Bush Visit Could Cost Some Omaha Workers a Day's Pay (More Dem Desperation!)

Washington Post ^ | Mike Allen

[FairOpinion]

Stop on President's Tax Cut Tour Aimed at Neb. Senator Would Close Plant for Most of Two Shifts.

SANTA FE, N.M., May 10 -- About 340 workers at an Omaha plastics factory will lose pay or have to work next Saturday to make up for time lost during a visit by President Bush on Monday to promote his "jobs and growth plan," their boss said today.

Brad Crosby, president of Airlite Plastics Co., said about 170 of his workers will lose a full day's pay and another 170 will be docked for part of their pay for Monday unless they make up the time they spend attending Bush's speech.

Airlite, which will shut down for its first shift and part of the second shift to provide a photogenic backdrop for Bush's speech, will be the Monday afternoon stop on a two-day swing by Bush to pressure senators to support a large tax cut as the measure heads to the Senate floor. Bush will stand near a production line that makes polystyrene containers for shipping steak, vaccines and other goods.

[FairOpinion]

Are Democrats getting desperate or what? I think the owner of the plant is a jerk -- what about all the free publicity that his firm is getting -- but that is not Bush's fault, except his staff should have probably done more research: I bet the plant owner is a Democrat and this was cooked up after the visit was planned, to try to make Bush look bad.

But that is all the Democrats have to offer, they will be history after the 2004 elections.

[FairOpinion]

Oops, I didn't read the article fully before posting, or I would have included this in the excerpt as well:

"Crosby said he spoke to several of the company's 510 hourly workers about the decision this morning, and they were not concerned. "They're just thrilled about the visit," he said. "

[MEG33]

Had to hunt for the thrilled comment. It's a bit of spin.If you didn't see the President trying to tee off...he was teed off by the persistent female who asked again at the top of his swing! (after he'd been nice about it.)

[FairOpinion]

Yes, I saw it just a few minutes ago on FoxNews. It was a woman NY Times reporter. What do you expect of them -- they have no respect for the president, or maybe she was deliberately trying to upset him, to make him lose his cool, I wouldn't put it past them.

These liberal reporters are crossing way over, totally editorializing and spinning news, instead of reporting it.

In this WP article they had to put in some editorial digs, which I found totally inappropriate in a news article:

"It was the second time this week that Bush's aggressive schedule of photo opportunities brought unwanted publicity. Several Democrats on Capitol Hill complained last week that the president's May Day speech on an aircraft carrier had been a political use of military assets. "

[MEG33]

I was way too subtle with my "bit of spin"!

[Oldeconomybuyer]

...to support a large tax cut...

A "large" tax cut to me is a couple of trillion dollars. A "large" tax cut to a liberal journalist is anything greater than zero.

[W04Man]

"They're just thrilled about the visit"

Just like the crew of the Abe Lincoln!!! HooooooooAhhhhhh! and WooooooWhooooooo!!!

[FairOpinion]

http://w-04.com/

Neat logo, great site.

But you've got to add at least one picture of Bush on the Carrier.

[FairOpinion]

[MEG33]

You've made my early morning better!Thanks..can't see those enough!

[raybbr]

I think it's great that the ever image-concious democrats have been hoisted upon their own petard by GW. He has taken presidential imagery to a new, honest level. They simply cannot bear the thought that they have been completely out-imaged by this administration.

[FairOpinion]

And it frustrates the heck out of them.

Check this out:
Bush phenomenon vexes Democrats
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/909469/posts

"Somebody understands how to market him," sighs San Francisco party activist Jeanette Gitler. "It's about presenting an image. And the unfortunate thing about Democrats is, they haven't taken a proactive approach. They've slid into the woodwork."

"Oh, God, it's John Wayne in the Oval Office," moaned one San Francisco Democratic insider last week as she watched Bush -- trim and tanned in a flight suit -- plunge into a cheering crowd of sailors after his jet landing on the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln.

"Clearly, you've got a confident, energetic president -- and if you look on the Democratic side on the aisle, it looks like a first-grade soccer game," says leading GOP strategist Sean Walsh.

"It's driving them absolutely insane that (Bush) won't engage on their level, and he's flying high above them," Walsh said.

[R. Scott]

I recall President Clinton visiting Williamsburg a couple times for “meetings”. He would fly into the Newport News airport and – with an entourage of a couple dozen limos, sedans and Suburbans would take the Interstate to Williamsburg.
The entire Interstate between Newport News and Williamsburg would be shut down for several hours and cleared of traffic.
Upon arrival he would have his meeting – lasting a very short time – and the entourage would then play gulf at Kings Mill. When he left the Interstate would once again be shut down.
I don’t recall any democrats complaining about the lost wages and productivity.

[Miss Marple]

Heheheh. That flight suit has them going nuts. I couldn't be happier!

[FairOpinion]

Then there was the time when Clinton had LAX shut down for hours, while he was getting a haircut by a Beverly Hills hairdresser on Air Force One, while it was sitting on the runway at LAX.

No Democrats complained when Clinton visited three different carriers for no particular reason.

But when Bush goes to thank the returning troops and announced the successful conclusion of a war in an appropriate setting, they go ballistic. I think it's because they realize that he showed himself to be a real leader and the hopes of Democrats for 2004 have just been demolished. Someone had a couple of great cartoon about that.

[woofer]

and if you look on the Democratic side on the aisle, it looks like a first-grade soccer game...

If you've ever had the pleasure of watching 5 and 6 year olds play soccer, the image this quote brings to me is 20 little kids ganged up around, and chasing the ball like vultures on a moving zebra carcass.

And the gaggle of Dim presidential wannabes on any idea they think will cost W a vote or two next year.

[unbiasedtruth]

I could be wrong, but I believe the Airlite employees are union workers. If so, the employees who work the third shift would probably have to be compensated in some way if those first and second shift workers during the president's visit got paid while the plant was shutdown.

I don't believe the union officials would go for giving the first and second shift workers paid time off during the president's visit while the third shift workers would have to put in a full 8 hours.

[The Wizard]

If I was the advance man I'd call and explain that the President doesn't want workers punished and we'll be going to a different place with all our cameras and news papers...that would change his democrat mind

[alnick]

I think the owner of the plant is a jerk

I think the owner of that plant is a democrat with ulterior motives. But I repeat myself.

[RightOnline]

I'll tell ya this............If I was Bush's Chief of Staff, I'd dump this plant off of the President's itinerary SO fast their heads would spin in the plant's corporate offices. What a bunch of idiots.