On a stop in Michigan earlier this week President Obama, commenting on the Michigan Tea Party Republicans plans to pass a bill outlawing the union shop, said, “We should do everything we can to keep creating good middle-class jobs that help folks rebuild security for their families. What we shouldn’t be doing is trying to take away your rights to bargain for better wages and working conditions. What they’re really talking about is giving you the right to work for less money.”
Of course, the bill was passed. And one-term governor (his term runs until 2014) Rick Snyder signed it in spite of his promise not to.
Let’s be clear. The Koch brothers own the Michigan Republican Party.
But the Democrats and the President have a problem with their timid expressions of concern.
The problem is called the Illinois Democratic Party.
How do the national Democrats criticize the Republicans when their Party’s leadership from Chicago to Springfield are focused on destroying the state unions’ ability to bargain.
We have listed the issues here often enough: Governor Quinn’s refusal to bargain with AFSCME. The Democrat attack on public employee pensions. The Democratic Mayor’s failed attempt to squash the teachers union.
This morning’s Sun-Times reports that Jorge Ramirez, President of the Chicago Federation of Labor, has broken with Rahm over the Mayor’s union busting outsourcing of custodial jobs at O’Hare airport. Ramirez called the Mayor schizophrenic.
There is probably no more a Democratic loyalist than Ramirez. But even he has had enough.
So, where are the Democratic Party progressives? Jan Schakowsky? Danny Davis? Luis Gutierrez?
They can claim that these are state issues not federal.
But it rings hollow.
And what can the national Democrats say about Michigan when they have the Chairman of the Illinois Democratic Party Mike Madigan and Illinois’ Democratic Governor Pat Quinn acting as lead union busters?
Fred Klonsky 
One thing is for sure….the Democrats of today sure aren’t the Democrats my parents voted for. All we can do is scrutinize every politician no matter the party on their voting record and hope they don’t pull a flip-flop as Michigan Snyder has done in Michigan.
Jorge Ramirez sounds like a man of reason and principle. Let’s hear more about him.
Wouldn’t it be great if the Sun Times had details on the contract?
What kind of services at what cost?
I’d like to know where the $7 mln in savings is coming from.
The mob-related outfit is getting a $99 mln contract. So I guess the current contract is $106 mlm.
If superpac money went into education and pension funds..what a great future all would have…
Illinois politicians are likely being bribed by Koch money, as some were when the contributions were passed out to get the education ‘reforms.’ It’s just bribery.
Republicans are no longer the party of Reagan.
Democrats are no longer the party of JFK.
The two party system has become a pair of pants with two pockets. The pants are manufactured by $$$$$ Inc.