22 Comments

Trump pretty much said it, he will get his revenge through success. The America First movement is pretty good on lots of issues. Honestly would have been better if it was a moderate left movement but DNC ruined that from happening. I'd like to see more anti-establishment moves and promises and less pro-Isreal.

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This is what happens when leaders stop pretending and start acknowledging the truth of the matter. Sean O'Brien knows that Democrats joined up with corporations 30 years ago. Multilateral trade agreements have decimated America's industry and the middle-America towns that relied on those jobs to buy homes, send their kids to school and provide for a safe retirement. This is what Bernie Sanders ran on in 2016 until the DNC pushed him aside. Call it transactional if you want but this appointment demonstrates that Trump aims to help American workers.

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Sean O'Brien once again proves to be a savvy operator. One can only hope that this appointment offers a sliver of competence and hope for workers amidst a sea of grifters and crooks lining up for a similar payout for their loyalty to Trump.

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Agreed!

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This is one complete head twister. For my entire adult life, Republicans in general have been running in overdrive to screw over workers, thereby contributing to the gross economic disparity in the US. It seems to be almost a religion for them. It got worse when they managed to get the workers on their side some way which I’ve never quite figured out. Democrats certainly could have fought harder for workers rights but the Republicans were fighting tooth and nail to tear them down. Joining in with the Republicans seemed and still seems idiotic.

When Sean O’ Brien gave his speech at the RNC I thought he had gotten lost and ended up at the wrong convention. I am amazed he got any applause at all. He pretty much ripped the whole zeitgeist of the Republican Party a new one and they clapped. I’m still trying to figure that one out.

Now I find out there is a Republican member of congress who is pro labor. How did that happen? Then I find out Trump has appointed her labor secretary. I’m starting to wonder if I have entered a parallel universe. Curiouser and curiouser.

It seems that O’ Brien is using Trump’s own quid pro quo ethos to try to help the country in some way as opposed to nearly everyone else around Trump who are hell bent on creating chaos. I’m not sure what’s going on in his head, but so far I like O’Brien. He and Tim Walz should team up somehow. As for Trump, what a pathetic, soulless, empty vessel.

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I just re watched Sean O’Brien’s RNC speech. It reiterated to me just how much one’s recollection of an event can be at odds with empirical evidence. Upon seeing it again for the first time since July, I found the entire first half to be cringeworthy ass kissing and the second half to be a pretty good assessment of the problems labor faces due to policies and attitudes shoved down the country’s throats by the Republican Party for at least a century. Considering the radicalization that has taken place in the Republican Party I worry that O’Brien may be sleeping with wolves. Unfortunately the name Neville Chamberlain comes to mind but I think O’Brien may be savvier. I certainly hope so.

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All good until the last sentence. You’re living life in the past, Brian, not a parallel universe. You need to understand the new Republican Party, i.e., MAGA, is not what you think. Party roles have been reversed. Trump has a history of supporting workers in NYC. You’d understand that if you weren’t so tainted by TDS and legacy media.

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Here is an excellent clip that spells out Trump’s labor agenda 100 times better than I ever could.

https://youtu.be/esA3akQeVcQ

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O'Brien's appointment may benefit labor now, but it risks temporary gains tied to shifting political loyalties—Chavez-DeRemer's anti-worker past raises doubts. Are unions being exploited for political gain, and what guarantees exist against mere tokenism?

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This is an interesting turn of events. If Trump manages to actually do some policy prescriptions that happens to help everyday people over this next term, outside of, and alongside just looking out for his own interests, Democrats could be on the losing end for election cycles to come.

If he was tactful, he would actually try to get public opinion on his side by doing meaningful policy agenda that helps everyday average people, that makes pursuing him criminally once he’s out of office less politically palatable.

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It seems as though the bar for Trump, and anyone on the Right by proxy, is set so low, which, by the way, is hugely insulting to people on the Right, that when they do something that, on the surface, doesn't seem horrible, they get huge kudos. What about his other appointment selections and what he openly plans on doing on day one? I'm left wondering why if a person on the Left sneezes too loud or wishes people weren't overtly racist and rapist apologists, they get called names. Yet, when someone on the Right doesn't shoot a protester or sexually assault someone that day, they get a cookie. Perhaps in wanting to be open to the other side, some just switched one perceived enemy for another.

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I'm probably one of the more anti-Trump people here and I'm not surprised by his Labor Secretary Pick. There are two things you have to do in order get Trump on your side:

1. Kiss his ass

2. Be the last person in the room

It also helps if you have pretty good persuasive skills. I've read a little bit of Nikki Haley's book and (according to her at least) she was pretty good at this and that's why the Trump Administration was able to accomplish some of their foreign policy goals. He also do the "surprising" First Step Act. This is the hallmark of a man who has no ideology but wants to be liked. Leverage that proficiently and he might give you the world.

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She has a lifetime 10% AFL-CIO score.

You can see a whole list of anti-working class bills that she supported here:

https://aflcio.org/scorecard/legislators/lori-chavez-deremer

Some highlights

-blocking student loan relief

-allowing employers to provide worse quality health insurance plans

-slashing Medicaid, food assistance for low income workers

What a reward!

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https://scorecard.cwa-union.org/scorecard/legislators/C001135

Here's her vote against an NLRB ruling that employers can't use subcontractors or staffing agencies to deny workers their rights.

I think her voting for the Pro-Act (when she knew it wasn't going to pass), was because she was in a swing district, not out of some internal sense of belief in worker rights.

Hope you cover these facts on the show :)

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Looking through the comments… Folks, you need to reorient yourselves. Trump’s new Republican Party (aka MAGA) has completed the role reversal that Bill Clinton started 30 years ago. Clinton abandoned the working class, exported jobs, and joined the Corporate, Uniparty elite. Trump opened the tent to “garbage” and “deplorables”, pissing off the old Dems and Republican elite. MAGA is the middle 50% of the country, not the old right.

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Salute 🫡 to Sean O’Brien for being a smart man and salute to Trump for doing the right thing. Anna I think a you would enjoy the country side of Italy specially after a traffic stop. 😂

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I also spoke out against some corporate financial republicans who were calling for DOGE to shut down CFPB and FTC. I dont think Trump is beholden to them though. I personally warned Elon that without the CFPB banks could freeze money, and citizens wouldnt be able to do anything about it other than sue under electronic funds transfer act. I know from personal experience, if you are a hacking victim the bank will freeze you out of your own money, and the CFPB are the only government organization that can prevent that. Im sure many republicans claimed Trump would shut down all unions, but I think they are just trying to hijack his narrative in order to pass their own narrative. I doubt Trump will shut down any agency that is opposed to the populist working class. However, there is still a battle going on for his ear. Teamsters chose to win that battle.

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I hope she gets confirmed.

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Trump floundered in his first presidency but he did seem to try and keep his promises.

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How does her house seat get filled? Not a lot of wiggle room here.

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She lost her re-election. I’d assume her seat will be filled by the winner.

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30 year devout union member, steward and VP, until obama care. The concept of the union is to stop tyranny in the work place. Advocacy for improving the work environment, benefits and wages. The concept of obama care was to require large corporations, (Walmart?) to provide health care for their employees. The result would be better care and lower cost to all (obama's promises). To get the bill passed, the dems offered waivers to the very companies it was to regulate, hence the 38 hour rule. You could be hired 37 hours or less a week and the employer would not be required to provide health care or benefits (401ks?). obama care resulted in the part time work force, why many have multiple, part-time jobs with zero benefits. And, the most expensive health care system in the world. Then came the identity politics. Soon unions devoted their time, and dues (50% to lobbing) towards the 'culture' wars, and not its intended concept . Unions have become sheep of the 'woke'. The majority of union members despise the union/democrat marriage, who are now ignoring the work environment etc, to push the liberal agenda, with their hard earned 'dues'. A union member can apply within the union to have its lobby money spent else where, but, good luck doing that ( a short period a year when the application can never be found). The Union, like the democrat party, has lost its way. Corruption at the highest level to gain/maintain power. Congrats to the Teamsters ! Your Union has refocused on You. Hopefully, the unions go back to supporting the best party for their worker's rights. obama care and its ramifications is why I left the democrat party and no longer advocate unions.

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