I TOTALLY disagree with Ed Shultz that the President needs to be in Wisconsin

[bigdarryl]

I think it will look to political and hurt the cause.The media and FOX NOISE will go after the President for butting in a state issue.First off protesting is starting up all over the country so he supposed to go to every state.Sorry Big guy your wrong on this.

[Rick Myers]

1. Same here...

The President does NOT need to go to WI... It would fuel the crazies...

[bigdarryl]

6. Ed is crazy to suggest the President needs to go to every state with protesters

this will do nothing but fuel the right wing nuts and this will not be good for unions

[Mojorabbit]

43. I agree, the media would deflect

what little attention they are giving the protesters to covering Obama and what the right wing would be screaming about him arriving. The momentum, message and that this is a people's uprising would be drowned out.

[Avant Guardian]

67. Actually the opposite would be true

Full attention would be brought upon the situation. Obama meeds to stop worrying about what Rush Limbaugh is going to say and start leading.

[Mojorabbit]

68. I just have to disagree

There was a thread here yesterday where none of the tv stations wanted anyone from the unions for the Sun shows, only politicians. They finally relented and Trumka will be on. This is a huge story and they did not want any representative from the unions! This boggles my mind.

They would in a heartbeat make this a left vs right thing instead of a people verses the machine thing.

[northoftheborder]

14. he could speak up more without going there; he has a lot on his plate.

[RayStar]

61. Stay out of WI

I want the president to stay out of WI. Ed missed it on this issue.

[Bravo Zulu]

2. "FOX NOISE will go after the President"

F*ck fox noise!

[bluestateguy]

3. You know what this reminds me of?

These demands remind me of the neo-cons whining that Obama would not LOUDLY support the democracy protestors in Iran in '09.

[FreakinDJ]

11. Same as the folks here on DU demanding he speak about Eqypt protest

starting to see the pattern here

[golddigger]

4. Obama was the one who opened his mouth during the

campaign. And isn't he going to states now campaigning? Who the fuck cares what Fox news says. So Obama by your standards should just keep his mouth shut on social issues because he might get picked on? Man that is weak.

[bigdarryl]

10. UNFORTUNATELY a lot of idiots watch that bullshit

I walked in a Honda Dealership last week to have work done to my car and what was on TV in the waiting area. you got it FOX NOISE.I go to the gym and ALL TV's have FOX NOISE on

[golddigger]

15. Yeah, thats the ticket. Lets not do anything that would upset the fox viewers.

All this does is make him look weak. Does the man stand up for anything he promised during the campaign? Oh the hell with it. I will never believe anything this man says during the next campaign.

[FreakinDJ]

16. That don't count - just a Campaign Promise

[eleny]

5. How will he ever campaign there after this? Who will believe him?

[babylonsister]

9. He's already sent his support to the unions and workers; Biden

and Solis met with Trumka today. Maybe he's being Obama and weighing his options. I'll take it.
And there is that Libya thing he's dealing with. It ain't easy being Prez.

[eleny]

12. The people who are there want him there and that's all that counts

This isn't just about Wisconsin. It's about all those other states. The dominoes. They're all watching this.

And that thing about all he's dealing with and how it's hard to be president? Cut that out. You know better.

[babylonsister]

21. They want him there? Maybe that's what Biden and Solis went

to talk about. Maybe they don't. Maybe he shouldn't get involved in state politics. I don't know, but he has thrown his support behind what is happening. And if you think Libya isn't a difficult problem, when they're considering this, I think you thinking 'I know better' is wrong. Do you?

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/145971-obama-to-talk-libya-with-british-french-leaders
Obama not ruling out military action in Libya

[eleny]

27. This is about America and about the Democratic Party

But hey, if it's not important that we have a future as a political party in the U.S. and if the disappearance of the working & middle classes isn't a priority then pardon me for expecting the leader of our Party to go balls out right now.

I do think all that is just as important as petroleum.

[babylonsister]

33. You think Libya is only about petroleum, and not people's lives?

And as far as the US goes, there's tons of advertising going on pro-union, in every state involved and on the cable. The unions are doing a fine job of making this an issue; when they think it's necessary for Obama to show up, I just bet he will. It's not either/or.

[eleny]

37. Ed Schultz just interviewed the Wisconsin 14...

Ed asked if they'd like to see the president in Madison. They responded saying they would welcome him to be anywhere in the state of Wisconsin.

I rest my case.



Regarding Libya - I believe that to those in power it's about the petroleum because of the chaos that would happen if it was cut off and the prices skyrocketed. To those in power, the lives are always incidental. So, no, I don't think that power pragmatists give a crap about lives. It's a horrible truth.

[babylonsister]

39. I'll agree to disagree, because I think you're wrong to

expect Obama to be front and center in this, though I think eventually he may show up. He has int'l issues he needs to address. Whatever your take on that is, it's crucial that he be involved but get other countries involved also. He's a busy guy.

[eleny]

41. "He's a busy guy"

That's a really sad place to wind up given how much promise we saw in him.

And yes, we'll just need to agree to disagree. See ya.

[dennis4868]

54. you rest your case on what?

Because some state senators want Obama to be in Wisconsin that proves Obama should be in Wisconsin? WTF?

[defendandprotect]

7. Doesn't the FEAR-based debate ever wear out here?

[tabatha]

8. I had to turn him off - he is wrong!

[jenmito]

13. Me, too. He ALSO said if he DOESN'T go there, he doesn't deserve a second term! And THEN

he added that Obama should ALSO go to Trenton, NJ, and then to OH, then to Indiana, etc. As if he doesn't have TONS of other things on his plate. And I can't even IMAGINE how much work it would take to make sure he was safe when he went there. Ed should shut up! He sounds so ignorant saying he doesn't even know where Obama "really" stands anymore-with the people or not. :eyes:

[Raine1967]

29. He mentions that 2nd term thing at LEAST twice a month.

It gets tiring.

[jenmito]

40. Yup. And I remember him saying he should be primaried during the HCR battle since

it didn't have a public option.

[Raine1967]

46. he did. he also said this:

And I'm announcing today, I'm not going to vote in the midterms. I'm not going to do it. You can say it's un-American. No, it's rather revolutionary is what it is. I'm at that point. I'm checking out.

I'm checking out of the Democrats because they are proving to me that they don't know how to handle these big babies over on the right that say no. You know what you do? You get in the driver's seat, you hit the throttle, and you run over them.

http://radioequalizer.blogspot.com/2010/08/msnbc-libtalker-announces-election.html

Ed isn't really helping with his rhetoric. I'd like to see him on the damn bus or off.

[babylonsister]

55. +1. nt

[Bravo Zulu]

17. "I think it will look to political and hurt the cause."

We'll make the teabaggers mad us and they won't like us anymore!

[nevergiveup]

18. I am sure Walker prays every night that Obama shows in Madison.

If Obama shows Walker wins. The struggle will suddenly become all about Obama. On this one I agree with Thom Hartmann. It is not going to happen and when you consider todays political climate and the security nightmare of a sitting president appearing at a huge protest rally it makes zero sense.

[golddigger]

22. I am sure the workers and possible voters pray every night

that he also shows up in Madison.

[nevergiveup]

30. I agree that many of them are probably praying for this

but I still think it would be a terrible blunder for their/our cause. If it was announced that Obama would be in Madison tomorrow there would likely be 100,000 or more people show and it would become, in the eyes of this country, another big Democratic political Obama rally.

[tabatha]

45. Well, if his showing up hurts their cause

don't you think it is a bad idea.

[bigdarryl]

24. Agree I heard Hartmann today explain why this could go south if we don't watch it

he was 100% right

[babylonsister]

25. I didn't hear Hartmann, so thanks. nt

[jenmito]

19. And Ed didn't even play Obama's full statement:

"Some of what I've heard coming out of Wisconsin, where they're just making it harder for public employees to collectively bargain generally, seems like more of an assault on unions. And I think it’s very important for us to understand that public employees, they’re our neighbors, they’re our friends. These are folks who are teachers and they’re firefighters and they’re social workers and they’re police officers. They make a lot of sacrifices and make a big contribution. And I think it’s important not to vilify them or to suggest that somehow all these budget problems are due to public employees.”

The part in bold print is what Ed left out. :eyes:

[asjr]

23. That is not the first time Ed has played

only a portion of what Obama said. That is when I tuned him out. There are enough people around who do the same thing--only most of the time they are Republicans.

[jenmito]

26. I know...

doesn't Obama have ENOUGH people working against him? And even Lawrence O'Donnell, who KNOWS better, has been misrepresenting Obama's "non-position" every night. Just last night, he asked Keith Ellison if he thinks Obama should show whose side he's on, that he's "stayed silent," and Ellison pointed out that he HAS said things in support of the unions and against Walker, but that he wishes he'd go to Wisconsin, too. Tonight, O'Donnell told Trumpka that "last night I had Keith Ellison on and he said he wished Obama would go to Wisconsin to show support of the workers." (paraphrased, but close) :eyes:

[bbgrunt]

20. I think President Obama needs to show support for

the fight for collective bargaining if he expects to get their vote in the future. So far, he has been very tepid: only saying that Walker's plan sounds like union busting and that state budgets shouldn't be balanced on the back of public employees.

[jenmito]

31. This was his full statement:

"Some of what I've heard coming out of Wisconsin, where they're just making it harder for public employees to collectively bargain generally, seems like more of an assault on unions. And I think it’s very important for us to understand that public employees, they’re our neighbors, they’re our friends. These are folks who are teachers and they’re firefighters and they’re social workers and they’re police officers. They make a lot of sacrifices and make a big contribution. And I think it’s important not to vilify them or to suggest that somehow all these budget problems are due to public employees.”

[FrenchieCat]

32. You're right! But I think Obama has been showing support......

and OFA is on the ground.

If they want to see him in WI beating his chest,
I don't think that's gonna happen,
and if due to that not happening, union folks decide to stay home or vote for Republicans,
that's exactly some of what happened in Wisconsin in 2010.
Hope that worked out for them. :shrug:

[Raine1967]

28. Ed likes to use Obama as a way

to show what a populist he is.

Obama doesn't need to go to Wisconsin. OFA is there. I know a lot of people like Ed on this board, but he doesn't do his homework. Ed should know that this is NOT the time for a president to show up in something that, as important as it is, is about states rights. Goodness, just a few days ago it was Ed himself, on his radio show that said the people of Wisconsin do NOT want outsiders coming in -- even for support of the cause. That is why there have been so many state-wide rally's in support this week.

Wisconsin is important. I think the people there know that, they don't need the President.
Good lord, Ed is out of his damned mind sometimes.

[FrenchieCat]

34. Sometimes I don't know if Ed's as smart as he wants us to think he is.....

But when Ed no longer has Obama to dog out,
perhaps then he'll be happy, although the country
will be more miserable for it.

[Raine1967]

48. That is my big concern, to be honest. We don't have

anymore *I told you so* cards. this is it, we are really at that point that everyone kept warning about.

[bigdarryl]

35. 110% agree it will turn out to be Obama against Walker and states rights

my bet the President looses on that issue.Sometimes I wonder about how Progressive Ed is with some of his silly Ideas

[Raine1967]

49. Ed's a populist.

Never forget that. HE makes it loud and clear on his radio show that he wants YOU to watch is TV show.

that doesn't mean he's a bad guy, but truth be told, he's looking for ratings. Have you EVER seen Lawrence O'Donnel or Rachel Maddow -- OR KO -- EVER make a call to influence how people should vote? You could throw into the mix, Thom Hartmann and Randi Rhodes into that mix. Even Stephanie Miller and Bill Press.

Have any of them ever said they will not vote? Ed did.

[subterranean]

36. I don't know what Obama could accomplish by going to Wisconsin.

The best he could do is offer moral support to the union members. And he doesn't have to be in Wisconsin to do that.

[Strelnikov_]

38. Agree n/t

[Gr8Dem]

42. Well god forbid the president look "political"

... funny thing is that I never hear about a Republican being afraid to stand up for their agenda. And it's not a state issue at this point -- it is a well planned, national Republican agenda played out at the state level. And I just bet they figured Obama would be too timid to use the bully pulpit for just the reasons you describe. Do Republicans know how to play Democrats or what? Seems so, IMHO. Timid never wins.

[Bravo Zulu]

57. "Do Republicans know how to play Democrats"

Republicans beat the Democrats like a rented mule,the people posting here are giving up with out a fight,luckily, Ed shultz is keeping this story alive!

[center rising]

44. I totally disagree with Ed

Obama should treat this like plutonium and stay away from there. The coverage would only get him into trouble.

[emilyg]

51. .....

[MiniMe]

47. I think it would give too much power and attention to the Gov

And it is a state issue. I hate that it is union busting, but I think the people are standing up to it. He should voice his support, but not go there.

[applegrove]

50. I concur.

[TheWebHead]

52. There's other issues

The president is the leader of the nation's largest non-unionized workforce, roughly equal to Walmart's labor force, and disallows collective bargaining. The more the president would insert himself into this matter the more that issue would be questioned. Also what would be questioned is that when the federal government is running historically large deficits, piled on top of historically large debt/GDP and spending/GDP, having the president who presides over that fiscal record is attempting to hamstring a state governor who is addressing a similar issue.

[dennis4868]

53. Plus....

Obama is the president of the UNITED STATES not of the United Wisconsin....there is a mess in the Middle East that might effect our natiuonal security for the next 200 years that I am sure he is a little busy with right now....

[PaddyBlueEyes]

64. Anyone remember this.....Candidate Obama in '07

"And understand this: If American workers are being denied their right to organize and collectively bargain when I’m in the White House, I’ll put on a put on a comfortable pair of shoes myself. I’ll walk on that picket line with you as president of the United States.”

Does he mean it? Or is he just another Hack Dem politican using Labor to get elected and then forgetting about us, as soon as he is in?

[dennis4868]

70. don't believe this until i see a source for this statement....

and if you believe the secret service will allow obama to demonstrate in a crowd then I have a bridge to sell you.....

[Dr Fate]

76. Link w/ video.

"If American workers are being denied their right to organize and collectively bargain when I’m in the White House, I’ll put on a comfortable pair of shoes myself — I’ll walk on that picket line with you as president of the United States of America."

http://hotair.com/archives/2011/02/25/videos-say-whatev...

[Rowdyboy]

56. It would hurt both the movement and Obama...Lose-Lose big time....I'm not surprised Ed

Shultz doesn't see it-it doesn't fit his parameters.

[phleshdef]

58. The minute he goes to Wisconsin, it will become all about all Obama and not about labor.

[paulk]

59. he's that toxic?

what's wrong with it being about Obama?

[FrenchieCat]

60. Cause it ain't?

[phleshdef]

62. No.

Right now, public opinion is firmly behind union rights, just as it once was behind health care reform. The Republicans and the parts of the media that is sympathetic to their causes, when faced with that sort of thing, always go scorched earth and turn it into a nasty policy battle with whoever the key Democrat is. They did this with Clinton, they've done it with Obama. They ignite the base and turn everyone's attention towards campaign mode politics. The union protestors will be successfully painted as "Obama's thug army" and public opinion will sour on its support for collective bargaining.

At some point, I believe he will step up and be more vocal about this. But there can be no sellable opportunity for the right to once again make it about having a nasty, lie filled fight that successfully villainizes everyone that gets in their way and paints the President as the key instigator.

[Pisces]

63. Ed is hanging on for life. He has low ratings and needs to say controversial things to stay in the

public view. He is a blowhard. I don't watch him anymore.

[Stuart G]

65. I agree with you completely about Ed Shultz.. K and R

Your conclusions are correct...
"Yes, the Big guy is wrong on this..."

[GeorgeGist]

66. Fear the right.

Fear the right.
Do not fight.

[Jakes Progress]

69. So was Obama just stupid and ignorant when

he made that statement about lacing up if unions were attacked when he was president? Or was he just blowing hot air?

Ignorant or duplicitous?

[Phx_Dem]

71. Ditto. That would only make it harder for the union members.

Because then it becomes a Washington issue. It's a Wisconsin fight and they need to fight their own battles. The President has strong words of support and dispatched his OFA team to help, and that's all he should do.

[Dr Fate]

75. Are any Unions saying this-that they want Obama less invovled, not present, etc?

??

[butterfly77]

72. Kicked&Recommended...

on just about every issue Ed brings on a guest and asks what do they think the President should do about it.

He seems to think that the President needs to be leading on every cause. Didn't he tell us WE ARE THE ONES WE ARE WAIITNG FOR? I guess he was saying that during the healthcare debate as I did when I saw no one out there fighting against the teabaggers.

[jeff47]

73. Do not interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.

Ed's wrong, Obama's right to stay out for now. It keeps getting worse for Walker and the Republicans the longer they're in the spotlight. Now's not the time to move that spotlight.

[Dr Fate]

74. Translation: I TOTALLY disagree with President Obama that the President needs to be in Wisconsin.

No worries- b/c Obama disagrees with Obama too:

"If American workers are being denied their right to organize and collectively bargain when I’m in the White House, I’ll put on a comfortable pair of shoes myself — I’ll walk on that picket line with you as president of the United States of America."

http://hotair.com/archives/2011/02/25/videos-say-whatev...

[Ramulux]

77. Thank god

we make our decisions based on how Fox News responds.