July 2012

This just makes me sick:

JOLIET, Ill. — When it comes to dealing with labor unions, Caterpillar has long taken a stance as tough as the bulldozers and backhoes that have burnished its global reputation. Be it two-tier wage scales or higher worker contributions for health insurance, the company has been a leader in devising new ways to cut labor costs, with other manufacturers often imitating its strategies.

Now, in what has become a test case in American labor relations, Caterpillar is trying to pioneer new territory, seeking steep concessions from its workers even when business is booming.

Despite earning a record $4.9 billion profit last year and projecting even better results for 2012, the company is insisting on a six-year wage freeze and a pension freeze for most of the 780 production workers at its factory here. Caterpillar says it needs to keep its labor costs down to ensure its future competitiveness.

The company’s stance has angered the workers, who went on strike 12 weeks ago. “Considering the offer they gave us, it’s a strike we had to have,” said Albert Williams, a 19-year Caterpillar employee, as he picketed in 99-degree heat outside the plant, which makes hydraulic parts and systems essential for much of the company’s earth-moving machinery.

Their profits are skyrocketing and their CEO pay is on the rise, yet the people out there making the products are being screwed. In other words, Caterpillar is a Republican Mecca of business.

Jason Alexander, or George Costanza to the Seinfeld fans out there, took to Twitter this weekend to urge action in the wake of the Batman killing spree in a Colorado theater:

I'd like to preface this long tweet by saying that my passion comes from my deepest sympathy and shared sorrow with yesterday's victims and with the utmost respect for the people and the police/fire/medical/political forces of Aurora and all who seek to comfort and aid these victims.

This morning, I made a comment about how I do not understand people who support public ownership of assault style weapons like the AR-15 used in the Colorado massacre. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AR-15

That comment, has of course, inspired a lot of feedback. There have been many tweets of agreement and sympathy but many, many more that have been challenging at the least, hostile and vitriolic at the worst.

Clearly, the angry, threatened and threatening, hostile comments are coming from gun owners and gun advocates. Despite these massacres recurring and despite the 100,000 Americans that die every year due to domestic gun violence - these people see no value to even considering some kind of control as to what kinds of weapons are put in civilian hands.

Before the last rounds are fired in these heinous crimes you can count on the pro-gun lobby already pushing the "it's not the guns fault" meme. Of course it isn't. It takes a person to operate that piece of machinery. But the same can be said for other things, like drugs. Maybe I enjoy the look and scent of cannabis. If I don't smoke it, it won't get me high, yet I still can not grow it. In other words, it's not the plants fault, yet our laws ban it.

The Jason hits on the second amendment and his interpretation is something I have always said:

WOW!

The National Republican Senatorial Committee paid for an ad that attacks the Republican budget in Congress last month -- and appears to have spent quite a lot doing it.

At the time, NRSC officials did not comment on the commercial run by the Montana Republican Party on behalf of Rep. Denny Rehberg, who is challenging Democratic Sen. Jon Tester.

The spot, with an initial cost of $200,000, could only have been funded by large transfers from the NRSC, since the the Montana GOP did not have enough cash on its own. The latest federal campaign filings show that the national team transferred $540,000 to the local party -- $315,000 on June 19, the day before the ad started to run, then $45,000 on June 21 and $180,000 on June 25.

Here's the actual ad:

And how many times did Republicans tell us that the Paul Ryan budget was the fix all?

Today Cher made a comment about the tragedy in Colorado:

Both President Obama and Republican White House hopeful Mitt Romney addressed the tragic Colorado movie theater shooting on Friday. Comparing their responses, Cher – who has already made her feelings about Romney quite clear – implied that Obama’s speech was more sincere.

“OBAMA! 2day He talked bout his Great Sadness off top oh his head! Romney needed 2 READ Cards 2 tell how SAD he was,” she wrote on Twitter.

I'm not all into the politicizing of what happened and really don't think her comments helped anything, but check out how one right-wing blog is covering it:

Now I can understand the criticism IF it wasn't for the fact that this very blogger has posted over 40 times about Obama using a teleprompter. 40 TIMES!

Either "zip" is a 100% total hypocrite or he is functioning on zero brain cells. Either way, this is a voice that powers the right online and reading the comments they are all buying into it big time.