Morning Joe Country Club set want you to know today that unions are responsible for the disruption

[Skidmore]

at town hall meetings and that those are just genuinely angry and concerned citizens assembling to tell their reps what they think. Don't mind the signs in their hands or the organized chants. And the guy in FL with his shirt ripped off was assaulted by some SEIU goon. Pat Buchanan froths at the mouth. Barnacle harrumphs snidely. Harwood wags his ass, happy to be noticed. Willy grabs his blanky and curls up in a fetal position. Papa Joe pontificates.

[annabanana]

1. This would be a good day for Lawrence O'Donnell.

Right now I'm HOPING some Union guys show up to counter the FreedomWorks thugs.

[Hannah Bell]

2. playbook: weimar.

[liberal N proud]

3. Projection

[Skidmore]

5. No. It's called "catapaulting the propaganda" and "shaping the message for the day."

[SpiralHawk]

4. The Union of Anti-American Republicon Homelander Goons

[Stephanie]

6. Tampa event organizer sets Pat straight:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/8/7/763084/-Tampa-Town-Hall-Misconceptions-

As a member of the local Democratic Party in Tampa, and a friend of Rep. Betty Reed, I arrived at the event early to help out. I want to clear up some of the lies and misconceptions being spread by people like Joe Scarborough and Pat Buchanan.

Below the fold you'll see the email I just sent to Morning Joe.

Susan S's diary :: ::

Pat Buchanan's sources are certainly misinformed. First of all, the town hall was not sponsored by Congressman Kathy Castor. She was there to give a report on the bill. The event was hosted by State Rep. Betty Reed and the SEIU. They were not "shipped in there" as Joe just said. They were hosts of the event. And those manning the door were our local Young Democrats, not union members!

Next, those who opposed reform were at the venue when I arrived at 4 PM, and I was the first one there. I was in charge of the sign-in and information table at the door. Rep. Reed had asked for a police presence at the event, but we had to call in more law enforcement because when the venue was filled to capacity, the anti-reformers stormed the door.

Those folks claimed to local media that they were 912ers (?), which is apparently a Glenn Beck following. We also heard that Rush Limbaugh was encouraging people to attend the event. The Chair of the Republican Party in Hillsborough County sent out at least one email with talking points straight from the "teabagger" web sites. We also heard that the Republican Party from surrounding counties encouraged their members to go to the event.

Susan Smith
Hillsborough County Democratic Party

[Skidmore]

7. Well done!

Send it to Keith, Ed, and Rachel. They get to counter this BS put out by the MJCCS.

[bobburgster]

8. Here are the ones that need to hear...

about the bs teabagger Mornin Joe propaganda.

Mr. Phil Griffin,
Senior Vice President, News
NBC Television Network
30 Rockefeller Plz
New York, NY 10112
[email protected]

Steve Capus,
President, NBC News
[email protected]

MSNBC
[email protected]
MSNBC/Microsoft-NBC
30 Rockefeller Plz
3rd Fl
New York, NY 10112
[phone]

[billybob537]

12. Union is just another KEY WORD

Like pro life, patriotism, it's just more drivel from the party of no return. They have to hit all the buttons to get all the lunatic fringes of thier tattered party to toe the party line. What should be obvious to everyone is this is more desperation from a drowning party. They're drowning with the weight of thier past policies, they're running out of people to exclude, and the end is near if health care reform passes no-one will need them anymore.

[JamesA1102]

9. Love it when a bunch of rich white guys sit around and

bash unions.

[ColbertWatcher]

10. No Joe, it's you and your anti-healthcare cabal who are the problem. n/t

[jimshoes]

11. Aren't on air personalities union

people themselves. I could swear I heard they have to be in the CWA to get those jobs. Anybody know for sure?

[Liberal In Texas]

13. They don't have to be. And it's probably AFTRA/SAG for on air talent.

most of the time. These guys on the national shows probably make so much money they don't need a union.

[Stephanie]

14. AFTRA

But I'm not clear if MSNBC broadcasters are under AFTRA contracts.

http://www.aftra.org/aftra/whatis.htm

AFTRA's scope of representation covers broadcast, public and cable television (news, sports and weather; drama and comedy, soaps, talk and variety shows, documentaries, children's programming, reality and game shows); radio (news, commercials, hosted programs); sound recordings (CDs, singles, Broadway cast albums, audio books); "non-broadcast" and industrial material as well as Internet and digital programming.

[Liberal In Texas]

16. NABET/CWA usually cover people like technicians and news photographers.

Sometimes they cover the newsroom reporters, but it's rare.

In California and New York which are "closed shop" states (i.e. not "right to work states") where the networks are based, if the network has a contract with AFTRA that covers the air talent, then they are obliged to join and pay dues whether they want to or not. Most of guys like Scarborough negotiate separate personal contracts and the union is only a minor annoyance to them. However, some of the highly paid guys do enthusiastically support the unions because they remember where they came from and support the lower paid folks they work with.

[Nyquil Man]

15. Hey Joe, where you goin' with that dumb in your head? nt