Chuck Schumer: Lincoln fighting "Wall Street with one hand, unions with the other."

[madfloridian]

More from The Plum Line:

Schumer cheers Blanche for fighting unions?

It was as predicable as a GOP filibuster that Senate Dems would give Blanche Lincoln an ovation upon her victorious return to the Senate.

But doesn't it seem a bit questionable for Chuck Schumer, who has been on the forefront of raising cash and organizing for Dems, to apparently cheer her on for fighting unions? Dana Milbank reports:

"Lincoln was embraced by her colleagues on the Senate floor as a conquering general returning from war. Sen. Bob Menendez (N.J.), in charge of the Senate Democrats' campaign effort, gave her a hug and a kiss and said, "Now we just have to raise money." Sen. Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) held up two fists and said of her primary campaign: "Fighting Wall Street with one hand, unions with the other."

Lincoln received bipartisan hugs, kisses, handshakes and even a fist bump. Sen. Claire McCaskill applauded and let out a "woo-hoo."

Greg at the Plum Line makes clear he doesn't know Schumer's tone on this....but in my opinion the two fists pumping sort of make that clear.

I don't wanna make too much of this. Who knows exactly what spirit Schumer meant it in. But it seems like particularly bad timing to appear so pumped specifically about the defeat of labor, as if unions are just another garden variety opponent of Dems that must be vanquished whenever a fellow Dem incumbent's status is threatened.

[boston bean]

1. You have got to be kidding me??

He thinks fighting unions is a good thing??

Fuck off Schumer!

[Jennicut]

2. It is Schumer, is anyone surprised. One of the only reasons I want Reid to win

re-election, Schumer is worse and he would most likely be our next majority leader.

[Sebastian Doyle]

24. Chuck Schumer must NEVER be allowed the leadership position.

He has willingly associated himself with the Orwellianly named "Foundation for the Defense of Democracies" which is basically PNAC 2.0

We will not tolerate a PNAC Senate Majority Leader.

Reid sucks too, of course. How about an actual DEMOCRAT next time? Russ Feingold or Barbara Boxer maybe?

[Jennicut]

27. I would take even Durbin at this point.

It is the Senate...they like their ineffective Majority Leaders.

[Sebastian Doyle]

29. I think Durbin is a bad idea right now

More for geographical reasons than anything. The narrative would be "goddamn Chicago machine controlling everything". Regardless of whether it was true or not. It would really be hard for even FAUX or the Freeps to come up with anything to bash Russ Feingold with. Though I'm certain they would try. :puke:

[madfloridian]

47. Also Durbin is on the debt commission to fix Soc. Sec.

And he said the "bleeding heart liberals" would not be happy with their decisions.

Stunned me.

[Sebastian Doyle]

52. Fuck a duck.

I thought Durbin was against all that Wall $treet Criminal Banker bullshit? :evilfrown:

[daleanime]

3. We need to know our place...

if we're ever going to change it:grr:

[blm]

4. Schumer's been busy undermining the climate bill, too....in his own 'special' way, of course,

that seems to easily snooker some left bloggers.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

33. And he was the author of the "level playing field public option"

which removed the whole point of having a public option in the first place - lower costs that would drive down prices in a competitive marketplace. Chuck made sure that the public option would have no competitve advantage over private plans.

So whose interest was he looking out for? I think we know.

[Enrique]

5. fuck Schumer

a Wall Street puppet in his own right. :puke:

[boston bean]

6. I just called Schumers office in DC, and spoke to Sebastian....

I asked him if Schumer thinks democrats should be fighting the unions.

He said, "that is the stance he took"

I asked if Democrats were now agains the unions, he said he wasn't a spokesman, that's what the media is for.

I asked him if he was a Democrat and he said,

"I HAVE NOT MADE UP MY MIND YET".

[boston bean]

13. And I just spoke with a Sidney in Schumers NY office and she said that is

the Senators stance if Sebastion in the DC office said it was. They speak for him.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

16. I would love to say I'm surprised. But I can't. nt

[Enrique]

18. thanks for doing that

and reporting it here. :thumbsup:

[chill_wind]

20. You are kidding, right??

[boston bean]

31. Nope not kidding. It was disgraceful.

These fuckers hate everyday people.

[chill_wind]

36. You should make that conversation an OP of its own.

That really needs to be out there for everyone to process. Just unreal!

[Sebastian Doyle]

25. Ewwww.....

What a disgrace to the name "Sebastian" :puke:

[suffragette]

42. Second making that an OP

Those responses are stunning.

[madfloridian]

46. Agree on that.

It was good he called, and the answers are outrageous.

[suffragette]

50. It is outrageous

And a staffer giving those answers - sheer contempt.

I doubt it's coincidence that all these attacks on unions are occurring at same time.
This feels coordinated.
And they are doing it openly.

Part of it is just showing their true view, but the brazenness of this is the new element.

I am wondering how much of this is to lay the groundwork for an excuse that midterm losses are the fault of labor and progressives. That won't be the reality, but it's looking like it might be the meme.

[saracat]

7. If folks don't yet get where the people stand , at the very bottom of the rung,

they are never going to.

[AllentownJake]

8. They really think we are that stupid

I guess some of us are.

[ProSense]

9. This is the guy some people wanted to become majority leader. n/t

[burnsei sensei]

10. False comparison, Schumer.

The unions have nothing in common with Wall Street.
Blanche Lincoln is a corporatist, just as you are. So come clean and call yourself what you are.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

11. Well, the hand fighting the unions got a lot of support from the white house.

[bobbolink]

26. Grievously so.

:cry:

The betrayal is so much harder coming from the Dems.

[Ganja Ninja]

12. No wonder unions have been losing ground over the past 40 years.

They've been supporting the wrong party.

[spotbird]

14. If only he'd fight Wall Stree too.

Fuck him.

[AlinPA]

15. Lincoln, now Shumer. How many more anti-union senators are there

in the Democratic caucus? I'm guessing Nelson, Lamdreiu and Lieberman to start.

(sp change)

[chill_wind]

17. omg. Chuck- Wall-Street Kung-fu Fighter- Schumer.

"There's simply no equal to Hank!!"

[Individualist]

19. What's so surprising? Schumer is DLC.

[chill_wind]

23. Not surprising. Just the nauseating naked display.

[bobbolink]

28. I agree. Not surprised. Just feels like being punched.

And its just so FUNNY to these corporate clowns.

Yanno, in a way I think this is even worse than slavery.... it is so underhanded and two-faced.

:nuke:

[Individualist]

30. Not surprising to us at all, but I was referring to Glen's statement,

"But doesn't it seem a bit questionable for Chuck Schumer, who has been on the forefront of raising cash and organizing for Dems, to apparently cheer her on for fighting unions?"

That implies that he was surprised by Schumer's actions.

[MidwestTransplant]

21. Really something to celebrate. That seat is GONE. She is toast.

[Skidmore]

22. Ole Chuck's just representin' his constituency....

I gather his seat is really safe unless some brave soul in NY wants to take him on. He needs some one to contest him from the rest of NY.

[Ganja Ninja]

32. These last couple of days have been a real eye opener.

Right now there's only 2 politicians in Washington DC that I would be willing to vote for - Bernie Sanders and Alan Grayson. If the 2012 election were being held today I would write them in for president and VP in that order.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

35. Dennis Kucinich is very strong on Unions --

In fact he belongs to one (can't remember which) and proudly carries his Union card.

[chill_wind]

34. kicking

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

37. This is almost a seminal moment.

Schumer is the number 2 Dem (I think) in Senate Seniority. His office appears to confirm that yes, he is against the unions. The White House is bashing the unions.

I KNOW whose side I am on in this split.

[madfloridian]

38. Yes, it is called union bashing. And it is right out in the open.

Teachers' unions are not the only ones in the crossfire. It's just that the anti-teacher propaganda worked so well that no one cares.

[walldude]

40. They were the easiest to start with...

and that gave momentum so they took it and ran. Had we stood up against the bashing of the Teachers Union months ago when the RI teachers were fired we might have gained some ground, now.. we're fucked again.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

41. I think it started with the auto bailout. They kept pushing the inaccurate $70 an hour

figure. They were definitely anti-union then and that was right inthe beginning.

Plus there was the whole "cadillac" health care stuff that was obviously directed against the unions as well.

I wish I could organize a citizen's union. My first platform would be to tie minimum wage to inflation retroactively at least 10 years, maybe more. It should be at least 12-15 dollars an hour.

[madfloridian]

44. Instead we got bashed here for standing up for RI teachers.

Teachers are an easy target. They have been trained not to fight back.

[EFerrari]

59. I never thought I'd see the day when the Democratic leadership

would be bashing unions and liberals left and right.

It's defamiliarizing.

[Starry Messenger]

39. They are on the record.

They are in solidarity with Wall Street. Anyone fighting unions isn't "fighting" Wall Street.

[Eyerish]

43. You gotta be kidding me....

Kiss my ass Schumer!

[Dawson Leery]

45. So the Democrats are a center right party then.

I am pulling for Harry Reid because Schumer can never be allowed the leadership position.
Lincoln is going to lose badly in the fall.

[Raineyb]

48. As a constituent (although apparently one you don't listen to) may I say

Fuck you Schumer!

[amborin]

49. K&R

[Art_from_Ark]

51. She may be waving her fist at Wall Street

but them ain't punches she's throwing

[donco6]

53. Well, she's got Wall Street in one hand, fer sure.

But it ain't fighting she's doing.

[madfloridian]

54. Heh heh

Now that is the truth.

[blm]

55. corporate whores....both of them

.

[Hubert Flottz]

56. I don't think Chuck or Blanche will ever win their fight against Wall

Street using B**w jobs as weapons against the evil ones.

[SoCalDem]

57. Don't worry Schumer.. It's not for long. Her republican replacement

won't be a heroically "conflicted" as poor little Blanche...she can go back to "dependin' on the kindness of strangers"..

[MilesColtrane]

58. He soils the title of Democrat.

Dead to me.