McCaskill: DeMint 'Nuts' To Block TSA Nominee Over Benefits (VIDEO)

On CNN Sunday morning, Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) said it was "nuts" for a Republican senator to hold up the confirmation of a Transportation Security Administration chief over concerns about letting employees join a union.

"With all due respect, this is nuts holding him up over whether somebody's going to be able to bargain for a better benefit," McCaskill said. "Playing games with the process -- all it's doing is hurting the traveling public, because the most important front-line agency to protect Americans right now on flights is being held up over political stuff."

Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) has been blocking the confirmation of Erroll Southers, demanding a debate and floor vote, because he fears the nominee will let workers bargain collectively. Southers has the approval of two bipartisan committees.

DeMint has defended his block even after the attempted terror attack on Christmas, saying the unionization issue is a valid security concern. He's complained that Democrats are rushing the process.

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Comments

[larmarch5]

12:09 PM on 01/05/2010

Now, this is just right out of a Far Side cartoon:
"In 2009, DeMint introduced an amendment to a multi-billion dollar economic stimulus bill that would have prohibited lawmakers from using any percentage of transportation funds on bicycle, walking, or wilderness trails."

[Nonamnesiac]

11:14 AM on 01/05/2010

Jim DeMint, though a corrupt, anti-union servant of corporte America, is not the reason that TSA employees have no collective bargainng rights. Although it is true the TSA Administrator has the authority under law to grant TSA employees collective bargaining rights, a better fix is for Congress to pass the Bill that puts TSA employees under the same Civil Service and federal labor laws that DHS employees in CBP are under. This would give TSA employees the right to unionize and collectively bargain and place them under the same pay schedules and arbitration and appeal processes that most other federal employees are under.

With a 60 Democrats caucus in the Senate and 250+ Democrats in the House and a supposedly pro-unionization Democratic President, it should be simple to pass this Bill and take the right to collectively bargain out of the hands of the Administrator and place it into the Labor Law/Civil Service processes. Democrats are trying to blame anti-labor Republicans when the reality is the Democrats, by refusing to move the Bill that has already passed a House Committee granting TSA employees collective bargaining rights and placing them under the same federal laws as other federal airport, DHS employees are equally to blame and equally anti-labor.

[winningticket]

09:59 AM on 01/05/2010

Good for Senator McCaskill for putting Jim DeMented in his place.

[larmarch5]

12:16 PM on 01/05/2010

I just tried to email her, but her site seems to be having trouble. Hope the talibangelicals haven't hacked it. I just wanted her to know this:
"Thank you for calling out this misguided man. Americans must realize the faulty agenda of a party that puts union bashing ahead of keeping us safe. Hopefully his constituents will see for themselves that he only cares about a higher power, that would be The Club for Growth."

[termgirl]

12:04 AM on 01/05/2010

DeMint's union-bashing agenda supercedes national security.

[jimrs6]

09:14 AM on 01/05/2010

Or maybe it enhances national security.

[Barbara2423]

11:32 PM on 01/04/2010

You go girl!! Tell is like it is.

[LittleMittens]

08:38 PM on 01/04/2010

Four months is not enough time to debate the TSA nominee?! Are you kidding? What is the major malfunction from South Carolina politicians?!

[rascalish]

07:55 PM on 01/04/2010

Um does DuhMint have just one facial expression? In serious need of a Tucks medicated pad I guess.

I swear, he always has the same pained look...

[ninthraphael]

07:11 PM on 01/04/2010

the political curtain is changing! de mint is like playing hockey with politics!

[RockyMissouri]

05:51 PM on 01/04/2010

Dickwad bum

[RockyMissouri]

05:49 PM on 01/04/2010

Go Claire!!!

[Phxflyer]

03:51 PM on 01/04/2010

Maybe they should rush DeMental's office.

[sunflowerseed]

02:54 PM on 01/04/2010

DeMint wants the best protection, but doesn't want the ones protecting to earn a living wage and have benefits. DeMint is trying to make a name for himself nationally. Let's just hope the loonies are as dead as I believe them to be.

[hrc04]

01:43 PM on 01/04/2010

Oh, DeMint is definitely nuts...but he was nuts long before this.

[SFBunkSurf]

01:31 PM on 01/04/2010

You go on Claire. She simply spoke the truth. This is pure politics on the part of DeRanged DeMint.

[LeftLeanWing]

01:00 PM on 01/04/2010

Aren't the TSA employees already members of a union.

AFGE has been the only union to represent TSA employees since the agency's inception