Obama's Submission To Unions
Mark Salter, John McCain's speechwriter and co-author, has a fascinating piece over at Real Clear Politics. The gist of it is:
Obama has never been serious about passing immigration reform. But he has been very adroit at using the unresolved issue to advance his own political interests.
He points out how lacking in detail (or anything, really, other than mockery of Republicans) Obama's speech in El Paso was this week. Salter's a fan of "comprehensive reform of our immigration laws," and worked for McCain during the meetings to get that passed in a previous Congress. While Obama always talked a great game, there were some problems:
In the meetings he attended, he would draw from his shirt pocket a 3x5 index card, on which he had written changes he insisted be made to the bill before he would support it. They were invariably the same demands made by the AFL-CIO, which was intent on watering down or killing the guest-worker provisions.
He knows who's boss! Unions are boss. In a later attempt to pass the legislation, everyone on the team agreed to fight any amendments that would threaten passage of immigration reform. Except for Sen. Obama. He not only wouldn't agree -- he even sponsored some of the amendments.
His actions were not the only cause of the immigration reform's failure to pass the Senate that year, but they certainly contributed to it
What we have, then, is a man who understands the political gains to be made both by claiming to want immigration reform while also knowing how much the unions he relies on for support oppose various provisions of same. Savvy, that one:
President Obama's speech Monday, like his disingenuous "support" of reform efforts in earlier congresses, is smart politics even though it hurts the cause of reform. But I never said he wasn't a smart politician. Just a very cynical one.
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Jun '10
Re: Obama's Submission To Unions
If you buy off Obama, he stays bought. I guess there's a certain kind of virtue in that.
Sep '10
Re: Obama's Submission To Unions
In the remake, The Six Trillion Dollar Man stars Barack Obama with his union made decal on the underside of his shoe.
Dec '10
Re: Obama's Submission To Unions
I wonder how Salter would feel if we had H-1B visas for speechwriters. Alas, being a native English speaker is a barrier to entry, so he's safe.
Re: Obama's Submission To Unions
Krauthammer's column today says something similar, making fun of Obama's contention that the fence along the Mexican border is virtually complete (not even close):
May '10
Re: Obama's Submission To Unions
Not a long-term thinker, is our Prez. Unions aren't exactly a rising power with future prospects. "Just get me through 2012."
May '10
Re: Obama's Submission To Unions
Maybe Barry Goldwater was right: unions and corporations should stay with their intended functions - unions should engage in collective bargaining for their members; corporations should stay with producing things that people want to buy, and both should be prohibited from contributing to politicians and campaigns. The possibility of corruption is too high.
I don't know if Goldwater was right - seems very problematic in terms of the first amendment to me but, it sure does seem that pols are very easily bought by the dollars that flow from these interests.
Jan '11
Re: Obama's Submission To Unions
"Obama has never been serious about passing immigration reform. But he has been very adroit at using the unresolved issue to advance his own political interests."
I don't like pointing this out and pardon my cynicism, but that description of Obama could just as aptly describe a lot of Republicans and how they approach the abortion issue - including the last 3 Republican presidents.
Name the last Republican president to appear at the annual Pro-Life Rally in Washington, DC.