The American Spectator : The Spectacle Blog : The Teamsters: Obama's SOBs

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Let me give Teamsters President Jimmy Hoffa, Jr. the benefit of doubt with regard to the Tea Party. I am sure when he said "let's take these son of bitches out" that he meant it in a nice way. I am sure Hoffa was saying that the Tea Party or at the very least their ideas should be taken out at the ballot box, not in the streets.

But if that is the case, let's keep this in mind. The Teamsters aren't exactly the League of Women Voters. When Teamsters don't get their way or they get too close to a Tea Partier, bad things happen. In December 2007, riot police arrested ten Teamsters who blockaded the gates of F.W. Russell Disposal in Somerville, Massachusetts when workers there didn't want to unionize. In February 2011, a Teamster was cited for assault and battery after twice pushing a Tea Party activist after left-wing activists made their way over to a Tea Party rally across the street from their own rally in Sacramento, California.

Now consider what then Senator Barack Obama said to the Teamsters during his presidential campaign in a videotaped address in October 2007:

I'd like to take a few minutes to talk to you about what we can do to strengthen what has always been the backbone of America's middle class - The International Brotherhood of Teamsters and the entire organized labor movement.

Ah, yes. The Teamsters as the backbone of America's middle class. Because there's nothing more middle class than rioting and picking fights with Tea Party activists. As for President Obama, it's about time to judge him by the company he keeps. He might no longer keep the company of Bill Ayers and Reverend Wright but he sure hasn't been circumspect when it comes to Jimmy Hoffa, Jr. and the Teamsters. They Obama's army after all. Or let me put it another way. The Teamsters might be SOBs but they are President Obama's SOBs.

View all comments (28) | Leave a comment

Al Adab| 9.7.11 @ 1:32PM

As one of the newly ordained "SOBs" I say to Mr. Hoffa, "Anywhere, Anytime". Perhaps we could tea party together.

W| 9.7.11 @ 7:20PM

Al,
If Hoffa had any principles/honor he would be trying to find out who killed his father.

pineapple| 9.7.11 @ 7:27PM

Why? He was involved in it.

Dallas George| 9.7.11 @ 1:33PM

Why has no one yet made the connection between the Teamsters' current activities and Obama's famous meeting with them before his election? As I recall, Obama promised to remove the federal supervision of the Teamsters Union.

DRed| 9.7.11 @ 2:39PM

"I am sure Hoffa was saying that the Tea Party or at the very least their ideas should be taken out at the ballot box, not in the streets." How would you know that? By more fully quoting his actual speech, perhaps. I'll do it for you, since none of the AmSpec authors who have mentioned this speech has been able to do so. I wonder why?

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.

President Obama, this is your army. We are ready to march. AndPresident Obama, we want one thing: jobs, jobs, jobs… That’s what we’re going to tell him. He’s gonna be … and when he sees what we’re doing here, he will be inspired. But he needs help. And you know what? Everybody here’s got to vote. If we go back, and we keep the eye on the prize, let’s take these son of a bitches out and give America back to an America where we belong.

sayoldman| 9.7.11 @ 3:54PM

Interesting position DRed: "Obama, we want one thing: jobs, jobs, jobs…" Hmmm...so exactly where do you think jobs come from? Do you think that threats and intimidation will "create" jobs? The jobs proposals that Professor Obama is ready to reveal will, if passed, create labor jobs...for a while, until the subsidized money runs out. Long lasting jobs are related to manufacturing products that create wealth that can be reinvested...not gimmick jobs that appease the few, for a while, until the money runs out.

Conservative Bob| 9.7.11 @ 2:45PM

According to the BLS 11.9% of the wage and salary workers were union members. * (As these are government numbers I have no idea as to their veracity) I am also not sure what % of the total working population of the country are unionized wage and salary workers but for the sake of this discussion I will assume it is some number smaller than 11.9 %.

I suspect that Mr. Hoffa and others are speaking for Union leadership when they make their outrageous remarks and threats, but they should stop and consider the numbers above. 11.9% means that 88.1 percent fall into the non-union category.

When the leaders call for a "War on the Tea Party" have they considered the outcome of such a conflict?

What would happen if the non-union portion of the work forced decided that they should stop purchasing goods and services provided by unionized companies? I am certain that everyone in the non-unionized segment of the work force is not a Tea Party member but if we use the 2010 election as an estimating tool I suspect that the percentage of the population that agrees with Tea party principles vastly exceed the number that agree with Mr. Hoffa.

From this point forward I am going to try to determine which products and services are offered by non-union companies and where possible purchase the alternative. I hope to encourage others to do the same.

If their leadership feels that the best use of union dues is to pay leaders to foment hostilities with significant portions of the population for their political beliefs and the rank and file acquiesce by not demanding a change in behavior and rhetoric maybe the time has come for the rest of us to do all we can to deny them the union dues that make such outrageous behavior possible.

See you in the streets Mr Hoffa.

Pat| 9.8.11 @ 12:11PM

Conservative Bob:
Is there a typo here (I hope so):
"From this point forward I am going to try to determine which products and services are offered by non-union companies and where possible purchase the alternative. I hope to encourage others to do the same.

Kingofthenet| 9.7.11 @ 3:07PM

You Rethugs REALLY hate to see any Americans making a living wage. Go to Texas, I am sure Ricky boy can get you a nice 8$ hr job!

W| 9.7.11 @ 3:44PM

King,
At least making $8 an hour is honest work.

You brag about taking advantage of people selling valuable items at garage and estate sales, where you offer a couple of dollars, and you know they are selling valuable items for nothing.

We do not need lectures from you.

Al Adab| 9.7.11 @ 4:14PM

Supply and Demand applies to labor as well. Unionism is simply an attempt to monopolize the market. Anti-trust anyone?

Kingofthenet| 9.7.11 @ 5:40PM

So the ONLY people who should have leverage is the owner....I think not.

Al Adab| 9.7.11 @ 6:36PM

No one is forced or coerced to accept or keep a particular job. The contract is between the worker and the one signing the check. Do what the job requires and accept the commensurate pay. If not to one's liking there are other jobs or start a business. Leaving an employer short of staff is always an option and does produce your vaunted leverage.

W| 9.7.11 @ 6:42PM

King, you are not to lecture us on employers paying a living wage because when you are in a position to give a living price to the owner you pay as little as possible.

And you should not denigrate a job because it pays minimum wage. Those are starting jobs, mainly for teenagers, and part time work. You are free to start a business and pay whatever you wish.

Al Adab| 9.7.11 @ 7:28PM

W:
We definately have to meet up one of these days.

W| 9.7.11 @ 10:17PM

at a Steeler v. Cowboys game?

J.C.Eaton| 9.7.11 @ 4:21PM

The ONLY net you're king of is the one someone threw over you.

Lullabys, Legends and Lies| 9.7.11 @ 3:15PM

I guess Jimmy Hoffa, Jr (aka: Jimmy the Lesser), isn't too pissed that the Mafia "took out" his "Son of a Bitch" Father. He appears to buy into this idea, that if you don't agree with another person, like he doesn't agree with the Tea Party, or the Mafia didn't agree with his Daddy, that you have the "right" to take them out. It seems a little cold to me, to be the Son of a murdered Father to use this type of language, or buy into this philosophy, but what the hell, maybe he didn't like his Father anyway. I always thought it was kind of creepy to take you dead Dad's old job too, don't you think? Maybe by taking that job, he's trying to retrace his Father's final footstep, so that he can finally track down the real Murderers!! He better be careful though, he might end up just like his Dad too, as part of the Interstate Highway system. Everybody always says Jimmy was buried in the Meadowlands, but he was abducted outside of Detroit, and who wants to drive all the way to New Jersey just to get rid of a body? Not me, I'm burying him locally!! Good luck to you Jimmy the Lesser, you're gonna need it in this new War you're starting with the Tea Party. Here's the outcome, we win, you lose!!

albert constantine jr.| 9.7.11 @ 4:43PM

I hate to sound like a commercial, and I've touted this book once or twice in the last year, but see "I Heard You Paint Houses": Frank "The Irishman" Sheeran and the Inside Story of the Mafia, the Teamsters, and the Last Ride of Jimmy Hoffa by Charles Brandt (May 24, 2005). Frank Sheeran was a former Teamsters local official in the Philly/ Delaware region, who was convicted of murders. Charles Brandt was his attorney, and according to the book published after Sheeran's death, Sheeran was the guy who pulled the trigger in the hit (though other co-conspirators disposed of the body). Jimmy Jr. should keep that in mind should he ever be called to meet David Axelrod at a diner outside Detroit.

JeffC| 9.7.11 @ 3:34PM

Its not guilt by association when you knowingly associate with the guilty ...

albert constantine jr.| 9.7.11 @ 4:35PM

It bears mentioning that for the last decade or so, the Teamsters have been heavily involved in organizing public employee shops. The police department in Rehoboth Beach, DE, and the probation officers of Dauphin County, PA are two groups that I recall having the Teamsters as their collective bargaining organization in the late 1990s. Because such organizations don't have the right to strike, I'm also told that the Teamsters primarily collected their dues, and primarily negotiated contracts that made it difficult to discipline or fire incompetent staff. If that trend has continued, it might explain how one of the two unions traditionally considered more partial to the Republicans has evolved into a more thuggish SEIU.

Tom| 9.7.11 @ 4:59PM

If that's the way the Son of a Thug wants it, then bring it on, Dirtbag!!!!

Kingofthenet| 9.7.11 @ 6:06PM

So I guess you Rethugs never read 'The Grapes of Wrath' well you Neanderthals are in luck! Some time ago they made a good movie based on the book by John Steinbeck.Also google: Harry Bridges and 'Shape up'
I know you want to make Americans 'Competitive' with the Red Chinese by paying us the same as them, but think about your Children, you greedy Aholes.

Al Adab| 9.7.11 @ 6:39PM

As Lee iacocca once told the employees at Chrysler, "I have plenty of jobs at 17 dollars an hour but none at 21". The choice always belongs to the worker and there are always options.

Kingofthenet| 9.7.11 @ 6:46PM

The Funny thing is Lee hasen't been with Chrysler since 1992 and most like made that comment FAR earlier, Why is it funny? Because the Non Union Car makes in the US TODAY pay about that.

Al Adab| 9.7.11 @ 7:26PM

He made that comment in the 70's when he took over leadership of the Co. I did not suggest it was funny, but rather that it reflects the fact of supply and demand not an artificial wage level imposed through coercion.

W| 9.7.11 @ 6:44PM

King,
Tell us again how you take advantage of people at garage sales and estate sales.

c. j. acworth| 9.7.11 @ 7:12PM

Even as I read this article and the comments a headline is scrolling across the top of my screen saying "UAW and automakers far apart in talks". I haven't read the peice, but do I really need to? The unions that got bailed out at my expense are not satisfied with having a paycheck, they want to go back to the glory days of old when they could demand whatever they wanted and get it. How long before they run their companies off the cliff and come back to the taxpayer for another go-round?