Jimmy Hoffa’s Big Mouth Writes Checks Big Labor Can’t Cash
By Shaun Kenney | Monday, September 5th, 2011 | Policy
Jimmy Hoffa threatens war against the Tea Party and the Republican Party.
“We got to keep an eye on the battle that we face: The war on workers. And you see it everywhere, it is the Tea Party. And you know, there is only one way to beat and win that war. The one thing about working people is we like a good fight. And you know what? They’ve got a war, they got a war with us and there’s only going to be one winner. It’s going to be the workers of Michigan, and America. We’re going to win that war,” Jimmy Hoffa Jr. said to a heavily union crowd.
“President Obama, this is your army. We are ready to march. Let’s take these son of bitches out and give America back to an America where we belong,” Hoffa added.
Not only is this the same big labor that has utterly wrecked America’s manufacturing backbone, this is an racket threatening the viability of some of the oldest institutions of the United States with default.
Where, pray tell, are the Democrats in their own party policing such behavior?
Get ready for the hard truth. Those voices don’t exist. Or if they do exist, they are being mightily suppressed by their own. Because they are awfully, awfully silent. Just in case you need a primer, here’s your litany of left-wing inspired HATE.
I hate to say it… but I don’t think they want “civility” in politics. These liberals just want what you and I have, and they don’t care who they hurt, what liberties they trample, or — and it disgusts me to say this — but who they might even have to hurt in order to get it.
Hoffa just declared war on America, folks. To which I say, if it’s a war against America you want – it’s a war you’ll have.
…but the first shot will be yours, Hoffa. We’re ready.
For all the talk about civility, the outpouring of deep and abiding hatred for middle class morals and constitutional values among rank-and-file Democrats should be met with the disgust it deserves. I’m waiting for the loud, discernible voices that reject Hoffa and the labor unions for what they are. VP Biden came in and said likewise — I look forward to the op-eds, editorials, public officials, Democratic bloggers, and others who are leaning forward and condemning this sort of speech — and without equivocation.
But don’t bet on it. Hoffa wants war…
UPDATE: …and apparently, so does Vice President Joe Biden. Listen to it from the man himself:
“You are the only non-governmental power…” keeping those… those people — those ignorant barbarians! – from sacking and burning the Rome they have built (to benefit them).
Now tell me that line doesn’t make your look at your entire government with a different eye. Because Lord knows, Biden and Hoffa have made it very clear what they think about YOU.
UPDATE x2: Of course, the folks at Think Regress and Media Mattress know full well that what Hoffa and Biden said today is, was, and always will be indefensible. That’s why they are rushing to defend it… (h/t @keder)
UPDATE x3: You folks ready for this? The Teamsters aren’t backing down from Hoffa’s comments:
Teamsters spokeswoman Leigh Strope said in a statement: “Workers didn’t start this war — the right-wing tea party zealots did. Jim Hoffa’s comments today reflect the anger of workers under attack in this country. Instead of focusing on the economy as a top priority after taking office, corporate-funded conservatives attempted to gut the middle class.”
Damn. Kinda makes all the backpedaling from some folks in the comments section seem vapid and hollow, dunnit?
UPDATE x4: Michelle Malkin, always helpful for the trips down memory lane, has the latest and greatest Top Ten Union Thug Moments of the Year:
Guess Jimmy Hoffa really wanted to make that list after all.
Happy Labor Day.
UPDATE x5: J.C. Wilmore, a Richmond Democrat fond of defending the segregationist era, is just apoplectic about so-called threatening speech on the right. Of course, he completely ignores his own:
Oh, and who can forget his rejoinder?
Never forget — these people truly do hate you for your freedoms and who you are. They revel in the Democratic Party that gave Virginia the Jim Crow era, birthed Massive Resistance, and seek little else than to regain the control over your life — and the lives of others — that they lost.
And lo, Bearing Drift called J.C. Wilmore and his goading the right into violence back in February 2011, and made the following observation:
So here’s the meme: Republicans are violent. All Republicans, not just a handful. Ergo, that makes it perfectly OK to throw people around, punch, harass, bruise, and otherwise harass Republicans. Don’t use baseball bats (as the gentleman above is clear — that’s violence — just throwing punches isn’t violent behavior), because deep down, Republicans really want to use their guns on you.
Is this the nonsense the mainstream left is convincing themselves of?
And more seriously, when are the voices within the left going to start actively, vocally condemning this sort of behavior?
I can tell you what’s going to happen. Eventually, union thugs are going to push things too far. They are going to beat the hell out of someone, and that will convince others to protect themselves. Which fits nicely into the meme… but will become –as they intend it should — a self fulfilling prophecy.
Disgusting… and yet, tolerated. Why?
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Shaun Kenney is the Chairman of the Fluvanna County Board of Supervisors, former Communications Director for the Republican Party of Virginia, and an active blogger since 2002. Shaun lives in Thomas Jefferson's backyard with his wife, six children, and a modest attempt at a farm in Kents Store, Virginia.
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38 Responses to "Jimmy Hoffa’s Big Mouth Writes Checks Big Labor Can’t Cash"
I think we might be at a point where Union management have lost touch with Union members.
I don’t think there is any conservative who doesn’t believe that American labor is the backbone of American exceptionalism.
But when its leadership is so disconnected from its membership, one has to wonder whether the labor movement is really worried about the worker’s best interest or the ideology of its leaders?
Fuck you Hoffa and especially Obama! Strong response to follow.
So mad right now I forgot to link this http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2011/09/05/obama_says_he_is_proud_of_hoffa.html
Recent history shows that these unions are quite prepared to sacrifice their own (junior) members to preserve union benefits for the sake of Dem politicos and senior members. It happened with the UAW and it happened in Wisconsin. It is the Repubs who have tried to prevent layoffs by asking the union to (get this) pay its fair share. Is it fitting that a President from Chicago would get such a welcome from a man named Hoffa?
Sad thing is, Jim Hoeft is totally correct — there are a lot of good people who sign up for the union, support the union, believe in the core principles of organizing…
…but it’s turned into a racket. And at this point, an apparent fifth column that needs to be weeded out and destroyed.
No wonder RFK had these goons investigated and busted up.
Obama’s friend Hoffa is a hoodlum… this is probably an example of his jobs message, which will work about as well as Hoffa leading the ranks into war.
Obama’s Gangsta Government gonna pop a cap in yo ass.. http://theconservativetreehouse.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/obama-gangsta.jpg
Shaun: Hoffa didn’t threaten war on the GOP, just the Tea Party. Is the Tea Party the GOP?
No? I didn’t think so.
Gentlemen: this event is the setup for the distribution of the proceeds from the coming “Infrastructure Bank.” The stated purpose of the Bank will be to “Rebuild America,” “Put Americans Back To Work,” “Get the Economy Going Again,” etc etc. The real purpose of the Bank will be to make the republicans take a stand against “jobs,” turn the government into a highly leveraged hedge fund (well, it already is, courtesy of Fannie and Freddie), pile more debt on the taxpayers, distribute the loot to union workers via the employers, and recycle a pile of money into Obama’s 2012 campaign as “contributions.”
See; I DO know how politics works.
Side note: imagine for a second if a speaker at a Tea Party gathering of any sort had used the terminology “War, we like a good fight, take these sons of bitches out, army, march.” Imagine the media outrage that would dominate the screens for weeks. Imagine the use of the soundbite for years to come.
Jamie,
Have to disagree with you before I agree with you. The Tea Party is used as a synonym for the Repubs by the Dems. They know it won’t play to attack Repubs by name that way but haven’t they often said over the years that the war on workers is the Repub agenda? (They said the Tea Party members were merely terrorists and racists.) Haven’t they attacked Walker, Christie and Kasich in those terms? None of them are Tea Party members, They are long time Repubs.
As for the infrastructure bank you are spot on; however the obvious rejoinder is then why didn’t Obama set this up with the first Porkulus?
@Jamie –
There’s nothing I love more than you announcing to the world that you’re a total idiot.
Of course Hoffa mentioned congressional Republicans. Go watch the speech. Then come back and ask me how to edit your comments.
CHEERS!
Reality check gentlemen; you’ve been had by Fox News . . . again.
http://www.the-richmonder.com/2011/09/must-read-at-media-matters-fox-doctors.html
…now how did I figure that J.C. Wilmore would arrive and play apologist for Jimmy Hoffa? The same guy who defends segregationist Democrats and has been beating the war drum (too soon?) against “Rethugs” for about five years!
What part did we misunderstand about “take those sons of bitches out” again?
This is the war you’ve always wanted, J.C. What’s the matter — afraid you’ve got it?
Mafia boss son Hoffa “da torch” is bowling for $$. Long ago unions took control of many labor markets and forced labor intensive manufacturing industry to create a middle class.. and now they have destroyed it. Unions are no longer needed but organized labor still has leaders who squeeze profit out of Joe Lunchbox.
More jobs will be shipped overseas due to rediculously high US manufacturing labor and regulatory costs here in the states. Hourly rates are outrageously higher than the countries we export jobs to and benefits are impossibly out of negotiating range. Obama has Joe Lunchbox the factory worker eating out of his hand now. Green jobs,Oboamcare and porkzilla will not bring the jobs back to American soil that are tax revenue positive. We are victims of our own political system and now the time has come to put a sick animal down.
The GOP failed us and by default has allowed radical union thugs to pad their wallets by doing the presidents dirty work for him. If we allow this to go unanswered, we republicans have proven to our kids we are spineless. There is a way to remove the president using the same mechanism that put him there.. our constitution. What does our constitution say about the actions of the president? Look what happened to Nixon.. What would it take for the house to pass a bill for impeachment?
“Bring a knife to a gun fight…”
“Punch back twice as hard…”
“Never waste a crisis…”
“Take those sons of bitches out…”
You know folks, anyone else starting to see a pattern here?
http://www.amendment25.com/
I thought since Gabrielle Giffords was shot, we were in a new era of rhetoric?
Is that threatening speech you’re using there, Jim? Because that sure sounded like threatening speech to me…
Cue Beavis: “Are you threatening me?! hehheh…”
Did they finally find Jimmy Hoffa Sr’s remains in the Giant’s end zone? Maybe Jr. was excited, upset and couldn’t contain himself…
A tracker picked this up after Hoffa and Obama exited the Canadian built campaign bus..
“You don’t understand. I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I coulda been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am, let’s face it. It was you, Barack.”
Still looking for the entire text of the speech, or video of the entire speech itself, and not finding it. All I was ever able to find is the oft-quoted part, which is the part you link in the article, Shaun. GOP / Republicans mentioned nowhere in that part. I am not able to otherwise make a different determination of the speech’s context, as to who war was declared on.
If anyone has link to something else I will be delighted to read it. Or, you could have included it in your reply to prove your point.
Ain’t gonna do your homework for you, Jamie. But thanks for playing…
Jeez Turbo, I hope the IMAX cameras weren’t also there filming a remake of “On the Waterfront” with O as Marlon Brando and with the movie being rebranded as “Those Tea Party SOBs” to be released in the Fall of ’12…
So your point is proven by your stating you don’t have to prove it, Shaun? Is it irritating that I pointed out that your linked video clip does not prove your point? Usually, authors how make assertions can back them up, and they often do so right in the article they write containing the assertion.
Or not.
I’m seeing a pattern here, Shaun. As I asked you once before: do you get away with that very often?
I’m assuming you never took a logic class, boy-o.
…and yes, you are detecting a pattern. You’re 0 for 2 on reading comprehension, my friend.
Watch. The. Speech.
If you mean the logic class where you learn to conflate and then deny conflating, then yes, I never took that class. I see this particular conflation everywhere in the media, but have yet to see any fact-based support for it.
“We got a bunch of people there that don’t want the president to succeed. And they’re called the Tea Party.”
“We will beat the tea party and give this country back to workers..”
What could be clearer than that?
“We like a good fight. And you know what, they got a war and they got a war with us and there’s only going to be one winner and it’s going to be the workers of Michigan and America. We’re going to win that war. All the way. But it starts with your involvement. It starts with next November. We got a bunch of people there that don’t want the president to succeed. And they’re called the tea party. The people that don’t want him to do anything right and he’s working hard for us. And president Obama is frustrated by what’s going on. Well guess what. We got the vote. And the answer what we say is, ‘we remember in November.’ We will beat the tea party and give this country back to workers and America. We can do it together. And we also gotta talk about jobs. I get so tired of these people who sit on these big corporations that send our jobs to Mexico. They send our jobs to China. And they have the audacity to say ‘where are the jobs?’ Well I got news for you It’s time to bring those jobs back to America and put America back to work. That’s what we’ve got to do.”
“We’re going to hear from President Obama in a few minutes. And I’m so glad he’s come to Michigan because this is where he sees the real America. He looks out on this army of people and you know what I say, ‘President Obama, this is your army. We are ready to march.’ And, President Obama we want one thing – jobs, jobs, jobs, jobs… That’s what we’re going to tell him. When he sees what we’re doing here he’s going to 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 sons a bitches out and give America back to America where we belong. Thank you very much.”
Now, if you wish to persist in conflating Hoffa’s reference to the Tea Party with “Republicans” in general, then you should offer some factual support for your position, which I’d be delighted to review and comment on, or if you’d prefer you could concede that the Tea Party IS the republican party.
Or, you can just continue claiming you are right and insulting me, which is what I expect you will do.
Patterns, Shaun. You’re really not accustomed to having to back up your statements, are you?
it is the “let’s take these sons of bitches out” that is offensive.
he might have said that about Al Quaida, Communists, those bombing Israel or Somali pirates. but no, he said it in reference to American citizens who first got together because they were Taxed Enough Already.
@Jamie –
As they would say during Prime Minister’s Questions, “I refer the honourable gentleman to the answer I gave some moments ago…”
Watch. The. Speech.
FYI: you all do know that only about 20% of the national work force in in a union and about 7% of Virginia workers are in a union. Do you really have to blame and attack the unions for our economy’s problems?
Frankly you need a target so you conveniently select a unions. When you should be blaming the 80% of the national work force or the 93% of working Virginians who are not union members. I find it humorous that unions and members have destroyed this nation but that in reality is such a minimal number that there is no basis for reality in the attacks on unions, families and the members. It comes down to GOP political attacks on minority organizations such as poor folks, the unemployed or illegal aliens. Why not attack unions and blame them? You don’t have anyone else left to blame so why not! Happy Labor Day!!! LOL
William, our hourly wages for unions are fair.. fair enough for china and india. Go far east young man. That is the future at the rate we are going. Their middle class is on the rise while ours is collapsing before your eyes. I do blame unions as much as liars in politics who work hand in hand to screw businesses with over regulation and job killing tax rates. The worst politicians? Republicans who sttod with their party and turned on their constituents term after term. I expect dems to screw people, tired of the waspy gop giving us the shaft too.
Why is Ford going to build a $1B plant in India that will create 5,000 jobs? Could one of the reasons be that the UAW is getting ready to strike Ford for pay raises and benefits? Could it also be that India has a much faster growth in its middle class than we have? Or could it be that the business regulatory environment in the US is getting too problematic to navigate through?
New India Ford factory:
http://www.france24.com/en/20110906-ford-building-1bn-manufacturing-complex-india
Pending UAW Ford strike:
http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2011/09/05/ford-at-greater-risk-strike-after-avoiding-bailout-money/
Why can’t Obama present a “business plan” on Thursday rather than another “jobs” plan for unions? Answer: “Middle class working people” have been re-defined by leftists as union members only and are the 20% of voters he believes he can control with his thugs and promises. The 80% of us left are fringe “Tea Party”, extreme right wing radicals, racists, barbarians, SOBs, enemies and all the other juicy names that we have yet to hear.
So 1 in 5 American workers is declaring war on the other 4/5ths?
Doesn’t sound like a winning jobs strategy there, William. Unless, of course, the goal is simply to create fewer workers to fill in those “jobs” available… many of which are being pushed overseas because labor contracts demand more than what their labor is actually worth.
Let’s hear the big labor plan for improving the economy that creates jobs rather than pilfers other people’s wealth. That’s a job creation schematic I’d be interested in hearing.
…rather than a declaration of war.
Shaun,
The photo of the Meadowlands is priceless. “A picture is worth a thousand words” and this one certainly speaks volumes about the Teamsters and their unsavory history. Jimmy Hoffa, like his father before him, is a common thug. If he wants to declare war on taxpayers who oppose his fantasy of a worker-owned economy, then I say, “bring it on.”
http://video.foxbusiness.com/v/4388439/mulally-glad-we-didnt-take-taxpayer-money
Mulally hopefully is on the radar for a gop cabinet position. This guy historically under promises and over delivers. He was sharp at Boeing and sharp investors have followed this guy for a while.. for a reason. Lets start nominating real business leaders with turn around experience..
Glad you liked that one, HisRoc.
Hoffa’s fantasy of a worker-owned economy…
Actually, HisRoc, neither Hoffa nor Obama have that particular fantasy for themselves, just to sell to others. Their fantasy is workers running an economy under the strict orders of Hoffa and Obama.
Shaun,
You mentioned the segregationist history of the Democratic Party, and yes, that is part of the history. But please note that heavy emphasis needs to be put on the word history in that sentence.
While much of the South at one point was solidly Democratic, the loyalty to the Democratic Party started to come an end about the time of the passage of the Civil Rights Act. (In fairness, Republican support in Congress was higher for the Civil Rights Act then it was amongst Democrats, but the fiercest opposition amongst Democrats was from southern, white Democrats in Congress.) Now-a-days the Southern white vote is more apt to swing Republican then it is Democratic.
Hey Shaun: I found a complete transcript of Hoffa’s speech. Republicans mentioned zero times, Tea Party four times. No republicans mentioned by name.
Retraction? Are you big enough?
Detroit free press “Transcript: Teamsters Jim Hoffa’s speech on Labor Day”
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