Posted on 06/06/2012 7:05:39 PM PDT by marktwain
Consumer advocate and former presidential candidate Ralph Nader told The Daily Caller that President Barack Obama “abandoned” Wisconsin, “betraying the working people of this country.”
Republican Gov. Scott Walker’s victory in Tuesday’s recall election will allow him to advance an “ideology of cruelty,” Nader added, referring to the state as “Wiskochson” after the Koch brothers of Koch Industries.
“Wisconsin was abandoned by President Obama. Vice President Biden wanted to go out and help all of the workers and all of the supporters of President Obama but he was not allowed to by the political operatives in the White House,” Nader told TheDC on Capitol Hill Wednesday after publicly supporting legislation that would raise the minimum wage to $10 per hour.
“He actually got an invitation almost a year ago to address 100,000 people – Biden did, from the State Federation of Labor in Wisconsin and the political operatives in the White House put the kibosh on it even though Biden wanted to go because he calls himself, quote, a union man, end quote.”
Nader added, “now the people of Wisconsin will realize that the state of Wisconsin will become the state of Wiskochson – the Koch brothers because that’s the ideology of cruelty that Scott Walker, the governor, has been advancing in that state so the people who voted for Scott Walker will see what they reaped.”
Nader said Obama should have been more involved in supporting Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett in the Wisconsin recall election.
“Last week I sent him a letter saying that it’s one thing for him not to champion labor’s causes — like a minimum wage increase, long overdue, like the card check that he promised labor unions in 2008 he would press for — he got away with that, but I don’t know if he’s going to get away politically with betraying the working people of this country,” Nader told TheDC.
“It’s one thing not championing them, to upgrade their status against global corporations and the oligarchy, it’s quite another thing to betray them and allow a rollback of the meager rights that they have fought for over the years.”
Nader said Obama stayed away from the election because the White House “didn’t want to risk losing” and said that’s not the “definition” of leadership.
“Leadership risks winning not risks losing and of course now it’s going to reverberate throughout the country, the governors of Indiana, of Florida, of Ohio who share Governor Scott Brown’s [Walker] views will be further emboldened thinking that they got the support of the people coming out of Wisconsin and of course the big fat cats will be emboldened too, Karl Rove’s group, the Koch Brothers and others to pour more and more millions in campaigns against Obama so he’s actually not being very politically astute on this from his own political design,” Nader told TheDC.
“...the ideology of cruelty?”
How about the cruelty to the non government working people of Wisconsin?
Well then, Ralph, by all means jump into the presidential race.
I’m with you - he needs to get in the race and show Obama up...
[eyeroll] Blithering idiot. I used to think he was at least sincere, unlike most leftists, but then he pulls crap like this incomprehensible and fantasy-strewn screed.
He’s one of those guys you didn’t know was still alive.
It’s clear drugs have not been kind to Ralph.
Government workers here throwing a temper tantrum to pay 5% of their pensions (pre tax) and 12% of their healthcare premiums is not an ideolgy of cruelty.
They on average earn 1 1/2 times the average salary of the average private taxpaying worker in Wisconsin. They have better healthcare plans than most private workers, and they have PENSIONS which no private workers have anymore.
They work for us, we set the terms. If they don’t like it they can look for a better job in the private sector. We are there and we can tell you there are not better jobs in the private sector.
The ideology being set forth is FAIRNESS and PAYING FOR YOUR BENEFITS JUST LIKE EVERY OTHER WORKER DOES.
When he ran for president of the Watermelon, er Green Party years ago, he chose old Trotskyite communist Peter Camejo as his VP running mate.
[Green, like a watermelon on the outside, Red on the inside].
Camejo could run ideological rings around Nader and probably did, even though he had become a wandering marxist without a party (ex SWP, Crossroads, North Star, etc).
Nader has always been an egotistical liar, con artist (he’s the original Al Sharpton), and prima donna.
Now he’s just an old blithering idiot.
I’d vote for a $10 minimum wage just as soon as the AMT is changed so it applies to everybody. When tax credits and deductions and exemption can no longer reduce someone’s Federal Income Tax burden to less than 10% of their income, and when all employee compensation including tips and fringe benefits are included in “income”, then we can talk about a minimum wage increase.
You think Nader would go for that ? Me, neither.
It amazes me how liberals get away with being so patronizing to the “workers” they supposedly champion. Isn’t it patronizing to assume people cannot negotiate in their own best interests and require collective bargaining ? They are pandering to those who lack confidence in their ability to convince an employer of their value to the company.
I LIKE the Koch brothers! You guys have an open invitation to dinner with me whenever you’re in the neighborhood!;)
Honestly, I didn’t know Nader was still alive....
Ralph Nader is still ALIVE? Who knew?
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