Clueless Joe Thinks He Has a Union Contract

by: Maura

Tue Jun 27, 2006 at 11:53:54 AM EDT

"I have earned your decision to rehire me," Lieberman said. Then he smiled and added, "As a matter of fact I think if you fired me now, based on my experience and record, it would be an unfair labor practice."

Well, gee, is Joe going to call up his union shop steward and file a grievance about democracy?

Somewhere along the line, Joe Lieberman forgot that the privilege of public office is not a lifetime appointment; nor is it an automatically renewable union contract. 

Besides, no union job I know allows you to skip out on work for half a year (Paul Bass has found that Joe missed all votes "on 63 of the 115 days in which the Senate cast votes" in 2003). Nor do any union gigs that I know involve you and your staff traipsing around on private corporate charter jets all day.  No union member I know gets the pay raises or the health benefits that a Senator gets.

Somewhere along the line Joe Lieberman forgot that every six years, he has to re-apply for his job again, and "due process" is exactly what this primary is.  Finding someone better for the job is not unfair labor practice; it's democracy.  He can call the process a Christian and Muslim holy war against him, but it's simple.  It's democracy.