Rachel Maddow Opens New Front In Union Wars Against Massachusetts Democrats
Throughout the past several months, the main headline regarding the union battle has been the campaign by Wisconsin Republicans– led by Governor Scott Walker to restrict collective bargaining rights. According to Rachel Maddow, the tactic has done nothing but hurt the Republican Party and, she jokes, in part because of its efficiency in generating failure, the bluest of blue states is following suit– Massachusetts.
Maddow opened her program last night with some good news for Democrats, beginning with how Sen. John Ensign‘s replacement, current Rep. Dean Heller, is going to explain voting for the Ryan budget bill twice– once in each chamber of Congress. Then there’s the 2012 race, which Maddow accurately described as a bit of a hodgepodge– “We’re supposed to have a primary debate soon, it is unclear who is in it,” she noted by way of example, arguing that “Republicans are just not eager to start the race.” What’s more, Congressmen in town hall meetings are getting their fair share of heckling for supporting the Republican budget. Granted, the population of every town hall meeting is skewed toward the disgruntled, since they generally have more of a reason to drop by. Nonetheless, Maddow concludes this is a perfect climate in which to propose progressive legislation.
So what is the most progressive state legislature in the most progressive state in the union doing? Limiting union bargaining rights, no differently than Republicans elsewhere. While Maddow explains that the overwhelmingly Democratic Massachusetts legislature is not trying to completely dismantle unions– only handicap them– she still perceives the threat, and finds it yet another tragicomic example of Democratic Party philosophy:
Democrats are really good at snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. They say that the only extreme gun law Democrats always support is the right to shoot themselves in their own foot. They say Democrats have never seen an opportunity they either didn’t reject or turn inside out so they could figure out a way it could make them lose instead of win. There is a reason people say this about Democrats.
If Democrats truly are in the position Maddow outlined at the beginning of her segment, Republicans sure had better hope she’s right about their nature.
The segment via MSNBC below:
