Local steelworkers don't like Palin's comments...

During her stirring acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin dropped a throwaway line that mentioned her snowmobling husband is also a steelworker.

Now Palin, John McCain's Republican vice presidential nominee, didn't go so far as to suggest that she has the union backing - clearly the steelworkers are going en masse to the Democratic ticket. But it was interesting to bump into a couple of Newport News shipbuilders on Thursday who made it clear - in unprintable terms - that they want Mr. Palin to keep his...ahem....job in Alaska and not get anywhere near Washington D.C.

After all, when the Local 8888 gets together down here on the tip of the Peninsula it's usually a Democrat convention. Last time around Gov. Mark R. Warner was there along with both Democrats vying for governor's office in 2009 - Del. Brian Moran, D-Alexandria, and Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Bath. The only guy missing was the tip top of the ticket Barack Obama.

The United Steelworkers Union is also taking issue with Palin mentioning steelworkers during her speeches. Money line:

  "Ms. Palin needs to stop trotting out her husband as an exhibit until she explains her positions on workers’ issues."

For the full steelworker's statement click here.

Then Northrop Grumman's Newport News shipyard got another weird mention last night when there was extreme confusion over a building used in the backdrop of John McCain's acceptance speech. Even the folks over at Fox News weren't sure what the building was.

According to one local reporter, former George Bush righthand man and current Fox analyst Karl Rove said the building might be Collis Huntington's mansion. Huntington was the railroad baron and the founder of the local shipyard.

It's unclear exactly why the picture went up - but it eventually disappeared and McCain was instead standing in fron of a blue screen. Now bloggers have said that the building looks a lot like Walter Reed Middle School in North Hollywood, California. And the speculation is that the McCain team meant to show the military hospital, but got the wrong image.

Whoops.

To read some speculation click here.

Comments

[Brian Kirwin]

"trotting"???

sexists...

[Union Thuggery]

I was a union member (against my will) for several years. It was great, watching my union (with an acronym close to ALPO) always endorse the democrat and lambaste the conservative candidate in my name. And by great, I mean crooked and pathetic. Unions are, for the most part, broken entities that put organizational interests first, union leader interests second and member interests dead last.

[KC Sentz]

Local 8888 is against Palin. What a surprise, since local 8888 is a mere extension of the democratic party. Its political action committee member is also a chair of the state democratic party. Why are the democrats so AFRAID of Palin? Because their RACE card can be trumped by the GENDER card? Barak Obama has pledged to CUT billions in defense, yet they still support him. Fewer defense dollars mean fewer contracts and fewer jobs here locally. Good thing local 8888 represents small minded unskilled labor who can’t or wont see things as they are. The B.S. of their MESSIAH doesn’t fly with the majority of the workers at the yard.

[Eric]

Just a few of points:
- If you draw a paycheck, you're a worker. It doesn't matter if you dig ditches or make multi-million dollar decisions after pouring over financial spreadsheets. The working class is everyone but the unemployed and retired. So, with this in mind, what is really meant by "workers' issues? Everyone is responsible for their own destiny, not another.

- The union used to be about protecting employee health and safety. Now it's about extorting management at the price of company solvancy and competitive advantage in a global aeconomy. Then the employees wonder why their jobs go overseas.

- A bit of news for the union bosses: We've gone from an agricultural to industrial to service to information economy. As the US economy progresses, the utility of unions existing drops exponentially.

- Instead of the unions worrying about protecting their jobs against overseas competition, maybe they should push their leadership to work with management to make things better as a team. This does not automatically imply asking for higher wages that are not in line with the worldwide average for steelworker wages. Don't think you're making enough? Go to school and do something else. It's done every day.

- My dad was in a union for 43 years. He absolutely forbid me from joining him in the factory. His quote, "They took part of my wages every weeek and gave me nothing in return."

- The Democratic Party is all about fostering mediocrity among its members. "We don't expect you to take chances and do your absolute best because we know someone is out to victimize you."

- It's mighty steelworker brotherly of the shipyard employees to reject Mr. Palin outright. I'm sure his fellow Alaskan steelworkers appreciate it.