AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka gave a speech last night at the Biennial Convention in Anchorage.
He discussed the goals of the unions, the recent recession, the Obama administration, and then he got around to Sarah Palin.
Courtesy of CNN:
What is this crazy magnet that’s pulling people to the right? I mean, look at your former governor….
Who is she, anyway?
Sarah Palin?
She used to have a job, your governor…. You knew her…. Or thought you did…. I know I thought I did. She seemed like a decent person, an outdoorswoman. Her husband’s a steelworker. She seemed to take some OK stands for working families.
And then things got weird. After she tied herself to John McCain and they lost, she blew off Alaska. I guess she figured she’d trade up…shoot for a national stage. Alaska was too far from the FOX TV spotlight.
I bet most of you, on a clear day, can see her hypocrisy from your house.
I think Sarah Palin quit so she wouldn’t have to be accountable… so she wouldn’t have a record that could be scrutinized…
Instead, she’s hanging out on cable TV, almost a parody of herself, coming out with conspiracy theories about Obama and his “death panels….” Talking about “the real America.” Talking about building schools in “our neighboring country of Afghanistan.” Writing speech notes to herself on her hands.
Sometimes – about Sarah Palin – you just have to laugh…. But it’s not really funny. In this charged political environment, her kind of talk gets dangerous. “Don’t retreat… reload” may seem clever, the kind of bull you hear all the time, but put it in context. She’s using crosshairs to illustrate targeted legislators. She’s on the wrong side of the line there. She’s getting close to calling for violence. And some of her fans take that stuff seriously. We’ve got legislators in America who have been living with death threats since the health care votes.
And down in Tyler, Texas, she’s talking about—and I quote— “union thugs.” What? Her husband’s a union man. Is she calling him a thug? Sarah Palin ought to know what union men and women are.
Oh, she goes to great pains to talk differently about unions and the working people who belong to them, knowing full well we’re one and the same.
But using the term “union thug.” That’s poisonous. There’s history behind that rhetoric. That’s how bosses and politicians in decades past justified the terrorizing of workers, the murdering of organizers….
To me, it just doesn’t seem OK to go where she’s going…. It sits wrong with me…. The Mama Grizzlies, Sarah Palin says, just sense when something’s not right. Well… I wonder if those Mama Grizzlies can sense something’s just not right with her.
Quite frankly, America works because lots of people contribute lots of ideas—that’s good—even when some of them are just plain wrong. But people need to come to the table in good faith. That’s not Sarah Palin. She’ll go down in history like McCarthy. Palinism will become an ugly word.
Who is this woman, anyway? What happened to her?
Wow!
Well you know there is not really much I could add to that. Mr. Trumka did an excellent job of calling Sister Sarah out on her bullshit, and I hope that leaders in our communities continue to do exactly that.
Did I say "Wow" yet?
Update; You knew it was coming. Ram has fired up her computer. Put on her Sarah Palin wig and signature eyeglasses. And fired off a venom filled mean girl response.
I’m not sure why he’s attacking my record when I’m not the one responsible for the policies resulting in continued mass unemployment and a weak economy (that would be the man in the large white house on Pennsylvania Avenue). Among my “crimes,” the union boss cited the fact that I sometimes write notes on my hand (guilty as charged!); that I appear on cable television every once in a while to comment on the news (it’s called the First Amendment, Rich); and that my commonsense conservatism makes him laugh. Well, I guess that’s better than the failed leftwing big government policies of “his friend” Barack Obama, which makes the rest of us cry.
By "the rest of us" I am guessing she means the Republicans who are losing their minds while watching President Obama get more work done in less than two years than most presidents get done in two terms.
You should read the whole rant. I really believe that RAM is the one who handles ALL of Palin's emotional overflow these days, and she sounds almost schizophrenic. Of course considering that she is posing as a completely different person on Facebook I guess that is an obvious diagnosis, don'tcha know.
i think it bears repeating: "WOW."
ReplyDeletei'm not sure that any of us have said it better.
Trumpka is exactly right about Sarah. So any union but her hubby's is composed of thugs? What a clueless cow. She knows no history of what unions put up with in this nation when they began. My Uncle was one of the first union organizers...in the 30's. They endured all kinds of "thuggery" from idiots like Palin. People were harassed, they died, they were beaten, families were threatened. It was not an easy time. But they were a hell of a lot tougher than the Wasilla chillbilly. They persevered and workers lives became better for it. When my Uncle died last Dec at age 95 he'd heard enough of Palin. He couldn't stand her and her ignorant rhetoric and all the damage she inflicts for no reason. If Sarah actually had ever read a book about the history of unions and the good things they've done she might have a clue. But, alas, she's simply an ignorant twit spewing garbage. Now, not everything unions did was wonderful nor worked but overall working people have better situations now than they had prior to unions when big business and small business could use people in any way they felt enriched their bottom line. So, Sarah, keep your foolish mouth shut when it comes to unions since you're little more than another ugly voice spewing lies. Some day this cow will reap all she's sowed and I, for one, will be cheering her demise from the national stage.
ReplyDeleteLet me add something to my previous union post. I realize Palin tried to differentiate Union leaders from union members in the "thuggery" division but it can't be done. It WAS the leaders who went out and fought for the members when unions began. They literally had to fight in many cases in the early days. They still speak for their members today. They take risks and negotiate for better things. So Sarah can STFU and she's NO "sister" of any union since spouses without a union job are NOT considered such. I know that for a fact since I live with a union organizer. I'm not a "sister", I'm a supporter and spouse. Sarah is a liar. Period.
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting that. It was indeed "wow." He did an excellent job of telling it like it is. Plain and simple.
ReplyDeletedouble wow!
ReplyDeletegood man. get ready for some ugly email, though, mr. trumke.
That speech says it all and I hope it will find a large audience all over this country.
ReplyDeletefromthediagonal
Levi spoke very candidly on The Early Show. He said he made the "I lied..." statement to make Bristol happy and wrote it with her. Asked then, "Did you write it?" long pause, "Well we put it out there together." He was then asked, "So you lied?" His response was something like, Well that's the easiest thing to do with that family. Not verbatim, but, confirms what we all already knew. I guess if Bristol shows up/slim at the scheduled abstinence speech, she's must have used Witeout, but a no -show would confirm that the DWTS is all a ploy to sway public opinion. "How could she even consider DWTS if she was pregnant?" I've got a bridge to sell sell those folks.
ReplyDeleteWow! also, too - another Wow!
ReplyDeleteFinally - wow!
This needs to be said more and more by leaders not afraid to take a stand. I am sure she will start shrieking about this as an "attack" on her. This isn't an attack, it's the truth and we need to hear it over and over again.
ReplyDeleteWow is right!
ReplyDeleteCalling out Palin for what she is....on her own turf! And picked up by CNN!
Guess palins tweet was wrong...turns out he WAS angry with her! Bwahahahhha
Most excellent speech and thanks for posting it. I gotta say that we always seem to think that when folks look at things they will be logical and reasonable but if we haven't learned from 8 years of Bushco then it is we who keep repeating the same thing and hoping for different results.
ReplyDeleteHe represents a whole lot of unions:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.aflcio.org/aboutus/unions/
Those words are beautiful, like a balm. The truth is such a relief.
ReplyDeleteThere are more like that to come. Her 15 minutes are winding down.
Sarah already twittered and twatted, facebooked, and fretted all over Trumka's speech. She's now trying to claim the Labor Unions for the Tea Party... out on Grasper Island for sure, considering the Tea Party is bought and paid for by billionaire oil barons.
ReplyDeleteWonderful assessment. Wow!
ReplyDeleteI'll say it again for you, WOW!
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to the screeching facebook rebuttal.
ReplyDeleteAnd thank you also to anon 2:48/3:06. Perfect follow-up to a perfect assessment of that cheesy fraud.
ReplyDeleteThe bitter women who are responsible for this sham should take a long look in the mirror and question why THEY are the ones doing all the hard work, the actual thinking work just to prop up this mad cow. If they had any integrity or strength of character, they'd take their energy and invest it in themselves. If RAM et al has any ideas, let her peddle them in her own name... put herself out there as a candidate...start local. Be something better than a foil for a fraud. That's the most unbelievable thing, IMO, that thinking people give Palin the credit for their work. Why? History shows they'll just end up used and under the bus.
Beautiful call-out on Princess Palin of Beckistan. She's only being paid handsomely to do her masters' daily bidding: divert and spin to obscure the fact that the true "thugs" are the Xtreme Republikans.
ReplyDeleteWho is the real thug? Is the thug the guy at the Alaskan airport asking the man "Why are you shaking?" as he steps into the man's personal space backing him up?
ReplyDeleteOr are the thugs the people who walked into the Alaskan teacher's personal space and property laughing at her profession while their ignorant kid chimes in?
The real thugs are the kids who break and enter into houses and vandalizes it.
The real thugs are the kids who cut school bus brake lines endangering kids.
The real thugs are the kids who tries to control the baby's daddy by using their kid as bargaining chip and telling the daddy who can hold or see the baby.
Alaska we know who the real thugs are?
They are the thugs living in the house built with hockey rink material!
I have to thank Mr. Trumpka for speaking out against Palin's lunacy. That he did it in her own state is an example of real courage.
ReplyDeleteA lot of union bashing goes on here in GA because many of the voters listen to rw radio entertainers, and Fuchs Noose is their only source for what is going on in this country. On ajc.com this AM, someone was bashing unions in a vent section of the online paper. The cognitive dissonance is extreme. Many of the same anti-union people have members of their families who are union members. They see nothing wrong with allowing companies to abuse their workers. They celebrate the right of large companies to make their profits while denying their workers a decent salary. Few people living here know the history of unions in this country, or that the fringe benefits they take for granted are a direct result of unions advocating for, and winning, them.
IMHO, being a hypocrite about unions while having a husband who was/is in a union is not the only thing Palin doesn't discuss with the members of her cult. She also hasn't told them that their money, and ours, pays for her family's health care.
This is probably the most honest and eloquent assessment that I've read thus far.
ReplyDeleteTo call people union thugs is to forget the history of our country. I have studied the labor movement for decades. If not for the labor movement, most of us would still be in dangerous sweatshops.
Her lack of historical perspective regarding the constitution, women's suffrage, the labor movement and every other important issue in this country almost makes me sick.
Dumbass is at it again. During her speech in Florida, she said that health care reform will kill babies through increased abortions. How stupid can she be? If anything, health care will save the lives of millions of Americans who will now have health care.
ReplyDeleteHow has this stupid woman been able to claim such atrocities against the facts. She did it with death panels and people fell for it. Where are the loud, concise, and fact based Democrats who should be on message discussing how millions of families won't have to suffer because of health care and how proud we should be of our country.
Beautifully done! Finally someone speaks the truth about this horrible woman. It's amazing she used the word "thug"...Scarah, you need to look up "projection", or rather have someone look it up for you.
ReplyDeleteThere's a "third party" list of Obama's amazing achievements, if you don't want to send out the WH version to friends/acquaintances.
ReplyDeletehttp://obamaachievements.com/
I love Anony @2:48. well said.
ReplyDeleteanother well said @6:04
Bravo Mr. Trumpka! Bravo!
ReplyDeleteI've seen some RW commenters stating that Rich Trumka "never worked a day in his life." Yet another big fat lie.
ReplyDeleteDuring my life in West Virginia, I remember Rich very well. His Hungarian forebearers migrated over here and were put to work at the coal mines. See John Sayles excellent movie "Matewan" to get an idea what life was like back then. (Brag alert--my family & many friends were extras)
Rich started out as a miner, then local union rep, and finally was elected President of the United Mine Workers. He's all about hard work, and fought hard to protect miners' rights. When the UMW became part of the larger AFL-CIO, Rich continued to be a voice for miners.
Early in the fall of 2008, a writer/blogger called Ms. Palin a "vainglorious clown." Love the word, "vainglorious" - and it's actually a real word. And clowns? Never liked them...gave me nightmares.
ReplyDeleteSame goes for Sarah.
Richard Trumpka, you are MY HERO!!!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Thank you, THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for finally putting the chilling, painful truth about Sarah Palin into words publically.
Is it just me - but either the former half gov. is getting really crappy advice from "The Handlers" or she's just ignoring them.
ReplyDeleteShe's pissed off liberal women with her "Momma Grizz speaks for all women", she's got American Muslims upset with her "9-11 Mosque", college students for "dumpster diving", anyone that depends on a Government program (mass transit, food stamps, unemployment, public schools, etc) and now union workers.
This woman may created the "end of days", not from God destroying the world -- but from causing a religious war in the United States.
Would it be confusing if we started calling "ram" by her name, Becky??
ReplyDeleteBecky and Sarah are bestest of friends now, but any word about how former "best friend" Meg is doing??
i would very much like mr. trumka to publish the abusive e-mails he is sure to recieve. it illustrates the palinbots hate and anger so clearly with nothing useful or constructive at all.
ReplyDeleteShe is such an intensely angry person, an angry woman. She showed it when she made the speech at the GOP convention for those of us who were scrutinizing her carefully. But now, now she is just angry all the time. Constantly. Plain as day, for everyone to observe.
ReplyDeleteNo matter what party you come from, do you want such an angry individual as your spokesperson, as your cheerleader?
We need to repeatedly, consistently point out her chronic, intractable anger, so the idea will take hold. Where is it coming from (all of us can guess, she has plenty to be upset about both personally and professionally)?
Why all the anger Sarah, why? Is that truly all you've got?
Gryphen, how can we write to this man and tell him how much we appreciate his braveness??
ReplyDeleteSarah must approve of RAMs messages, right? The real question to me is why she thinks these sick meangirl psychotic FB posts are a good thing? They make her sound like a bitter thin skinned teenager. Using those stupid codewords like "commonsense conservative" over and over don't help. That FB post was NOT written by someone with common sense! A common sense person is a level headed person, not someone who over reacts in such a low petty way.
Sarah is her own worst enemy. And this is why her poll numbers suck. She is just too mentally I'll to realize it
And RAM is a horrible horrible "advisor." If Rebecca Mansour had 1 ounce of common sense " advising ability" she would tell Sarah not to respond. But RAM is just like Sarah- bitter, angry, unhappy, thin-skinned and did I say angry? Bullheaded, stubborn, zero ability to self-analyze to realize how others see them. We are talking serious personality disorders here.
Even Rebeccas family knows this about her, and just like Sarahs family, they are afraid to say anything. Neither of these women tolerate any criticism. They are symbiotic. But I am surprised one of Sarahs other advisors hasn't given her better advice. Her poll numbers are at an all time low. Gee, do you think these immature, defensive FB tirades help???? They just can't help themselves. With emotional IQs around 50, they can't get how disturbed they come across.
PS see HP front page about Murkowski. I bet you can guess which flea bag lawyer Joe Miller is using.
That's our Sarah. Running around screaming. Not a serene bone in her body. Not a brain in her head.
ReplyDeleteEnjay, how could you leave out her offense to Af-Americans by supporting Shlessinger? And her offense to families with a disabled child by being ignorant and inattentive to their issues? And her offense to the milions and millions of regular folks who support the Prez? The most galling thing in that FB post is that she STILL doesn't get the 1st Amendment!!!! She thinks it guarantees her right to talk on TV!! Can't stand this monster another day.
ReplyDeleteChere Sarah,apres toi sera le deluge.Sarah tu es une idiote.
ReplyDelete@ Anon 11:17
ReplyDeleteYou are right - there are plenty more Real Americans out there she has diss'd.
Basically, it might be shorter just listing those who haven't been slighted by her..ummm..... guess that would be the horney old white men & the 'bot base that believe she has God speaking thru her. Idolize me, trust me (even tho I lie all the time), believe me (that I believe God really is telling me to be President), send me all your money (even tho I'm a multi-millionaire), I will solve all your problems, just trust in me.
Yep - she shud'da went to the Pulpit instead of politics. Just think what she could do with a Christian Network Show! (Hint hint X-Gov.)
Just when I think Sarah can't look anymore immature and unprofessional . . . .
ReplyDeleteHonestly, she (and the people she surrounds herself with) are no more mature than my twelve year old son. Can they not see the pre-pubescent nature of their behavior?
It's easy to see that she hates President Obama's guts. She begins her rant with an out of the box attack on him. The man is in Martha's Vineyard, not Anchorage, AK.
ReplyDeleteNot only does she begin the rant with an attack on the president, but she begins it with a lie. This mess is George W. Bush's mess, and if she and McCain had won the election, the mess would be even messier because neither one of them knows $h!t about economics, foreign policy, the Constitution, the budget, international relations, budget deficits, etc. Rove, Schmidt, Graham, Lieberman, Malek, Gingrich, Murdock, Coales, etc would be the ones pulling the strings and calling the shots.
OMG, RAM is completely insane. Who talks like that? She has definitely channeled Sarah Palin and then some. That is not the voice of a leader. It is the voice of a whiney child. Forget the Presidency, keep her and all her employees away from ANY and ALL public office.
ReplyDeleteOn the Today show this morning they discussed Glenn Beck's rally tomorrow, implying the negative nature of it and it's risk for inciting racist violence. They then said that Palin, who supported Laura Schlessinger's racists comments, was going to be at the rally with Beck.
ReplyDeleteSince Beck has become fairly well recognized by both parties as being "way out there" with his conspiracy theories and bogus political stories, Palin has become "the female Beck" and is becoming seen by many for the extreme whackjob she is. By appearing with Beck at this controversal rally, she's aligning herself with an acknowledged joke of a TV personality that no one takes seriously anymore, except his crazy followers. When the Muslim cab driver was stabbed, local radio commentators were saying he must've been brainwashed by Beck to do something so crazy.
All I can say is wow to this commentary. It's the best thing yet I've read about Palin. It's a "hey, what the eff is going on here, really?" moment. It's a sorely needed reality check by a very sober individual.
ReplyDeleteThese aren't the words of bloggers, and it makes Sarah crazy that just regular people walking around are noticing that not only has she lost her marbles, but that her talk is dangerous talk.
Is it just a me, or does it seem that she's disintegrated since Meg left?