Anybody else think this is one of the reasons mortgage holders aren’t in any rush to re-work loans with homeowners? They can sell the notes to the MOU’s.

You beat me to it. Entice the peasants to take the risks, pull the rug out from under them, and cherry-pick the assets.

When Obama told the MOU he was all standing between them and the pitchforks, my thought was, then you are in the way!

The unalterable fact is, Quisling Democrats differentiate themselves from progressive Democrats every time they vote.

It is well past time we liberals differentiate our votes, actions and contributions in response.

Or shorter – can’t hear what you’re saying, from seeing what you’re doing.

Is there any good reason organized labor can’t use the same leverage? Obama has done bupkis for them.

Rodriguez hides behind the fig leaf of “it’s legal”.

So?

Slavery was legal, too. Ditto women not having the franchise to vote. Plus, I am sure the torture regimes of Stalin and Hitler were legal.

Legal only gets you so far. Right/wrong comes into play, and natch, corporate tool Stahl did not go there.

In her own way, she is as culpable as Rodriguez.

The 1 % don’t believe in democracy, not even $1 = 1 vote. The board will ignore the shareholders and shell out.

“…the Greek Parliament has a late-night vote on new austerity measures…”

Coming soon to a nation near you.

Keep the pitchforks and torches handy!

“That broke a bond between the progressive movement and the political establishment that had already been fraying over the years.”

I was there after NAFTA and Glass-Steagall.

“Welcome to the party, pal!”

I was a shop steward, lodge vp, legislative co-chair and grievance chair for the “Fighting” (hah!) Machinists. The rank and file are great people and it was a privilege to serve them.

The leadership has sold out to the powers-that-be and I have seen nothing that indicates change. You will note that Matt did not criticize Democrats by name, when there is ample opportunity and reason to do so.

Moreover, the IAMAW has created election rules that virtually guarantee incumbent re-election that would make the old Politburo green with envy. It is next to impossible to prise out the leadership and replace them with someone that actually represents the members.

Color me unimpressed. Matt’s just Bogarting a little street cred.

Yeah, I was a local lodge v.p. and the grievance chair. I can testify that not only are the union PTB eager to whore themselves out to DC, they are also happy to whore themselves out to the corporations they are supposed to defend their membership against.

They are not willing to confront management, because that might mean going on strike, which would interrupt the flow of membership dues.

If union poo-bahs lost their sinecures, they’d have to go back to factory floor and take a massive paycut. Our assistant general chairpersons made three times their floor salary plus an expense account. As the saying goes, you can’t get a man to understand something when his salary depends on him not understanding it.

Union leadership is part of the problem.

I’m going all Tea Party on you, and quoting the Constitution that they are so proud and ignorant of.

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

Given these folks were exercising the last two clauses of the First Amendment in a public building, exactly how were they charged with “unlawful assembly”?

I’m guessing the same way Jane was last week.

That it is happening under the aegis of a Democratic president is shameful.

Wasn’t all that long ago we sneered at the 28 percenters, and I see no reason to change!

So let’s get this straight.

When conservatives come armed to Presidential events, nothing happens.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjTJ5x144WA

A handful of DFH’s notify the proper authorities, peaceably assemble (there’s that Constitution teabaggers cling to/pay no heed to) and they get THIS?

One need look no further to understand how fucked up things are in our country.