archives

Unlike the Republican Party with its many ideological schisms (neocons vs. isolationists, corporate cons vs. nativists, theocons vs. corporate cons, etc.), there are few ideological divides within the Democratic Party. Mostly, what's good for one Democratic constituency is good for the rest too.

However, there is one area of friction in the Democratic coalition — environmentalists vs. union workers in industries like logging and coal mining. (Remember the spotted owl?) That's why it's great to see the Teamsters union "go green" (teamster.org):

"We are not going to drill our way out of the energy problems we are facing — not here and not in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge," [Teamsters President Jim] Hoffa told labor and environmental activists at an Oakland, Calif., summit on good jobs and clean air. "We must find a long-term approach that breaks our dependence on foreign oil by investing in the development of alternate energy sources like solar, wind and geothermal power."

Hoffa then announced the union's withdrawal from the ANWR coalition, citing the need to build a green economy that fosters the development of alternative energy sources and creates good union jobs — instead of lining the pockets of big oil tycoons.

Hoffa also said that by investing in green energy solutions, the nation will reap the benefits of curbing its dependence on oil through a revitalized economy with the creation of millions of new jobs in a rapidly growing industry.

Kos:

As Ford posts yet another crazy-ass quarterly loss ($8.7 billion), it makes one wonder how much better the US auto industry (and its unions) would be doing if they had let the government raise CAFE standards, huh? The government could've bailed them out of this mess.

And it makes one wonder how much better that industry would be doing if they hadn't so viciously opposed Bill and Hillary Clinton's 1993 health care initiative. In 2004, GM spent over $5 billion in health care costs — a number that is likely significantly larger today. That's billions that would be off its balance sheet had they not opposed universal healthcare.

Lots of industries may shoot themselves in the foot, but none more so than the auto industry. It truly deserves the comeuppance it is getting (and it has gotten a healthy assist from its unions). The people who don't deserve it — of course — are its workers, who are getting screwed.