Impeach McConnell, Boehner, and Cantor Today: Politico ignores violent speech of union leader, Hoffa says he'd say it again, Tea Party group calls on Obama to denounce violent speech

Monday, September 5, 2011

Politico ignores violent speech of union leader, Hoffa says he'd say it again, Tea Party group calls on Obama to denounce violent speech

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9/5/11, "Politico Blames Republicans for ‘Politics’ at Hoffa-Obama ‘Sons Of Bitches’ Rally (UPDATED)," Joel B. Pollak, BigGovernment

"Politico’s report on President Obama’s Labor Day speech in Detroit today not only ignored the thuggish language of Teamsters president Jimmy Hoffa, but blamed Republicans for the aggressively partisan nature of Obama’s remarks (video). ...

Not to be outdone, Media Matters for America claimed that FOX News “doctored” Hoffa’s speech. FOX did nothing of the sort–as Media Matters’s own post reveals. Yet Media Matters objects to the entirely reasonable interpretation, given the violent history in which some union leaders take pride, that Hoffa’s language was not just vitriolic but violent.

Media Matters–creators of the “selective editing” meme–also “selectively edited” the text of Hoffa’s remarks

to remove his references to “war.” (video, Hoffa says war against Tea Party)

Of course, Media Matters exists to “correct” opinions, not facts. Today, at least, Politico “fixed” the facts for them.

UPDATE: Politico has now covered Hoffa’s remarks separately. How Republicans are responsible for Obama’s hyper-partisan accusations

remains a mystery."

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Union leader doubles down on violent rhetoric of his Labor Day speech in Detroit against middle class Americans who happen to support the Tea Party.

9/5/11, "Teamsters President: ‘No Regrets’ After Fiery Speech Draws Right-Wing Criticism," TPM

"Teamsters union president James Hoffa would say it all again if he could, he told TPM Monday.

Hoffa...called Republican members of Congress "sons of bitches" and said union workers are ready to "go to war" with the tea party next year and "take out" Republicans at the ballot box.

Hoffa said he'd say the exact same words all over again."...

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Expanded context of above from Real Clear Politics:

9/5/11, "Hoffa Threatens GOP At Obama Event: "Take These Son Of Bitches Out"," RCP

"We got to keep an eye on the battle that we face: The war on workers. And you see it everywhere, it is the Tea Party. And you know, there is only one way to beat and win that war. The one thing about working people is we like a good fight. And you know what? They've got a war, they got a war with us and there's only going to be one winner. It's going to be the workers of Michigan, and America. We're going to win that war," Jimmy Hoffa Jr. said to a heavily union crowd.

"President Obama, this is your army. We are ready to march. Let's take these son of bitches out and give America back to an America where we belong," Hoffa added....

Obama addressed the crowd shortly after Hoffa."

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9/5/11, "Tea party calls on Obama to rebuke union chief," AP

"A tea party group called on President Barack Obama to rebuke Teamsters President Jim Hoffa for urging him to use supporters at a Labor Day rally as an army to march and

"take out" tea partyers, describing the remarks as "a call for violence."

Obama was not on stage at the Detroit rally when Hoffa made the remarks Monday. The White House declined to comment on the flap.

In addressing the crowd before Obama's appearance Hoffa said there has been a war on workers. "And you see it everywhere, it is the tea party. And you know, there is only one way to beat and win that war. The one thing about working people is we like a good fight. And you know what? They've got a war, they got a war with us and there's only going to be one winner. It's going to be the workers of Michigan, and America. We're going to win that war."

Hoffa added: "President Obama, this is your army. We are ready to march. Let's take these son of a bitches out and give America back to an America where we belong."

In a statement, the chairwoman of the Tea Party Express, Amy Kremer, demanded an immediate apology from Hoffa and urged Obama to rebuke him for "his dangerous comments."

"Jimmy Hoffa's remarks are inexcusable and amount to a call for violence on peaceful tea party members, which include many Teamster members," Kremer said. "We have called on President Obama to condemn this inappropriate and uncivil rhetoric, which has no place in the public forum."

Teamsters spokeswoman Leigh Strope said in a statement: "Workers didn't start this war — the right-wing tea party zealots did. Jim Hoffa's comments today reflect the anger of workers under attack in this country. Instead of focusing on the economy as a top priority after taking office, corporate-funded conservatives attempted to gut the middle class.""

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9/5/11, "ROCKFORD TEA PARTY Calls For Jimmy Hoffa to Resign Following His Call to Violence Against Tea Party Activists," Gateway Pundit

"This afternoon Rockford Tea Party Group calls for Teamster President Jimmy Hoffa to resign following his calls to violence against fiscal conservatives.(see below for Rockford text which was posted on Gateway Pundit-I couldn't find it on their website)...

The St. Louis Tea Party also posted a response to Hoffa’s call to violence."...

From Gateway Pundit, "Rockford TEA PARTY calls for Labor Leader Jimmy Hoffa to Resign

Rockford, IL – September 5, 2011 — "The Rockford Tea Party is calling for Labor Leader and Democrat Party Operative, Jimmy Hoffa to resign after the Union Leader made calls prior to President Obama’s speech in Detroit to incite Union members to violent action against Tea Party Americans.

“They’ve got a war, they got a war with us and there’s only going to be one winner. It’s going to be the workers of Michigan, and America. We’re going to win that war,” said Hoffa.

“President Obama, this is your army. We are ready to march. Let’s take these son of bitches out and give America back to an America where we belong,” Hoffa said.

Calls to violence can never be acceptable in this civil society. Hoffa’s remarks were made in an introduction to Obama speaking to Auto Workers and Unions in Detroit and this sort of angry, hateful, call to violence should be repudiated by the President with a call from the President to ask Hoffa to resign
his very public position of influence.

Hoffa’s call to violent action was and is incendiary and dangerous. If even one member of the Tea Party is harmed by anyone after Hoffa’s call to violence, then Hoffa should be held accountable by the Justice System and Charged appropriately.

Jimmy Hoffa must resign and should never hold a position of Public Influence with any organization again."

If Hoffa was a conservative politician he would have been forced to resign already and his words would be used as “proof” that conservatives are violent."

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