Gingrich On EFCA: "Mortal Threat To American Freedom"

How serious and committed are conservatives to the defeat of the Employee Free Choice Act? This committed: "This bill is a mortal threat to American freedom and we will never forgive somebody who votes for cloture or for passage."

That's New Gingrich, speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington D.C. The former House Speaker is launching a new media campaign, titled American Solutions, to help with his efforts to defeat the legislation -- which has been described at the conference as nothing short of the demise of Western civilization.

Gingrich also hawked his innovative anti-EFCA tactics while at the podium, reminding attendees that they could win a free Wii by signing up with American Solutions. Already one has been given away.

Beyond the free video game consoles, Gingrich's tactics shouldn't be understated. This is nothing short of a major warning to the possible EFCA defectors in the Republican Party -- namely Sen. Arlen Specter -- that there will be hell to pay for sitting this fight out. The hope among some union activists is that Republican Senators will vote for cloture on EFCA before casting ballots against the bill. For Newt, this would be as treasonous as supporting the bill.

Comments

[whoknew42]

Here's my take on What's American and What's not - (According to the GOP):

What's American? - Allowing CEO's to make whatever amount of money they want and refusing to pay their workers a livable wage
What's Not? - Workers fighting for their rights to make a livable wage (or for any rights, for that matter)!

What's American? - Corporate moguls having access to the best possible medical care available
What's Not? - The average American worker wanting the same quality of care for his/her family (how dare they)!

What's American? - Allowing CEO's to steal from their workers pension plans while flying around in corporate jets
What's Not? - Working for a company for 30 years, having your retirement money yanked out from under you, and having the audacity to complain about it! (We gave you a watch, didn't we?)

[Athena123]

Oh - sorry - what I meant to say was that this bill is a mortal threat to the top .001 percent - the already-overpaid capitalists. We simply CANNOT tolerate an equal playing field. Notwithstanding that everything we stand for (as GOP) goes against the working and middle class, we will continue to spin and twist the truth so that less-informed Americans are easily led to the slaughter. Ha ha ha (laughing like Count Dracula).

- Newt Gengrich

[Senzasord]

Whenever these guys use the word freedom, they are referring to the freedom of the rich to engage in their orgy of avarice on the backs of the working man that has been going on since the election of Ronald Reagan. Their ability to feed their greedy is threatened when workers unionize and act collectively. No wonder they are absolutely panic stricken and will stop at nothing to derail EFCA.

[pjean]

My family has never been in a union, I don't belong to a union and yes I support the union because without them there would not have been such a thing as a 40 hour work week. People you need to go to your history books, educate yourselves before jumping on the RethugliKKKan bandwagon. When I say research, I mean doing it the old fashion way by going to the library. Are there some people in unions who abuse the system, yes. Does that mean that all people in unions are bad NO!. Don't let the rethugs continue to sell you lies, please do your own research and come up with you own point of view.

[magic3400]

Ya ever notice how, with the Repubs. everything has dire consequences (mushroom clouds, the end of our way of life, end of democracy, so on and so on). If Americans ever need to be afraid of something it's the fear that Repubs could ever get control of gov't again.

[Eyeswideopen1]

ok so add this to the list of things the GOP will "never forgive" such as voting for democrats.

[Westof405]

I was in a union for 15 years. Yes, the have their faults, no doubt about it, but without unions, even non-union workers would have fewer rights and fewer benefits. Without work rules imposed by union actions, today's workers would be less well off than serfs in the Middle Ages (the serfs actually ran the farms while the landowning knights were off fighting wars). The GOP knows this and is fully engaged in class warfare against the middle and working classes.

The GOP is against the EFCA because they know it will empower workers, enable them to take on management and keep companies from stripping away the few benefits they have left. The GOP is now the party of the top 5%. It is time they are called out and shown for what they are-the G "No" P.

[ILibertine]

Personalities such as Gingrich are the dying remnants of Reaganism, espousing their antiquated beliefs long after they have been proven utter nonsense. The only ones who are listening seriously are those who are paying them to espouse such blather.

EFCA is long overdue. The corporate world has demonstrated with remarkable finesse it's inability to provide for employee well-being; it's sole driving force is the constant search for the cheapest product, the least expensive labor and the reduction or elimination of benefits. Unfortunately, government, hijacked by manipulators such as Gingrich, has been too willing to collude in this exponential tendency.

Unless we collectively wish to further enable the on-going march toward global mediocrity, EFCA is a necessary counter-endeavor to ensure employee well-being, and Gingrich really wishes to usurp our standards of freedom.

I believe what those opposing EFCA really regard as the "mortal threat" is the potential for a re-organizing of a middle-class voice able to channel interest into policy. It has been systematically disabled since the air controllers strike of the early 80s and needs to come back with strength.

[Athena123]

It's good to hear a rational voice on this subject; as a left-leaning liberal (ie a rational person), I sometimes panic when I hear how low the GOP will go in their fear tactics. Good to know that most Americans no longer fall for that. They are finally figuring out that fear creates dependence; and empowerment creates true democracy where there is an equal playing field.

[JohnBryansFontaine]

For anyone who fogets what the real Newt Gingrich is about:

Adultery and public sex, blatant hypocrisy on Clinton’s affairs, admitted pot smoker, divisive demagogue who loves to vilify his opponents, bounced 22 checks on the House bank, pro-military draft dodger, pressured his first wife to sign divorce papers while she was in hospital with cancer, under investigation for numerous ethics violations, got lucrative book contract from rich businessman Rupert Murdoch — and another one years earlier, used taxpayer subsidies to fund his partisan campaign course, refuses to reveal who funded his GOPAC committee.

- Mike Zemanta, Thanks, Newt, For the Lecture on Morality


Also, Newt Gingrich's Skeleton Closet :

http://www.realchange.org/gingrich.htm

[WorkingClass]

The one thing conservatives fear most is ORGANIZED labor. And rightfully so. Solidarity is the only power that will turn the tide in the class war. Before this depression is over there will arise an American Labor Party. If the Democrats will not end the corporate rule of our country American workers will.

[nualak]

And I will be first in line to join the Labor Party, an old friend of mine from my European birthplace. Organized Labor fought for National Health in the 50's and they won - against the powerful Church and the wealthy.

[Sue Pinkerton]

Why does Gingrich hate Americans?

[HighInfoVoter]

It's externalized self-loathing, and considering how loathsome newt is...

[Eyeswideopen1]

He only hates the poor and middle class. That is really the heart of the matter for the GOP in general.

[bigironal25]

What Newt doesn't want people to know is that if it weren't for the union movement in this country we would still be using 5 year olds in all areas of labor including mining and other dangerous jobs and as someone who has worked in one non union shop I can only say that if people work in open(non union) shops they are damn FOOLS because they work for sub-standard wages and little or no benefits!

[tomterif]

Why are unions needed to "outlaw 5 year olds working in mines" ?

Because government is incapable of outlawing such a thing ?

Feh !

[sueinmn]

The last possible savior of the middle class are the unions. The companies still in business will continue to take you toward Mexican/Chinese wages. Every one must decide their personal desire to either bow to the lower wage standards being pushed by conservatives and the business sector or decide to save what is left of the middle class America. The rich are screaming class war about the tax changes already and have had no regards for years to the working class and we have spiraled at a disasterous rate downward and the scales tip heavily against workers. .EFCA is the largest threat to the conservatives so people, they fear it because it's good for you! Save the American middle class before it's gone for ever. vote for it, sign the cards and unite as one voice an say no more abuses, no more disregard towards the workers. HAVE SOME SAY IN YOUR .LIFE.
middlelass warfare, yes we are becoming an exstinct class. Think for your best interests of your families survival! The conservatives, banks and businesses play their best interests at our expense, turn the tables and save yourself!

[Robert Cantor]

If Newt the kook is agin' it I'm a fore it!

[newmexicogold]

Dec 22, 1995: As part of Newt Gingrich's Contract With America, Congress enacts a measure making it more difficult to sue companies for securities fraud.