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Title: Teamster’s Hoffa Weighs Opposing Specter for Senate Re-election
Source:
www.bloomberg.com
URL Source: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601070&sid=aun2L3XwzLHI
Published: Aug 27, 2009
Author: Holly Rosenkrantz
Post Date: 2009-08-27 18:56:27 by Ferret Mike
Keywords: None
Views: 60
Comments: 3
Aug. 27 (Bloomberg) -- James Hoffa, president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, said his union may not support Senator Arlen Specter in his re-election bid because the Pennsylvania Democrat has wavered on legislation making it easier for workers to organize. “We’re looking at both candidates right now” and “it’s time for him to stand up,” Hoffa said in an interview today, referring to Specter and his Democratic primary fight with Representative Joe Sestak. Hoffa said Specter, who switched from Republican to Democrat in April, needs to do more to help pass the so-called card-check legislation that is one of organized labor’s top priorities. Hoffa, who has led the Teamsters since 1998, also said in the interview that President Barack Obama “should have been tougher” in a dispute over the U.S. banning trucks from Mexico. The 1.4 million-member union, which backed Obama’s election, is sending a letter to the president and U.S. Trade Representative Ronald Kirk asking them to challenge tariffs Mexico imposed in retaliation for banning its trucks from U.S. roads, Hoffa said. Specter, who is seeking his sixth term, is the self- described “decisive vote” on the union organizing bill stalled in Congress. His defection from the Republican Party gave President Barack Obama and the Democrats the 60 votes needed in the Senate to force action on legislation over Republican objections. Specter will face Sestak in the Democratic primary in May 2010. Obama has said Specter would have his “full support” in running as a Democrat. Specter, 79, this month reversed his opposition to the card-check bill and told a bloggers convention in Pittsburgh he will support efforts to bring a “modified” version of the bill to a vote. He hasn’t said whether he would vote for final passage. “This is a litmus test,” Hoffa said. “Arlen Specter should step up, and he’s not doing it.” ‘Wrong Thing to Do’ Hoffa, 68, was asked about Obama’s comments on the trucking dispute during a visit this month to Mexico. The president said he is committed to resolving the issue and dealing with safety concerns raised by the U.S. Congress over permitting Mexican trucks on U.S. roads. “He should have been tougher,” Hoffa said of Obama. “We should put tariffs on their goods.” “Everyone knows this is the wrong thing to do, putting tariffs on America after all we do for them,” Hoffa said. “We let their illegals come across the border, we send money to them, we have a tremendous, huge trade imbalance with them, and that they would put a tariff on us.” Mexico wants the U.S. to remove restrictions that prevent Mexican trucks from delivering goods across the border. U.S. exporters such as Appleton Papers Inc. of Appleton, Wisconsin and Mary Kay Inc., the Dallas-based cosmetics seller, have urged Obama to reach an agreement to put Mexican trucks back on the U.S. road and end the tariffs imposed on makers of paper, batteries, toothpaste and grapes. To contact the reporter on this story: Holly Rosenkrantz in Washington at hrosenkrantz@bloomberg.net.
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#1. To: Ferret Mike, PSUSA.ROTARA, JETHRO TULL, OBAMUNISTS (#0)
You can tell these clowns have the IQ of...of...well...FERRETS and WEASELS.
Speaking of ferrets, I just adopted two females raised together to keep my old guy company and comfortable. Zorro is over nine years old, ancient for a ferret. And since he is from a litter one of my jills (female, male is hob) I've had him a long time, and the adoption fee was well worth his comfort. He only prefers to cuddle with jills, so who am I to deny him the right to die happy in his old age? Right? I only get them from the shelter in Oregon City by the way, too many animals wind up there to go feeding the pet shop my bucks.
weird. when did hoffa start believing he's popular
The 1.4 million-member union, which backed Obama’s election [lmfao]
"Midway upon the journey of our life I found myself within a forest dark, For the straightforward pathway had been lost." - Dante
#2. To: IndieTX (#1)
#3. To: Ferret Mike (#0)
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