CEO to have a martini at lunch, but you want to fire the guy who has a beer with his?
But, I digress.
IF Obama stands strong — and does NOTHING — then the tax breaks for the upper 2% are dead meat. The GOP can either pass the Senate bill or let the other 98% get their taxes raised too — and commit political suicide while giving MORE revenue to Obama.
Which is why the 2% tax rates are no longer an actual part of the “fiscal non-cliff”. Sequestrations hurt the GOP more than the Dems. As long as Obama does not blink, he can — and will — get a reasonable compromise on cuts and a deal that will include no repeat of the debt lid fiasco.
Michigan is an interesting case. The decision to deliberately kick labor in the groin is a stupid one, dictated by the Koch Bros, et al. Sure it looks like hardball politics, but it alienates a vital part of the coalition that the GOP needs to win: Reagan Democrats who are white, male and often union. That is why the Kochs had to threaten the GOP Speaker of the Michigan House with a highly-funded primary challenge to get this done.
Reginald Thornton
5 months, 1 week agoHow dare Republicans go after a woman. Of color. Especially after supporting another- Condaleeza Rice- for so many years just to make us think they weren’t racist. Ha! Nice try.
“McCain and OTHER senators”. Yael, care to name those OTHER senators? Don’t forget the female ones, even if it makes your shallow argument even shallower.