Free Republic
Browse · Search
Bloggers & Personal
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Matthews's 'Great American' No Novice in Seeking Aid
NewsBusters.org ^ | 8/10/2007 | NewsBusters

Posted on 08/10/2007 10:30:28 AM PDT by Mike Bates

On Tuesday, retired steel worker Steve Skvara tearfully asked Democratic presidential candidates, "What's wrong with America? And what will you do to change it?"

The question was, according to a reporter on the CBS Evening News, an example of when "a moment of truth breaks through a political campaign event." On MSNBC's Hardball, Chris Matthews told Mr. Skvara, ""You're a great American to speak so well to the needs of this country." Chrissy later gushed: "Well, can I pay tribute—can I pay tribute to you, sir?"

I'll not attempt to minimize Mr. Skvara's plight. When I heard his question, though, I thought back to a 1992 presidential debate when a man questioned the candidates: "And I ask the three of you, how can we, as symbolically the children of the future president, expect the two of you, the three of you, to meet our needs . . .”

Who'll take care of me? Is that what we've come to expect of a president? So far, no one in the mainstream media has asked Mr. Skvara, who is an executive board member of the Steelworkers Organization of Active Retirees, what protection he was provided by the union to which he paid dues for so many years. Isn't protecting members' interests what unions are supposed to do? Or is their principal function to price their members out of the market with increasingly extravagant wage and benefit demands?

Mr. Skvara is disabled as the result of a 1997 car accident. He and his family were returning from a vacation in Disney World. In a December 24, 2004 (Northwest Indiana) Post-Tribune article, Mr. Skvara "said his medical bills and his son's medical bills totaled more than $250,000. He paid only a few hundred dollars."

(Excerpt) Read more at newsbusters.org ...


TOPICS: Politics
KEYWORDS: aflcio; demdebates; dependency; skvara; unions

1 posted on 08/10/2007 10:30:29 AM PDT by Mike Bates
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Mike Bates
On Tuesday, retired steel worker Steve Skvara tearfully asked Democratic presidential candidates, "What's wrong with America? And what will you do to change it?"

Unfortunately the people to whom the question was posed are what's wrong with America!

2 posted on 08/10/2007 11:15:37 AM PDT by Rummyfan (Iraq: it's not about Iraq anymore, it's about the USA!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Mike Bates
MATTHEWS: Well, Steve joins us right now. Mr. Skvara, thank you very much for joining us. I want to learn from your horrible situation, and maybe one of these candidates will do something that will deal with it and help you and help others by the millions. The company you worked for was LTV. Do you believe that they filed bankruptcy to avoid meeting their responsibilities to you and other workers?

SKVARA: I truly do. I believe that that was their way to escape. You know, the unfortunate thing about bankruptcy with corporations is—and Edwards answered it correctly—one of the questions correctly as far as I was concerned—is when they walk away from the employees that devoted all their years and their lives to the company, they lose everything on a bankruptcy, but the corporate leaders end up with million-dollar bonuses. And it‘s just not right. I mean

3 posted on 08/10/2007 11:27:45 AM PDT by TexasCajun
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Rummyfan

Excellent point!


4 posted on 08/10/2007 11:31:55 AM PDT by Mike Bates (Irish Alzheimer's victim: I only remember the grudges.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: TexasCajun

Well, if he “truly” believes it, it must be so.


5 posted on 08/10/2007 11:32:41 AM PDT by Mike Bates (Irish Alzheimer's victim: I only remember the grudges.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Mike Bates

“Senator Clinton, are you my mommy? Senator Obama, are you my mommy?”


6 posted on 08/10/2007 11:35:52 AM PDT by dead (I've got my eye out for Mullah Omar.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dead

Answer from both: “No, but I want to be!”


7 posted on 08/10/2007 12:36:11 PM PDT by Mike Bates (Irish Alzheimer's victim: I only remember the grudges.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Bloggers & Personal
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson