Main difference between Tea Partiers and union protestors

David Freddoso

02/27/11 9:00 PM
Online Opinion Editor

I never saw any Tea Party leader interviewed who did not readily condemn or at least distance himself from any comparisons between Obama and Hitler when asked. The same cannot be said for AFL-CIO boss Richard Trumka, who was asked the question today about the Nazi imagery used in the Wisconsin protests and the comparisons between Gov. Scott Walker, R, and Hitler. In response, he reverted to talking points:

The head of one of the nation's most powerful labor unions did not condemn the violent rhetoric in placards and signs held by union supporters demonstrating in Wisconsin despite two direct attempts Sunday to get him on the record declaring them inappropriate.

On several occasions over the past two weeks of demonstrations in the Wisconsin capital of Madison news media have zeroed in on signs that liken Republican Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler and recently ousted Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

Appearing Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press," AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka was twice asked whether he found the tone at the nearly two-week long demonstrations "wrong" or "inappropriate."

Trumka did not answer, instead saying, "We should be sitting down trying to create jobs. ... In Wisconsin, a vast majority of the people think this governor has overreached. His popularity has gone down. They're saying to him, sit down and negotiate; don't do what you've been doing. So he's losing."

Read more at the Washington Examiner: http://washingtonexaminer.com/blogs/beltway-confidential/2011/02/main-difference-between-tea-partiers-and-union-protesters##ixzz1FFkZ6pwr