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Union Chief Takes On White House

AFSCME leader gets very loud over health care reform

By John Johnson,  Newser Staff

Posted Oct 17, 2009 4:21 PM CDT

(Newser) – The leader of one of the nation's biggest labor unions is not playing ball with the White House, writes Ben Smith. AFSCME's Gerry McEntee seems to be breaking the unwritten rule among progressives when dealing with this administration: Hush up, or we'll freeze you out. McEntee has repeatedly taken public stands against parts of the health care reform legislation—even blowing off a request from Rahm Emanuel to cool it—and the White House is fed up.

"We have had just about enough of his gratuitous slaps,” a senior official tells Smith in Politico, describing McEntee's behavior as "beyond the pale." McEntee is known for being irascible—a critical union member likes "blowhard" as a descriptor—and he's been on a roll of late with op-eds and newspaper ads complaining that reform could soak the middle class. But not everyone is upset. Says a spokesman for the AFL-CIO: "Sometimes being supportive means staking out a tough position, and nobody understands that better than President McEntee."  

Gerry McEntee, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.
Gerry McEntee, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.   (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Gerry McEntee, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.
Gerry McEntee, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.   (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 30 comments
AdaptAndOvercome
Oct 19, 2009 9:20 AM CDT
Let's not pick on Jayster...can't help it if jayster doesn't believe in facts. Good Job Thinker...I think the Public Option is a must, in order for this reform to work properply.
Face-Of-RNC
Oct 19, 2009 1:27 AM CDT
Would this be at the point of a gun?
Face-Of-RNC
Oct 19, 2009 1:20 AM CDT
Mon - Only if we turn our military functions over to private corporations, like Blackwater, Haliburton, and KBR. We don't have to accept our government being hijacked by corporatists, and we don't have to accept the premise that anything we wan't to do for ourselves, like national defense, hospitalization, police, fire protection, road building, etc., must instead be provided by predatory capitalist.

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