Hoffa: ‘They Declared War on Us’

Kimberly…the majority of Americans are not liberals. Hoffa is a classic, union thug. Not a class act to be the opening act for the pres of the USA. The vitriol from Hoffa and Biden is really shameful, especially given the president’s call for civil discourse. Not even the DNC chair would denounce the hate spewing on Labor Day. Most Americans do not feel like they’re under-taxed. The majority are not opposed to the Tea Party. How could they be? They represent how most sane people feel about unabated government spending and the inevitable tax hikes resulting from this president’s policies. You certainly do not speak for Middle America.

Well, Kimberly, as Hoffa said, this will be fought at the ballot box and will either confirm or uncomfirm what you say. Obviously the 2010 election was not as you assert or the Tea Party wouldn’t have the power that it apparently does today. You might want to temper your strident comments until after the 2012 election.

People keep lying and making up false charges about what the Tea Party is trying to accomplish. The lies are then backed up with threats, hate, and extremist reaction including beat downs, sabotage, vandalism, stalking, and harassment. The only one calling for war and violent action is the left. The Tea Party has never condoned war against other citizens nor violence, nor vandalism and stalking. Still, I say, let the socialists continue to expose their hatred. I’m sure it will pay off well in next November’s elections.

Mr. Hoffa’s comments are buttressed by those made by the Vice President the same day:

“It’s a fight, literally, for our right to exist. Don’t misunderstand what this is. You are the only folks keeping the barbarians from the gates. You are the only non-governmental power that has the power and the capacity to stop this onslaught.”

“Right now, the middle class is under attack, because labor is under the most direct assault in generations. The other side has declared war on labor’s house and it’s about time we stand up.”

This is a concerted effort by the left to drag politics into a different, and possibly violent, realm. Those on the left need to either distance themselves from those on their side who spew this shrill vitriol or accept it as ‘the new hostility’.

Where is the president with this call to violence and the rhetoric of this thug? No where…as always…silence is demonstrative. Wherre is the president’s call to civil discourse? He is a hypocrit. Hoffa was standing right next to the president.and Obama praised him later.

I am glad the president is a great unifier. So is Mr. Hoffa.

Wow. Republicans have done their best to slash working people’s wages. They attack teachers, cops, and firemen instead of criminal bankers . They seek to now attack medicare and social security, because the sick and old arent safe. But if you are wealthy, dont worry. No tax raises. No regulation. Just keep driving our economy off a cliff. And the brainwashed FOX news crowd is cheering them on. And union leaders who speak out get called thugs? The thugs are the CEO’S who have sent millions into poverty, shipping jobs overseas and cashing in for billions. The thugs are ALEC who are running a facist assault on democracy with a corporate board writing laws that favor the already powerful. Wake up, unions arent the problem, we are your neighbors, your friends. Stop this war on our livelihoods. We did not create this mess, corporate america did, and the tea party wants to reward it with morea tax breaks and more power.

Brian,
It is very easy to do. We’ve got a DINO in the WH these days. Our interests are looked after. Like Solyndra and tax cut bills presented by Rep Boehner and signed right away. Heck, he hired me!

War was declared on the unions, working people and the middle class by the Republicans and their super rich patrons like the Koch brothers. Working people have the right to self-defense!! And let’s give those greedy GOPers the fight of their lives.

Hoffa Jr. maybe you should read this story, Dope smoking, menstruating monkeys
study got 3.6 million over the past decade. The National institute on Drug Abuse
have received 3.6 million taxpayer dollars to study this behavior. CNS news the source. Tell me why we need to study this behavior when it goes on in all major cities and we then hand out welfare and hopes the problem goes away. Maybe Hoffa JR. would like to contribute union funds for this study.

Texbork,

I think you need a lesson in Economics 101 to truthfully understand the situations at hand. This was not created by “corporate america” or “capitalists”, it was created by government laws. Laws prevent business’ from conducting the way they like and the government pays for bad businesses when they fail. Those are the issues at hand. Do you know there are more employees for the government then there are for the private sector? That is not a good thing at all. Stop listening to awful propaganda regarding Capitalists, because those are the same men who built this country in the industrial age and flourished. The business man has been frowned upon in this country forever, which is the real travesty.

“Educate yourself.”

At private school. With Obama’s kids…If you can afford it. Ha! I’m cracking myself up today!

Jimmy Hoffa, Jr – just another mafia thug like his father. Anyone that would listen to this union thug and accept anything he said as truth needs to see a shrink. Does anyone REALLY think that Hoffa OR the unions are out for the betterment of mankind? The only betterment the unions are for is for their own pockets paid for by the backs of the workers that continue to pay “dues” to these mafia thugs.

Let’s talk about the teachers. They belong to Unions, those unions support the Democrat Party. Now, in all fairness, the GOP has made huge cuts to education; however, on the flip side the Dems have done NOTHING about the wasteful spending among the school admins thus keeping money out of the classrooms and out of the paychecks of the teachers. Dems, if you care so much then call for a halt to the waste and maybe the GOP will quit cutting funds.

Dems and Republicans have destroyed the economy and jobs for years with the “Crony Capitalists” and Union Thug Bosses running jobs and the US manufacturing overseas on the backs of the middle class. The Tea Party comes in to fix this problem and they are the ones blamed. What Hoffa, Romney, Trumka, Obama and GOP and Dem leaders are doing is running an “Animal Farm” and the scary thing is many americans fall far it.

Unions need to change with current times. The middle class is not just comprised of laborers, but of highly educated people, employees, entrepreneurs, small business owners, etc… that want to compete for the best jobs and wages based on their own merits, and not have some huge politically polarized organization set their wages and benefits. This is especially the case for be state employee unions, where they dock your pay for union dues with or without your approval. This is an injustice!. You should be able to decide where your money goes after taxes period! Especially if you have different political views than the unions!

Who really has sympathy for state workers. I work as a contractor for a state agency in CA, and their benefits ,pay, and job security far exceed those in the private sector. They also eat from the state budget and provide deplorable service and beaurocracy in return. Something need to change

“President Obama, this is your army. … Let’s take these sons of bitches out… ” A thug behaving like a thug, making allusions to physical violence against people he disagrees with. Is anyone really surprised?

Hey union workers. All of us in the private sector aren’t millionaires. In fact, we are very far from it. Read the story on DRUDGE about the NYC worker who raked in almost $800k last year to find out why we’re done with caring about you. We know that kind of abuse of a system goes on all the time.

In the 90′s, I was married to a Detroit area Chrysler Trenton engine employee. His whole family, father, brothers, were all union members. I was very young, not that politcally mature at the time. However, even then, I knew inherently, there was something wrong when he bragged about the countless hours and overtime he racked up, describing himself as a “hard” worker. He made close to 100k then, and that was really good money. (Did they really think that was going to last forever?) If I had a nickle for all the times he bragged about being able to sleep 1/2 the day on the job or read his newspapers, then I’d be rich. Some there actually made little tents out of cardboard to block the light so they could have more productive naps. Some would punch each other out to fake an additional few hours. They all protected their own. It was a brotherhood. And if ever challanged by anyone, he would rant & rave just about like Hoffa did today. Unions.

Let’s hold Hoffa Accountable for the hundreds of thousands of jobs he forced out of this country.
Hoffa: Go to China, and stay there– until you can bring our jobs back.

If you ask me most of these politicians are baby boomers that are bringing down this country…it’s time for all of them to retire and bring people with new and fresh ideas in. The old way is no longer working.

eatinpeasinnc | September 6, 2011, 1:47 pm………..typical – don’t tell the whole story. Those city workers have been working without a contract and without a raise since 1995. Those were one time payments based on a settlement that allowed them to collect back wages. Speaking of abuse. Who was really the abuser here? I’m sure the New York City sewers are a very pleasant place to work every day and those employees should be grateful for the ambiance and positive atmosphere in which they labor?

“After reading the knee-jerk comments here, I can see why Hoffa feels the need to ‘go to war’.”

Good luck, he is going to need it. Right-wingers? Yeah, sure. Obama will toss his supporters under the Canadian made bus before right-wingers even show up.

“It would be fun to watch one of you yuppies walk in and slam the unions.” -tmferretti

Sounds like you’re saying Hoffa’s army of union thugs would march in and take me out if I dared to speak my mind.

Posted by: V6 | September 6, 2011, 2:17 pm 2:17 pm

You don’t like the bus, talk to the Secret Service – it was their decision. They’re the ones who decided it was the bus with a suspension system strong enough to take all of the security and communications equipment. But you would know better than the Secret Service wouldn’t you? Sure thing. Try thinking.

“You don’t like the bus, talk to the Secret Service – it was their decision. They’re the ones who decided it was the bus with a suspension system strong enough to take all of the security and communications equipment. But you would know better than the Secret Service wouldn’t you? Sure thing. Try thinking.”

I know I’d like to keep Americans employed, Jim. Maybe even union employees. Maybe I’d like to keep jobs here instead of hire a guy from GE as an advisor whose company moves employment overseas.

Only the hard core Left can’t see the Obama hypocrisy.

Hoffa got it right….called them as he sees them….wish Obama had said that.

“You don’t like the bus, talk to the Secret Service – it was their decision. They’re the ones who decided it was the bus with a suspension system strong enough to take all of the security and communications equipment. But you would know better than the Secret Service wouldn’t you? Sure thing. Try thinking.”

I know I’d like to keep Americans employed, Jim. Maybe even union employees. Maybe I’d like to keep jobs here instead of hire a guy from GE as an advisor whose company moves employment overseas.

Posted by: V6 | September 6, 2011, 2:26 pm 2:26 pm

Talk to the Secret Service. I’m sure you know more about it than they do

Maybe I’d like to keep jobs here instead of hire a guy from GE as an advisor whose company moves employment overseas.

Posted by: V6 | September 6, 2011, 2:26 pm 2:26 pm

Another, knee-jerk right wing bumper sticker . . .

“With worldwide demand for products like aircraft engines and gas turbines growing, GE has announced plans to create over 8,000 jobs in the U.S in the last 18 months. From a new locomotive plant in Fort Worth, Texas that will create 775 new jobs to an aviation composites facility announced just last week in Ellisville, Mississippi that will create 250 new jobs, GE’s expansion has unfolded across the United States.”

Go to the coal miner and steel worker bars down the Monongahela river ,south. Those guys remember their dads and uncles spitting blodd from black lung disease, working for 5 dollars a day. It would still be like that if if wasn’t for the guys that struck and walked those picket lines. I bet most of these people complaining about the unions never did a hard days work in their life.

As I said, I’ve been (and drank heavily) around and down there. So people remember their fathers. What’s your point? Striking and walking picket lines is fine by me too. That is a right. And regarding people complaining about unions and you making a bet, how much do you want to lose? But I digress, go back and let us know about bars where we have to name pictures to get drinks.

“Another, knee-jerk right wing bumper sticker . . .”

Indeed it is…No biggie on my Prius either.

GE X-ray leaders move to China
July 26, 2011|Bloomberg News

General Electric Co.’s health care unit, the world’s biggest maker of medical imaging machines, is moving the headquarters of its 115-year-old X-ray business to Beijing.

“A handful’’ of top managers will move to the Chinese capital and there won’t be any job cuts, said Anne LeGrand, general manager of X-ray for GE Healthcare. The headquarters will move from Wisconsin amid a broader plan to invest about $2 billion across China, including opening six “customer innovation’’ and development centers.

The division should have “double-digit’’ growth rates as the country converts from film and analog to digital X-ray technology, LeGrand said.

Nephron | September 6, 2011, 2:46 pm………………Basically calling union busters dogs. They are.

The unions had their purpose at one time. Now with OSHA, Workforce Commision, EPA, etc., etc. the unions and their thugs have long outserved, out manhandled and out abused their purpose. They brought the dislike of many hardworking people down on themselves with their greed, corruption and refusal to compromise….now they are are seeing the door. Good riddance.

When is calling your political opponents publically “sons-of-bitches” a smart move?

Posted by: Nephron | September 6, 2011, 2:46 pm 2:46 pm

It’s probably not. When is it smart to take an opponents call to VOTE people out, and pretend its a call to violence? It’s not. It only makes the atmosphere more prone to violence – far less forgivable.

Now Ann Compton is joining in the sensationalism that created the false controversy on this story???

If you listen to Hoffa’s speech on youtube he clearly and repeatedly states that voting is how they will remove these clowns from office. He does so repeatedly, yet here Ann Compton doesn’t include that in her quote, she mentions it as an aside rather than the actual point it was.

Shame on you ABC news, whether this is bad reporting, bad editing or a combination of the two, it is reprehensible to create controversy where there is none. An earlier story by Mary Bruce did the same thing and after numerous comments complaining about it, the story was mildly corrected. To repeat the same misleading story here is absolutely inexcusable.

“GE is in the midst of creating 8,000 jobs in America. You have trouble reading?”

So this should bring the unemployment rate down, right?

Posted by: Romer | September 6, 2011, 2:55 pm 2:55 pm

Don’t turn up your nose They’re 8000 excellent jobs.

Hilarious to see the right wing trying to demonize G.E. for creating jobs in America. Blind and dumb.

GMA Skips Hoffa’s Call for War Against Tea Party ‘Sons of Bitches’

nice job George, Yasoo Patrioti, never expose the team, always a Democrat.

NEWCOUNTRYMAN

It’s obvious you never talked to a Teamster

“Hilarious to see the right wing trying to demonize G.E. for creating jobs in America. Blind and dumb.”

I’m sure Jeffrey Immlet is laughing too. Here’s that story again about not paying taxes. Obama sign a tax cut and lets GE not pay anything. But maybe Tim Geithner is investigating this while we speak!

G.E.’s Strategies Let It Avoid Taxes Altogether
By DAVID KOCIENIEWSKI
Published: March 24, 2011

General Electric, the nation’s largest corporation, had a very good year in 2010.
The company reported worldwide profits of $14.2 billion, and said $5.1 billion of the total came from its operations in the United States.

Its American tax bill? None. In fact, G.E. claimed a tax benefit of $3.2 billion.

That may be hard to fathom for the millions of American business owners and households now preparing their own returns, but low taxes are nothing new for G.E. The company has been cutting the percentage of its American profits paid to the Internal Revenue Service for years, resulting in a far lower rate than at most multinational companies.

Its extraordinary success is based on an aggressive strategy that mixes fierce lobbying for tax breaks and innovative accounting that enables it to concentrate its profits offshore. G.E.’s giant tax department, led by a bow-tied former Treasury official named John Samuels, is often referred to as the world’s best tax law firm. Indeed, the company’s slogan “Imagination at Work” fits this department well. The team includes former officials not just from the Treasury, but also from the I.R.S. and virtually all the tax-writing committees in Congress.

Posted by: V6 | September 6, 2011, 3:28 pm 3:28 pm

You wonder why Obama was trying to get various tax loopholes for corporations closed in the last debt ceiling negotiations? That means you must wonder why the Republicans opposed it. Or do you not think that far?

At the same time, G.E. is creating 8,000 new jobs in America. They are an international company and they will be very aggressive in China and India – that is where the market is moving.

You would think at some point the people who the liberals (Democrats) purport to help/defend etc., would ask themselves if things are really better for them. Four decades controlling both Houses (1950s to 1994) and how has public education fared? How’s that war on poverty Lyndon Johnson? Trillions of dollars later and nothing has gotten better (education/poverty rate). The key is education (i.e., personal responsibility) and two-parent households (which would eliminate something like 1/3 of poverty immediately). Again, personal responsibility is key. For the truly needy, they will always get the assistance they need. The rest who are milking the system need to get to work (or add value somewhere in society until they find work).

How’s that war on poverty Lyndon Johnson?

Posted by: s | September 6, 2011, 3:39 pm 3:39 pm

It was going pretty good until the Bush economic collapse, which took the entire country’s economic system to its knees.

So not paying taxes is OK then.

Posted by: V6 | September 6, 2011, 3:41 pm 3:41 pm

You wonder why Obama was trying to get various tax loopholes for corporations closed in the last debt ceiling negotiations? That means you must wonder why the Republicans opposed it. Or do you not think that far?

The President can’t ‘force’ the Republicans to do anything. They opposed his attempts to close various tax loop-holes for large corporations like G.E. and they threatened to refuse to pass the debt ceiling and bring the country to a default crisis – and we saw what that got us – a lowered credit rating, a teetering stock market and more economic insecurity.

Hello America, 9/6/11, let us go back in time, to another thursday, BloodyThursday July 5, 1934,
I know its a little before your time, when, the Longshoremen Union was abandonded by the Union Leaders much like Jimmy Hoffa, it was a time when the mayor of San Franscisco and the gouvenor of california declared war on the striking Long Shoremen, after a bloody battle which the long shoremen lost against clashes with police, a reluctant general strike was called among all unions, including the teamsters, whose cowardly leaders refused to stand up fpr the long shoremen, after the police attempted to sweep off flowers placed on the riot spot, finally the working citizens of San Francisco stood up against the Union Leadership and the Mayor, and declared a general strike on behalf of the long shoremen, such is the History of Mob intervention in the Unions, such is the intervention of the Mafia, wether it be from New York or Chicago, there interference in local and national politics has never changed, such is the Party of The Mob, such is the Democratic Party, why even JFK hired the Mob to make a hit on Fidel Castro, so why should anyone be suprized that Barrack Obama (Barry) would seek help from the Organized Crime syndicate of the teamsters or from the AFCIO, and so I say to Tea Party Candidates donot be intimidated by the Mob, all you need do is vote No to every Obama proposal, No to funding anymore bailouts, infact No Tea Party congressman need even attend Barry’s speaches to congress from now on. make yourselves noticably absent from Barry’s JIbbersish or his conections to the mob. sincerely Fezzy Bear

Nephron, watch Hoffa’s video on youtube. The entire speech was punctuated with voting them out, there was no call to violence. Fox and now ABC is simply sensationalizing his speech, not telling it like it was.

“You wonder why Obama was trying to get various tax loopholes for corporations closed in the last debt ceiling negotiations? That means you must wonder why the Republicans opposed it. Or do you not think that far?

The President can’t ‘force’ the Republicans to do anything. They opposed his attempts to close various tax loop-holes for large corporations like G.E. and they threatened to refuse to pass the debt ceiling and bring the country to a default crisis – and we saw what that got us – a lowered credit rating, a teetering stock market and more economic insecurity”

I just wonder why he fails so much with a simple Republican push. Then goes and hires Immelt. Weird… But like I said, I remember far enough back to know he signed a tax cut for the rich too. Guess loopholes must have slipped his mind.

Posted by: V6 | September 6, 2011, 3:54 pm 3:54 pm

President Obama negotiated with the Republicans an extension of unemployment benefits for ordinary, everyday Americans in exchange for delaying reinstating taxes on the wealthiest of us. At that time, taking care of ordinary Americans was his priority, while coddling the wealthy was the priority of the Republicans. They both got what they wanted. I support the President.

Lydia,Jim- do you know ANYTHING about the Teamsters? Do you think that Mr Hoffa’s father left on a vacation to Bora Bora? Why do you think that the Teamsters have familial succesion? GET REAL-

Posted by: Nephron | September 6, 2011, 4:16 pm 4:16 pm

We’re actually smart enough to watch and listen to what was actually said by Hoffa. His whole presentation was focused on the power of the vote. Why he chose to call the Republican politicians ‘sons-of-bitches’ is another matter, but he’s at least on side with the majority of Americans who have an unfavorable opinion of the Republican party.

RICK

Union thugs, well those union thugs got you a 40 hour work week, paid hilodays, safety in your work place, minimum wage and more benefits than I can name. Perhaps, since your so down on the unions, you should tell your company you want to go back to the working conditions before unions. I’m sure they’ll appreciate it.

The unions have done some great things for working conditions but just like anything, you get comfortable and then continue to ask for more and more until it is unsustaniable; that’s where we are at now. The simple fact is that unions are hurting themselves at this point for expecting higher wages, cadilac health care and other benefits not available to other non-union workers. The Fed regulates employment and puts in place safeguards that the unions spearheaded in the late 19th and early 20th century. Another thing is that their should be a choice to join or not join and some say by the members of where their dues go. Why do unions spend millions upon millions each election cycle to support only Democratic candidates when nearly 40% of their membership vote Republican. Union dues shouldn’t be used this way.

Would you look at where our country is at. Is this 3rd world or what. No God, No peace.

Would you look at where our country is at. Is this 3rd world or what. No God, No peace.

Posted by: Don | September 6, 2011, 4:42 pm 4:42 pm

Out of turmoil great things are born. As long as we get smart and quit abusing the planet. Time to go organic, grow at home, quit driving so much, quit wasting so much, live with some humility, become more spiritually ambitious instead of greedy.

Please fix your Hoffa quote Ann. I realize Fox and everyone else is bridging it together in the same way but it’s extremely misleading. Please replace this, which clearly implies one statement immediately followed the next:
““President Obama, this is your army,” Hoffa concluded to applause, his voice raising to a shout. “We are ready to march. Let’s take these sons of bitches out and give America back to an America where we belong,” he said”

Wiith what he actually said, which was:
“President Obama, this is your army. We are ready to march. And, President Obama we want one thing – jobs, jobs, jobs, jobs, jobs, jobs, jobs, jobs. That’s what we’re going to tell him. When he sees what we’re doing here he will be inspired. But he needs help. And, you know what. Everybody here’s gotta vote. If we go back and keep the eye on the prize, let’s take these son of a bitches out and give America back to America where we belong.”

Yeah, I know an army of vote wielding job-seekers isn’t quite as exciting but at least it’s factual.

Where are all you guys getting that Obama needs to denounce Hoffa’s remarks? Back when Palin was starting up the tea party, she was saying that law makers had a target on their backs. No one was up in arms then. When Giffords was shot, she still didn’t quit using that phrase. Is it a problem because it’s one of those workers (eek!) trying to rally his fellow employees to lend their voices? If it doesn’t come from a conservative, I guess it’s inappropriate. So much for democracy – we lost it in Washington, might as well do the same to the People.

Posted by: s | September 6, 2011, 11:54 am 11:54 am

S, I never said the majority of Americans were liberals. I said, correctly, that the majority of Americans are not conservatives, and less than 20% (fewer than 1/5) are tea party conservatives. More Americans strongly oppose the tea party and its positions than strongly support; more oppose than support, collectively and on most positions, issues, etc. There is no question that the tea party is viewed more negatively than any other group in politics, though Congressional Republicans and the religious right come close. Even Rasmussen– which supports the tea party; Scott Rasmussen has written a book promoting it– has had to lead with headlines saying as much within the past week.

The tea party is unpopular. It is the same fringe group that has been unpopular as Birchers, birthers, the moral majority, the religious right, neoconfederates, etc. Read Matt Taibbi’s article on the tea party, or any of the articles that refer to the tea party as the same old whine in a rebranded bottle. Check out recent studies that indicate their key principles have more to do with getting God into gov’t and a southern social conservative back into the WH than fiscal responsibility or the Constitution.

I agree with Hoffa on this: ““They want to roll the clock back to about 1900.” He is accurate. Ron Paul said as much when discussing FEMA recently. Perry’s manifesto indicates he’d like to roll back the 20th and 21st centuries to about… well, 1900. Mark Miner, Perry’s spokesman has said he’d like to undo 70-plus years of amendments, policy and taxation. He thinks he knows better than the Supreme Court, too. ”

It is humorous to read you whine about Hoffa’s rhetoric while reminding those who are being drowned out by loud, vitriolic right wing radicals that everybody has a vote and we can take out the tea party types via election if everyone uses those votes to do so, and then, AND THEN watch you proceed to call him names vitriolically, accusing him of hate speech and other ginned up .

I never claimed to speak for America, but I am one of the majority that is not conservative, and not supportive of the tea party.

oops– correction: *watch you proceed to call him names vitriolically, accusing him of hate speech and condoning others with their ginned up rage and accusations as if it’s okay to spew hate toward the left. IOKIYR, the saying goes. Is it only “shameful” for you when one side does it; the side you oppose?

I don’t agree with the imagery in much of our discourse,but it comes from the right just as much and just as often, if not more so, than it comes from the left… and it is defended passionately by those pretending to be outraged when the left fights back or engages in similar rhetoric.

Meanwhile, the president calls for civil discourse time and time again, rarely calling anyone out by name on either the left or right. He’s not a babysitter. But he asks both sides to simmer down, time and again.

Kimberly, Obama speaks of civility but never practices it and certainly lacks it in his own rhetoric. He is very partisan in his approach and you will not find a more partisan individuals than Reid and Pelosi. I think the right has their fair share as well, no fan of the far right either. We need to get rid of career politicians, demand term limits.

Nephron, who has he called out by name on the right for their rhetoric? When I say, “the president calls for civil discourse time and time again, rarely calling anyone out by name on either the left or right. He’s not a babysitter. But he asks both sides to simmer down, time and again.” And you say, then why not call out Hoffa by name, it’s as if you don’t actually read that which you reply to… why should he call out Hoffa by name when he hasn’t called out Palin, Bachmann, Robert Lowry (who shot at a Lowry shot at a human-shaped target that had Wasserman Schulz’s initials written next to it during a campaign event), Giffords opponent in ’10, Jesse Kelly, Glenn Beck, Stephen Broden, Rick Barber, Sharron Angle, Gregg Harper (who says he hunts dems, treehuggers and liberals)? He tends to keep it very general. We’ll see what happens Thursday. I’m sure he’ll say, AGAIN, that its time to put country over politics and partisanship and to cool it on the vitriolic rhetoric… though vitriol seems to lie in the eye of the beholder and a lot of spin goes into it, yeah?

John in VA, we’re talking civil not nonpartisan, yeah? You will find many politicians less civil than Obama, Reid and Pelosi, and if you’re not blind, you will absolutely find some of them on the right, even if you lean right. I named a few names above as a starting point. Never say never and you won’t come across as exaggerating. I think Obama is very civil, particularly when compared to someone like Bachmann, but he has a world view and he does occasionally give a light jab back at those who have been smearing him for years now. That doesn’t bother me. Both the left and right get annoyed when he calls them out but he has to represent everyone and he’s in the awkward position of being a pragmatic moderate democrat, slightly center left, in very partisan and tumultuous times. He’s not right enough, or left enough to satisfy the most passionate voters who tend to be more ideological than practical, imho.

I don’t condone Maxine Waters publicly telling the tea party to go to hell, and I’m not a Hoffa fan, in general, but I support labor as well as business and reasonable government and find the outrage over his statements staged… fake… phoney… ginned up…. dumb.

On a regular basis Republicans call those in opposition to them on any issue socialists, communists, anti-American, not part of real America, union thugs, welfare queens unworthy of a safety net or earned benefits, etc. I do agree with you about doing something about the ongoing elections of career politicians who become out of touch over time, and term limits. I also support open primaries and other election reforms.

John in VA, when, specifically has Obama been uncivil and how are you defining that term? Are you aware that nonpartisan and civil mean different things? You seem to be conflating them.

Nephron, can you give examples of Obama calling out people from either the left or right by name when it comes to discourse? My recollection is of his speaking in general of the need for civil discourse and calling for civil discourse from both the left and right. I don’t recall him calling out Republicans or Democrats by name or getting very specific.

nephron wrote:”Then why didn’t he call out Hoffa?”
.
oBama is owned lock, stock, and barrel by the unions. Can’t be dissing your employer, now can you.

nephron wrote:”Then why didn’t he call out Hoffa?”

I could just as easily ask why he hasn’t called out a wide range of people by name including those on the right that speak of getting rid of democrats, liberals, socialists, etc. Or those that shoot guns at targets meant to represent democrat representatives. Or Sharron Angle and Michelle Bachmann who have both made vitriolic remarks against the left. Or Sarah Palin who has insinuated those who live in blue states or cities don’t live in “real” America.

He keeps it general and calls on both the right and left to engage in civil discourse without getting overly prissy about it. Why does the tea party deserve special treatment?

p.s. the hardcore lefty assumption and accusation along with a snarky remark is partisan, black and white illogical thinking which lowers one’s credibility over time. And can I just say you’re slaying with me by bringing up Donald Trump. lol. Was Obama supposed to call out Seth Meyers for roasting Trump during, you know, the White House Correspondents’ Dinner where everyone gets teased, prodded and roasted– and the fools look burnt?

Thanks for the belly laugh, “Michelle” ;^)

I am a union man. My family were union people. Believe me; if we were going to threaten anyone, it would be made very clear and would not require creative editing of tape for a phony Fox sound bite.

Mr. Hoffa, nobody declared war on working people, we declared war on those who suck off the government tit, those that cause every tax payer union and non-union to pay more of their hard earned pay to support those blotted benefits packages government employees receive. If you union bosses would stop spending the rank & file’s due’s to gain political power and instead invest that money toward health care and pensions the tax payers would not have to support those public employee benefit as much. Jerks like you are the biggest reason we tea party folks are at war not your members.

Join a Union and you’ll see what a “real job” is like.

Posted by: GogglyGogol —Give me a break.

My first reaction to Mr. Hoffa’s ranting was that he needed to resume his lithium or whatever medicine he’d quit taking. But it isn’t self-control that he lacks. Instead, he lacks reason.

I hope Mr. Hoffa keeps talking and keeps being loud. Moderate and conservative Americans need to know what they’re up against. Mr. Hoffa and his supporters epitomize what is wrong with organized labor and with Chicago and Detroit liberal politics. Just keep putting a microphone in front of Mr. Hoffa and keep videotaping his rallies. Let everyone see and hear his contempt for his fellow Americans.

It is funny how the liberal media doesn’t report on Obama and Hoffa..does that seem odd to you..or is that Parr for the course???

I am ashamed to see that Ann Compton or her editor have stooped to this kind of sensationalism. Listen to Hoffa’s speech on youtube, he very clearly and repeatedly said voting was how they would defeat the far-right candidates. Encouraging voting is not encouraging violence.
This story should have been about how Fox news distorted what the speech was about by taking quotes out of context. I would have expected ABC news to have enough journalistic integrity to do that.
Lately, more and more stories on ABC skirt the truth in an effort to sensationalize. There was a story about a young mom who gives her child coffee (4 oz. twice a day) to treat his ADHD. The story contained warnings about side effects of high doses of caffeine (irrelevant to this story with the child’s low dosage) but nothing about the many and dangerous side effects of Ritalin, commonly prescribed for children with ADHD. Why this disconnect from responsible journalism, ABC?

LET US NEVER FORGET 9-11. GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!!