$10 million down the toilet - off-the-record comment or talking point?

[Capitalocracy]

Two different sources anonymously stated that the labor unions flushed $10 million down the toilet in the Lincoln-Halter primary. Now, it's not an uncommon thing to say, flushed down the toilet, it's a common enough phrase, so maybe the fact that two different sources said it is just a coincidence, but there's also a possibility that it's an unofficial administration talking point. And it fits in with their general narrative that primaries are bad, establishment is good, etc.

So what do you think? Do you think it was a coincidence or an orchestrated talking point?

And btw, is anyone else as disappointed as I am to see Obama, the so-called insurgent primary candidate against the Clinton establishment, is now crushing primary challenges to candidates who are fighting against progressive causes?

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[OHdem10]

1. John Harris and another reporter (The New Yorker) both said

it was deliberately put out. Orchestrated is a good description.

IMO, Dissing your base may bring some migraines in November.

[Cant trust em]

2. What purpose would it serve to deliberately put this out?

I'm not asking a rhetorical question, but if you were a senior aide, why would you try to push this idea out there. How does this help you out at all?

[DJ13]

4. An attempt to intimidate the unions from putting money into supporting real progressives

Thats what this seems to be aimed at.

[ljm2002]

14. If one assumes the source is Rahm...

...which I do, then the motive is obvious. Intimidation, and an attempt to control the terms of debate. The point of both is to discourage others from mounting the same kinds of challenges against the anointed ones.

[Cant trust em]

16. I guess my point rather is why put this in the press...

instead of just calling Trumka or Andy Stern?

Instead what this winds up doing is look like you're talking shit about someone behind their back, but right to their face. Not a smart way to get people to do what you want.

[ljm2002]

18. There are two basic ways to get people to do what you want...

...the carrot, or the stick.

Rahm likes the stick.

[Capitalocracy]

20. No, it's also just general union bashing. That's why it's public.

They're trying to bash the unions and make them look bad to the general populace so they can continue ignoring union issues and just have one more issue they can agree with the Republicans on. They probably even think they can convince union members to get mad at their leaders for spending their money on primary challenges. I'd like to hope that they're wrong about that.

[pscot]

23. A Sister Soulja moment?

They must think they can get some benefit from it.

[KittyWampus]

11. Put out BY WHOM? That's the question. Ratfucking Grover Norquist?

[ljm2002]

19. Please remind us...

...when the White House disavowed the statement?

Waiting...

[DJ13]

3. Im not surprised anymore that Obama is campaigning for establishment candidates

I have reached a painful conclusion after supporting him against the establishment candidate in Hillary during the primaries....... that we were set up by that same establishment into thinking Obama represented a different direction as a hedge against them losing control after their boy Bush had screwed everything up.

Obama's campaign was a Trojan Horse, and he is the ultimate stealth representative of the establishment's continuing iron grip on this country.

[madrchsod]

12. ..ya i fell for the bullshit too...

not again..i ain`t wasting my time. i`ll put my energy into the local and state elections.

[Capitalocracy]

21. I'd love to see a strong, national progressive movement

focusing on local elections and then working their way up

If I even had enough money to put together a website and advertise it (which I don't by far) I'd try it myself

[prolesunited]

13. The ultimate Manchurain candidate, huh?

Does anyone here realistically think that anyone from outside the Establishment can get elected? If the news doesn't provide the narrative and steer the course, it simply isn't going to happen. Since we really don't have an independent media, no candidate from outside the box will ever get in.

Obama is still the same man and candidate I voted for. I did hope he would make more headway, but Congress hasn't exactly been easy to work with. Those who are so bitterly disappointed bought into the hype. He never was a far left progressive, no matter how loudly Fox claimed.

[mikehiggins]

5. How far will labor go? That is the question for Dems

Will the unions just swallow this defeat, and the put-down, in search of a larger good, or will they simply refuse to have anything further to do with the Obama White House?

Of course, it is never that cut and dried in real life but November is approaching fast. If the unions sit on their hands and only support pro-union candidates (not a lot of them around) while letting the Blue Dog types see if corporate money will keep them in office, without the folks on the street, on the phone banks and so forth.

Hey, maybe they're right. Maybe they don't have to cater to the unions at all.

We'll see...

By the way, I have no complaints about Obama (hey, I'm Irish too) but I am saddened by the liklihood of his being a one term President.

[kctim]

6. Either way

its kind of crappy to say they flushed their money down the toilet by supporting the candidate they wanted.

And no, I am not disappointed to see President Obama throwing his support behind the candidates he believes have the best chance to win.

[stray cat]

7. Is this why people pay union dues - to pay salaries for union leaders and elect Repubs

which is what will happen if the union boycotts the election. Thats not the way I want my union due payments spent

[madrchsod]

8. it`s a cover up of the garland county problem

people think chicago democrats are crooked well those guys behind blanche are just as good.plus no one has come forward to admit who said those statements and no one cares to find out.

obama has nothing but contempt for the labor unions in this country. he knows he no longer needs them to get elected.

[Coyote_Bandit]

10. Ummmm......

I spend enough time in Arkansas to claim residency there, was born and raised there, have family and extended family there, and can document connections in the state that extend back to the early 1800s.

Only 14 of the state's 75 counties have a population of over 50,000. The population of the entire state is less than 3 million. Eleven counties have a population of less than 10,000 people. An additional 27 counties have a population of less than 20,000 people. An additional 15 counties have a population of less than 30,000 people. Most of these smaller counties have extremely high poverty rates - rates that sometimes exceed those of the poorest Appalachian areas. How many polling places do you think these counties had?

I can't help but note that nobody is complaining about the difficulty some of these folks had voting in the limited number of polling places. In the meantime there were only about 12,000 voters who bothered to vote in the May Dem primary in Garland County.

Garland County May Dem primary results here:
http://www.votenaturally.org/electionresults/index.php ?...

It is a predominately rural state. Only a small minority of voters have polling places near their homes. The majority of voters travel to a polling place. No fucking way those Garland COunty voters were more disenfranchised than voters in the majority of the state.

BTW, you may also want to inform yourself as to just exactly how primary elections are conducted in Arkansas. Do you have a clue whether or not it is an open primary state? Or who exactly is permitted to vote in a primary run-off election? Those things just might be relevant to your complaint.

[madrchsod]

15. 42 polling places were reduced to--2 in garland

early saturday voting was stopped during the voting. blanche`s friend said he made a mistake. there`s plenty sources about this in a simple google search.

he may not have had enough votes but just like florida...we will never know for sure.

[Coyote_Bandit]

17. Sooooooo.......

It should have been easier for the folks in Garland County to vote than for those in two thirds of the state? There were likely less than 12,000 voters spread over those two Garland COunty polls. Complain all you want about Garland County polling places. Just recognize that there wasn't anything fucking unique that happened there. Those Garland Colunty voters were no more disenfranchised than Izard COunty voters. Or Stone County voters. Or Randolph County voters. Or voters in another 50 or so counties.

Trust me, Dollar Bill didn't have the votes. Before the carpetbaggers threw all the money at this election Blanche polled more than 20% higher than Dollar Bill. Neither were unfamiliar to the people of Arkansas. Blanche was the incumbent. Dollar Bill is an elected state official well recognized for pushing through the lottery. She may well have benefitted from the long seige against her. And Dollar Bill may well have suffered some backlash against the Obama administration. Arkansas has consistently given Obama some of his lowest approval ratings. There are strong Clinton loyalties in the state. And the President damn sure could have shut up the Dem carpetbaggers had he wanted.

I fucking resent the outside inrterferrence in this election. How arrogant and insulting. Who the fuck do these people think they are? Why should their priorities and agenda be substituted for that of the people of Arkansas? I hope somebody goes and shits in thir neglected little backyard.

[Coyote_Bandit]

9. Arkansas voters

are pissed. They resent the arrogance and disrespect of the fucking carpetbaggers - labor included. A year of obvious intrusion by out of staters combined with a long history of CLlinton loyalty and it is small wonder that Obama has such dismal approval numbers in the state. It also makes it a long shot that Blanche will be re-elected this fall - despite the fact that 6 months ago she had a 45/45 approval/disapproval rate in a state where Pukes outnumber Dems. If she loses this fall I'm blaming the fucking carpetbaggers.

[MilesColtrane]

22. It's a deliberate statement.

The statement being, "We run the party. You shut up and fund who we say."