I recently attended the Republican Jewish Coalition winter leadership meeting. This one was held in Fort Lauderdale.
While many political superstars were in attendance, the coming days will give them their due. Texas Senator John Cornyn gave a preview of the 2010 Senatorial races.
http://cornyn.senate.gov/public/
Michael Barone, perhaps the brightest elections expert in the entire world, offered his brilliant insights on the political scene. RNC Chairman Michael Steele fired up the crowd with his likable style, while House Minority Whip Eric Cantor offered red meat.
http://www.usnews.com/blogs/barone/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_S._Steele
Elliott Abrams offered his wisdom as one of the top foreign policy people of the past decade.
Other notables in attendance included former White House Spokesperson Ari Fleischer and Minnesota Senator Norm Coleman. My admiration of Senator Coleman is no secret, and this time he greeted me with a warm hug.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ari_Fleischer
Sam Fox, the former Ambassador to Belgium, was also in attendance. Vice President Cheney once deadpanned, “Sam Fox is one of the bravest people I know. He goes hunting with me. Sam is a big deal now because President Bush has given him a nickname. Upon finding out I was going to see Sam, the President said, ‘Say hi to Foxy for me.'”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Fox
Others in attendance may or may not be as well known, but they should be. They are rising GOP stars on different levels.
Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum was in attendance. Mr. McCollum was a former Congressman from Florida who was one of the 13 House impeachment managers. He was targeted for defeat by the vengeful left, but he has bounced back statewide in a big way. If Governor Charlie Crist runs for the open senate seat, then Mr. McCollum may run for Governor of Florida.
http://www.myfloridalegal.com/
While Attorney General McCollum is fabulous on the issues facing people today, his best quality may be that he married very well. Mrs. McCollum may be one of the nicest people I have ever met. I was seated next to her during one of the dinners, and her sharp political mind is matched only by her kindness. A devout Christian, she enjoyed taking part in the Jewish rituals of the evening. I will not discuss my conversations with her, since she is a private citizen. I will only say that in terms of the major issues of our time, she clearly “gets it.”
While John Cornyn occupies one Texas senate seat, Kay Bailey Hutchison will be vacating her seat to run for the Texas governorship. Running to fill her senate seat is State Senator Florence Shapiro. Ms. Shapiro spoke to the RJC during the Sunday session, and she now has legions of new fans in the Jewish community.
The RJC has friends far and wide, all across this land. South Dakota State Senator Dan Lederman is among them. For those that do not read the Argus Leader (no loss), South Dakota is actually a politically conservative state. Senator Lederman is mainstream South Dakota, and for those not living on the coasts, that is mainstream America.
One man everybody should get to know real soon is Ohio State Senator Josh Mandel. At age 31, he has already served two tours of duty in Iraq. He is currently contemplating a run for Ohio State Treasurer. No less a man than Senator Norm Coleman told me, while pointing to Josh Mandel, that, “This is the future.” On March 29th, Josh will be traveling to Los Angeles for a fundraiser. I have donated to him. You should as well.
Veering briefly back to Senator Coleman, he offered very brief but fun remarks to warm up the crowd on the opening night of the weekend.
http://www.colemanforsenate.com/
“There is an old Norwegian joke about a man in Norway who was so overcome with emotion that he almost told his wife that he loved her. In America, this is the relationship between the Democrats and the poor. They are almost at the point of trying to care about them.”
“At a ceremonial dinner, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher once stated that she would have the beef for dinner. She was then asked about the vegetables. She replied, ‘The vegetables will have the beef as well.’ Ladies and gentleman, the Republican Jewish Coalition is the beef.”
“History will prove that President George W. Bush was right.”
“The RJC knows what we are fighting for. We are fighting for the greatness of the U.S.A.”
“Being here with fellow members of the RJC. I feel like I am among family. You are all the Mishpachas.”
Politics is important, but so is friendship. I had the pleasure of meeting a young lady named Heather Robinson. While the entire world knows that I have a bias toward stunning Republican Jewish brunettes, Heather is in a class by herself because she is also a political blogger. She covered the conference as well. We actually had the paper and pen version of dueling banjos going, scribbling rapidly. She writes very well. Check her out. Then read her blog.
Yes, the weekend was a serious policy conference. Yet of equal if not more importance was for Republican Jews and their supporters to reaffirm that we are the norm. We are the standard. We are mainstream America.
Hineni. Here I am. Republican, Jewish, and proud to be part of such a great coalition.
eric
Heather is a definite cutie- or was until I read the part about being a committed vegetarian. Sorry- I’m a born again Carnivore.
I received an email from Michael Steele the other day, asking me
to return a survey sent previously about my attitudes with respect
to the Republican agenda.
I filled out the survey and returned it to the RNC.
Essentially, I thought the Republicans did not get their message
through sufficiently enough to enable them to beat the liberal media
(even though it denies being biased) and the huge grass roots organization complied by the very, astute team surrounding
Mr. Obama, the greatest bunch of liars in the history of the Republic.
If you tell a lie often enough ( see Hitler), after a while it becomes the truth.
Hitler said that 500,000 German Jews had stabbed Germany in the back, causing it’s defeat during WW1 and the terrible depression. The Jews were to blame for all of Germany’s ills and the treaty endingt WW1 (no reparations payments were ever paid by Germany BTW.)
It’s interesting that the vast majority of Germany’s Jews were more German than the Germans, many of them intermarried to gentiles.
During WW1, German Jews fought for Germany.
Hitler said that if the US and Britain attacked Germany, it would be
Jewish necks that were broken. Well, Germany declared war on US, not the reverse, In fact, polls at the time showed that 85% of Americans did NOT want to get involved in that foreign war. Killing Russians was not
so bad after all, and the Jew, well, who really cared?
Pearl Harbor changed things 180 degrees as we all know.
The rest is history. Now, Germany and Japan, are two of the
strongest powers on the Earth..love Americans (at least our dollars)
and have similar interests and objectives. Both countries have
made their peace with the Jews. German and Japanese cars
are seen driven all over Israel, as well as other products. Germans
are welcome in Tel Aviv. Over 150,000 Jews are now living in Germany,
the majority from Germany’s old enemy, Russia.
We Jews voted 85% for Obama and his tricksters. Few Jews that
I personally have spoken to, had anything good to say about McCain.
Most non-Jews thought similarly. He was called “A war monger, and
a shoot from the hip kind of guy, a fool, old, ready to send more troops into battles afar, poor and wrong on the economy.”
It’s interesting that the US Jewish community is split about Israel.
The more religious, pious, Torah loving, proud to be Jews, are
far more concerned about Israel and OUR security than the Reform
(extreme liberal adherents). In Israel, the Orthodox do not favor
a Palestinian state while Hamas and Hezbollah deny it’s VERY existence,
are arming themselves (see Sudan’s latest involvement) and Iran
has yet to comply with 3 UNSC resolutions against their enrichment
program, shipping arms to other countries and development which
can be used for the military. The leftist, naive, liberal types (Peace Now),
like the leftists in this country…don’t see Islamo-fascism as any danger,
just a bunch of wild zealots….carrying the Koran to extremes.
In one local liberal paper, widely circulated in the Jewish community,
there was an article recently written by a rabbi who believes we can
sit down with the Muslims and talk (their Koran has both good and
bad things to say about Jews and Christians).
Hmmmmmm, please tell that to Hamas and Hezbollah, and Ahmad.
and the suicide bomber who just today blew up that temple in Pakistan
killing almost 70 people AND those that planted 500 pounds of
explosive near a major shopping mall in Israel (luckily it was found
in time and disarmed).
Yet, we Jews still have our heads in the Roosevelt days sand, while
not appreciating that had he approved bombing Auschwitz, it would have
sent a message to Mr. Hitler and his SS thugs. Had he started
executing German prisoners of war for war crimes (the way they did our boys), maybe
there would have been more attempts on his life to make movies about
(hear that Tom Cruz). I mean SS were captured during the war.
I am proud to have received this survey from Steele. I am a proud
Jew who votes Republican. I am proud to be a member of the NRA.
I am proud that I do own a weapon and will defend myself.
How many other Jews can say the same? How many non-Jews can
say the same?
But like Eric, I believe in giving our new administration a chance.
I like Obama, I just don’t like his phony smile. It’s too wide to
be sincere.
Oh do I miss John McCain and Sarah Palin.
Mr. Obama, if No. Korea fires that rocket, and parts land over
Japan..what will YOU DO ABOUT IT? Once Iran tests it’s first
atomic bomb, what will you do about it? Once our forces
engage thousands of Pushtans in Afghanistan (from Pakistan)
what will you do about it? If we don’t succeed in fighting the Taliban,
will you send another 50,000, 100,000, 200,000 troops over there?
I am waiting for you to say boldly.
I was looking at the RJC site as linked above. Right there, in bold letters on the front page, it says, “Secret ballots protect workers.” LOL! So the Republican Jewish Coalition is on this issue for the “workers,” huh? You’ve got to be kidding. Everyone who knows anything about the issue knows this – the only thing secret ballots protect is the plausible deniability for management to fire organizers. Anyone who thinks Republicans care about the rights of workers to organize is insane. And the Free Choice Act is just that – it gives the workers the right to choose a secret ballot or a card check, whichever way they want to go. The GOP wants to take that choice away, so that only secret ballots can be used to unionize, giving management the plausible deniability they need to fire workers whom they believe are organizing. This whole “Secret Balllots Protect Workers” is a scam. The gall of the GOP on this issue is astounding.
JMJ
“Republicans care about the rights of workers to organize is insane.”
Yea well, if we had it our way they wouldnt have or feel a need to organize.
Why should we let the workers organize to rob a company of more than it can afford to pay them ?
So it can go broke trying to meet these stupid contracts like the big three and then everyones out of a job ?
“And the Free Choice Act is just that – it gives the workers the right to choose a secret ballot or a card check,”
Card check is not a free choice. It is nor free from invasion of privacy.
“The GOP wants to take that choice away, so that only secret ballots can be used to unionize, giving management the plausible deniability they need to fire workers whom they believe are organizing.”
What would lead to them to believe a certain person voted a certain way if all ballots are secret ?
“This whole “Secret Balllots Protect Workers” is a scam. The gall of the GOP on this issue is astounding.”
We dont have the right to see the ballot you’re using in political elections so why not the same privacy at the work place ?
Yea right, the GOP is all about actually producing commerce and business that produces jobs.
The left just wants to give away wages and entitlements whether they’re earned/affordable or not and totally destroy businesses.
Unions suck.
http://laborpains.org/index.php/2009/02/04/new-poll-82-of-americans-dont-want-to-join-a-union/
“Today, the Center for Union Facts (CUF) released a unique new poll which found that 82% of non-unionized American workers would not like their jobs to be unionized. The poll, which was conducted by the Opinion Research Corporation of Princeton, New Jersey, clearly demonstrates that an overwhelming number of Americans have no interest in joining a union.”
““Union leaders can no longer hide behind unsubstantiated claims regarding non-existent support for the Employee Forced Choice Act,” said Rick Berman Executive Director of the Center for Union Facts. “It is clear that the vast majority of Americans have seen the problems associated with unionization and have no interest in paying dues to union officials.”
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/business/jobs_employment/just_9_of_non_union_workers_want_to_join_union
Union members tend to believe that most workers want to join a labor union. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that 47% of union members hold that view while only 18% disagree.
But those who don’t belong to a union hold a different perspective. By a 56% to 14% margin, they believe that most workers do not want to belong to a union.
As for personal preference, only nine percent (9%) of non-union workers would like to join a union. Eighty-one percent (81%) would not.
Even among those who are worried about losing their jobs in the near future, only nine percent (9%) would like to join a union. There is also no difference in a desire for union membership between those whose firms are hiring and those who are laying people off.
Well, Micky, at least you’re honest enough to admit that the GOP is against union organization! On the other hand, I can’t believe anyone would be naive enough to believe that this whole anti-card check movement is for the benefit of workers. That’s just stupid. Look, I’ve seen union-busting in action. Management knows who’s organizing and who’s not. They have their methods, narcs, spies, etc. They comb through email correspondence, have plants in the unions, etc. These guys aren’t stupid. They know who’s agitating and who’s not. You obviously jsut haven’t seen any of this yourself. I have. I’ve seen people fired, ostensibly for other reasons, because tthey were rumored to be organizing. All this is common knowledge. Obviously, you just don’t stay up on these things.
And the fact of the m,atter is that the EFCA gives the workers to choose which way they would like to organize. Some will choose ballots, some will choose cards. It’s their choice. So, don’t pretend you guys are watching out for their rights by denying them the choice. That’s just ridiculous.
Whatever the rigged corporate polls may say, there’s an old axiom that’s as true today as ever – people in unions love them, people not in unions hate them. Nowadays, there are less people and so less people to love them. That, and there are a lot of really stupid people out there who listen to pundits and pols who do not have their best interests at heart. The fact of the matter is that unions are good for workers, they’re good for the country, and the country was never better off than when it was the most unionized. Period. Anyone who says otherwise is a liar.
JMJ
” I can’t believe anyone would be naive enough to believe that this whole anti-card check movement is for the benefit of workers. That’s just stupid.”
Quite the contrary, look, the wokers whether they organize or not have right to not be monitore in their decisions.
” They have their methods, narcs, spies, etc. They comb through email correspondence, have plants in the unions, etc. These guys aren’t stupid.”
Thats besides the point, snitchs scabs whatever doesnt change the fact this is just one more interogative tool.
“You obviously jsut haven’t seen any of this yourself. I have. ”
Uh, Hello !!!
I worked at Safeway for 7 years, was an Iron worker for three years and put more time into hotels than you are old.
Let me tell you something buddy.
American Ironworkers are the epitome of whats its like to be a devout union worker.
I knew exactly what I was surrounded by and you did not want to contradict the union whatsoever.
I’ve seen reps come out to job sites with “muscle” and send guys home for not paying dues.
I’ve also seen us get paid ridiculous amounts of money (28 years ago the whole package was 76.00 an hour) to do absolutley nothing just because a carpenter didnt show up. Or go home with a full days pay because it rained for more than 10 minutes and not the rest of the day after we left.
Cant lay the iron til the forms are down and they cant send us home at the fault of another contractor.
I’ve been right there in the middle of talks over striking, spent two years in a union apprenticship school for ironworkers before I could be a journeyman, and out of every weekend at school, 8 hours each day, we spent about 2 hours studying and 6 hours drinking beer.
Stop assuming so much man, you really dont know it all.
hah, try again buddy.
” Obviously, you just don’t stay up on these things.”
Obviously you’re talkin outta yer rump
” Period. Anyone who says otherwise is a liar.”
Actually its you who are the liar (again) because asserting that your beliefs are the truth.
Unions are good for the workers only to a certain extent when that union puts so much pressure on a company they cant function any more to the point of bankruptcy and then everypone is out of a job.
“people in unions love them, people not in unions hate them.”
I showed you the two polls and gave you the big three as an example and proof that the people dont agree with you, even those who are union members, and all you’ve again is “BECAUSE YOU SAY SO”
You’re just pulling stuff outta yer butt again
Micky, the first poll is biased and the second poll asks the questions very indirectly (what people think other people think?). Anyone who believes that the interest of workers is the interest of the GOP is an idiot.
JMJ
[…] The blog post that appears at Tygrrr Express shows up in a number of other locations but here’s what appears to be the original. In it, is this section about Ohio’s state rep from the […]
Jersey, you’ve got more BS reasons to disregard good information but nothing of any sustainability to refute my sources with.
The polls were taken of Union members themselves.
Are you or is someone in your immediate family in a labor union?
Yes: 20%
No: 79%
Of those that answered “no”, we asked:
Would you like your job to be unionized?
Yes: 13%
No: 82%
Margin of Error: +/- 2%
Tell me how this questioning is bias or indirect ? HUH?
Pretty simple question, pretty simple answer with no deviations or sublime suggestivness
“(what people think other people think?). ”
That was just the first paragraph asking union members what they thought the gen public thought.
It was not a question desigened to find out how many people want to belong to unions, its a question designed to show the bias of union workers. Thats all.
That was a pretty weak come back and a real insult to your own intelligence that you thought I would just assume that you knew something about my source that I didnt.
I read it thoroughly and theres no trick questions or misleading form of questioning.
Me thinks you didnt read it too well and just got lazy, thought you could run off some crap I would just buy into, took a shot in the dark sayin it was bias all the time knowing that you never really vetted my source that well at all.
You’re full of crap.
The Rasmussen poll asks such a wide range of questions from almost every possible perspective, it leaves almost no doubt that the majority of people feel the way I do.
What a freaking l@@ser you are, you know that ?
All you can do is call people idiots when they dont see it your way and then have nothing of any substance to that somehoe elevates you to the supposed greater intellect you claim to posses.
How does saying; “Anyone who believes that the interest of workers is the interest of the GOP is an idiot.”
Make your point, convince anyone of anything.
The best houses that I ever worked in were non union houses, and I’ve worked in them all from hotels to franchises to chains that are unionized and all me best money and opportunities came from the privately owned and privatley managed houses.
Progress and results were rewarded on an individual basis and not doled out on a schedule as if we were all robots. The opportunities to move up within the company were far greater in a shorter amount of time as opposed to being on some stupid a$$ scale no matter how hard I worked.
I kepy my job by actually performing and not bein a lazy schmuck who paid a strong arm to keep my job for me no matter how much I sucked.
Unions are the single largest detriment there is in America as they do nothing but sestroy motivation and create some of the worst work ethics I’ve ever seen.
Anyway, I showed you what the majority of the country thinks about your stinkin little clubs/unions/communes.
They suck…
You loose.
Micky, that “poll” was from the anti-union, rightwing, CUF. So, I take it with less than a grain of salt. The Rasmussen poll was asking people’s opinions of what they thought other people think, so it’s kinda pointless other than as an esoteric academic exercize.
The fact is that when America was the most unionized, in the 1950’s and 60’s, the wealth disparity was at it’s lowest, the middle class was growing at it’s fastest, poverty was reducing at it’s greatest rate, and so on. Unions are good for America. Of course, this is a generalization, there are always exceptions and anecdotes, but overall unions are good for the country.
JMJ
I don’t care if the biggest union hating organization in the world did the poll Jersey, the question is what it is and that’s that.
They didn’t poll union hating people, they polled union workers and their families.
That is the source of the results, its not fabricated.
Grow the hell up and stop playing your f&*^% games would you ?
As I said already !!! Only the first paragraph in the rasmussen polls asks what they think other people think.
There are a whole slew of questions and answers in that whole poll that shut you up and your argument DOWN.
Bla bla bla , YOU HAVE NOTHING ! AGAIN ! Except for your stupid a$$
“I say so”
The only reason I’m going to post the whole Rasmussen poll here is so everyone can see just what a disingenuous, evasive weasel you can be.
You keep lying or being dishonest because you keep saying that the rasmussen poll asks what people think other people think when there’s way more to it than that.
“Union members tend to believe that most workers want to join a labor union. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that 47% of union members hold that view while only 18% disagree. ”
This here goes to point out your thinking also as you stated “You obviously just haven’t seen any of this yourself. Obviously, you just don’t stay up on these things.”
Yea, they only “BELIEVE ” they know
But those who don’t belong to a union hold a different perspective. By a 56% to 14% margin, they believe that most workers do not want to belong to a union.
THERE ! YOU SEE THAT ?
That’s two asking what others think other people think
As for personal preference, only nine percent (9%) of non-union workers would like to join a union. Eighty-one percent (81%) would not.
Even among those who are worried about losing their jobs in the near future, only nine percent (9%) would like to join a union. There is also no difference in a desire for union membership between those whose firms are hiring and those who are laying people off. .
Employees of firms with fewer than 50 employees are less likely to belong to a union and less likely to be interested in a union.
All together, 24% of workers either belong to a union or would like to do so. At the same time, 59% of workers belong to the investor class and own at least $5,000 worth of stocks, bonds, and mutual funds.
For those who see unions as one side in a battle between labor and management, it’s worth noting that most union members have a foot in each camp: 54% of union members also belong to the investor class.
Government employees are far more likely to belong to a union than private sector workers. They are also less likely to be investors. Forty-one percent (41%) of those on the public payroll belong to a union while 42% are investors.
Among private sector employees, just 11% belong to a union while 68% are investors. As for entrepreneurs, eight percent (8%) belong to a union, and 56% invest in companies other than just their own.
“Government employees are far more likely to believe that most workers want to belong to a union. Thirty-five percent (35%) of government employees hold this view, while 33% disagree and 32% are not sure. Among those who work in the private sector, just 16% believe most workers want to belong to a union while 53% disagree. ”
AND THERES ONE MORE
Among non-union workers who make less than $40,000 annually, 16% would like to belong to a union.
Democrats are twice as likely as Republicans and politically unaffiliated workers to belong to a union. Democrats who do not belong to a union are also far more likely than others to want union membership.
“By a 34% to 27% margin, Democrats believe that most workers want to belong to a union. However, 40% of those in President Obama’s party are not sure. Sixty-one percent (61%) of Republicans, on the other hand, do not believe most workers want to be unionized, a view shared by the plurality (49%) of adults not affiliated with either party.”
This whole segment goes to prove your thinking Jersey in that I cant believe what you say because as the poll points out you have a bias opinion on the matter on top of being known to lie.
In a survey in September, 55% of Americans had at least also a somewhat favorable opinion of labor unions, including 19% with a Very Favorable view. Thirty-five percent (35%) held a negative view of unions. ”
So you see, obviously you didn’t really pay much attention because if you did you would think that you would of brought up that last result there saying that 55% of the country holds a favorable view of unions.
I mean jeez, that’s ammo for you and you didn’t throw it in my face ?
As far as the CUF poll goes.
It proves my point.
Accurately.
“Unlike labor unions and their affiliated front groups who refuse to release any of their polls’ methodology, CUF’s poll is a straight-forward measurement of Americans interest in joining a union. In addition to gathering basic demographic information, we asked the following two questions to respondents (n = 1,142) who indicated that they were currently employed.”
They gathered “basic” demographic info and asked relatives of “UNION” members if they wanted their jobs unionized.
Not just anyone off the street, not just conservatives or republicans, not people who only work in non union houses, but people who are related to union workers.
GOT IT ?????????????????
Are you or is someone in your immediate family in a labor union?
Yes: 20%
No: 79%
Of those that answered “no”, we asked:
Would you like your job to be unionized?
Yes: 13%
No: 82%
Those people who are related to union workers think unions suck.
Tell me something.
With all you profess to know, with that great abounding resource of knowledge that you supposedly have, how can you ever make an intelligent decision when you use conjured up info that you pull out of thin air ?
All the facts don’t make bit of difference in using them to make a decision if you’re going to throw one piece of your own crap into the problem ?
Ya know ?
In math you cant just use any number to prove the sum you come up with.
2+ ? = 4
You say that the only possible missing number is whatever will make my case because I don’t like 4s and I dont like 2s.
So because the # 2 is actually my false belief that micky knows nothing about unions he cant know what hes talking about so the problem is actually 2+3 = 5
No the first 2 are the facts that I presented and the second #2 is the fact that I have worked in plenty of union jobs and the #4 is the sum that says you’re wrong and I’m right.
The question mark in place of the 2 in the above problem is two things.
You have nothing of any reliable trustworthy reference to refute me with.
The second thing is that you assumed your opponent didn’t know something.
And then you end your post with nothing but selective info’s based on moonbat opinion
You loose.
The only reason Unions were so hot during the 50s and 60s was because we were rebounding/re-industrializing after the war.
We don’t need unions in that capacity anymore.