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Archives for August 2018

Labor Report: Big Win, Tough Loss for Right to Work in 2018

August 31, 2018 by GregC

Listen to “Labor Report: Big Win, Tough Loss for Right to Work in 2018” on Spreaker.

As America pauses for Labor Day weekend, the right to work movement is looking to keep up its momentum following a major Supreme Court victory in June and shake off a stinging defeat at the ballot box in Missouri.

Earlier this summer, by a 5-4 in Janus v. AFSCME, the high court overturned a 1977 decision requiring non-union public sector employees to pay union dues.  The court found that forcing those non-members to pay dues infringed upon their freedom of speech.

“In the 23 states that don’t have right to work laws, every single government employee in the country is now protected from being fired from their jobs for failure to tender dues or fees to a private organization,” said National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation President Mark Mix.

Mix points out the Supreme Court decision does not forbid non-union employees from paying dues.  It simply gives them the choice of paying or not paying.  His organization is trying to educate government employees about their options through a website called myjanusrights.org.

Mix says he is getting plenty of anecdotal evidence of employees refusing to pay dues any longer but we won’t have any concrete data until the labor unions issue their reports.  However, he says places like Wisconsin, which adopted right to work laws in 2011 and 2015, give us a good preview.

“We have found that in some local unions that over 67 percent of the workers have decided to exercise their rights under the right to work protections that exist in the state.  That’s the type of protection that’s now offered to every government employee in every state across the country,” said Mix.

Organized labor is fighting back.

“Instead of trying to go out and figure out how they can better serve workers who can now join them voluntarily, they are trying to establish workarounds.  In fact, in seven states they’ve passed laws that they think are going to stop people from exiting the union,” said Mix.

California requires all government employees to attend an all-day seminar run by labor unions to convince people to keep paying dues.  New York, Delaware, and Hawaii have all enacted measures designed to circumvent the impact of the Janus decision.

“All of these efforts on their part are going back to government, trying to use government as a fence to keep people in as opposed to finding a way to better serve them so that more people will join voluntarily,” said Mix.

Less than two months after the Supreme Court decision, right to work forces suffered a major electoral defeat in Missouri.  In 2017, the state legislature adopted right to work legislation but Democrats and unions exercised what’s known as a “veto referendum.”

By getting enough petition signatures, they placed the issue on the August primary ballot and the right to work legislation was rejected by nearly 30 percentage points.

“Union officials were able to defeat the enforcement of the right to work law, so the right to work law is not in effect even though it did pass the legislature,” said Mix.

Mix points out the labor unions, which bring in $194 million per year in Missouri, spent roughly $20 million on the referendum campaign while the right to work forces managed less than three million dollars.

He also says the campaign against the law was disingenuous.

“The distortions about right to work were so amazing.  The only thing that didn’t get talked about was the right to work law simply saying that you couldn’t be compelled to pay dues or fees to a union to get or keep a job.  Everything else the union officials put up was about anything other than the freedom that right to work laws provide,” said Mix.

Just this past week, the right to work movement watched Republicans agree to keep an ardent opponent of theirs on the National Labor Relations Board.  In an effort to move the nominations of fifteen judicial nominees through to confirmation, President Trump agreed to nominate Obama appointee Mark Gaston Pearce for another term on the NLRB.

Mix says the compromise shows just how much liberals are willing to give up on the judicial front to keep one of their staunchest allies fighting against the right to work.

“This is how important this seat is to the organized labor officials in the Democrat party because of the money that flows from their forced dues privileges.  They’re willing to trade one member of the National Labor Relations Board for filling up the Department of Labor, adding federal judges.  That shows you how important this is,” said Mix.

Mix is not giving up on the fight over Pearce and will push the Senate to reject the nomination in the coming months.

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Filed Under: Podcasts

Bad Beto, McCain Funeral Snubs, NBC Spiked #MeToo?

August 31, 2018 by GregC

Listen to “Bad Beto, McCain Funeral Snubs, NBC Spiked #MeToo?” on Spreaker.

Jim Geraghty of National Review and Greg Corombos of Radio America credit the Houston Chronicle for reporting what dozens of fawning Beto O’Rourke features have not – that he not only drove drunk in 1998, but caused a major accident and then tried to flee the scene.  They also react to John McCain snubbing 2008 campaign aides Steve Schmidt, Nicolle Wallace, and John Weaver from his funeral invitation list, presumably over their willingness to trash him to make money and launch media careers following that election.  And as a former NBC producer insists the network spiked Ronan Farrow’s reporting on the sexual assaults and harassment by Harvey Weinstein, Jim zeroes in on why NBC wanted nothing to do with the story.

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Filed Under: News & Politics, Podcasts Tagged With: #metoo, 2018 midterms, Beto O'Rourke, DWI, funeral snubs, John McCain, John Weaver, National Review, NBC, Nicolle Wallace, Ronan Farrow, Steve Schmidt, Ted Cruz, Three Martini Lunch

‘Girl Taken:’ Woman Recounts Horrific Abduction by Chechens

August 30, 2018 by GregC

Listen to “'Girl Taken:' Woman Recounts Horrific Abduction by Chechens” on Spreaker.

Elena Nikitina endured and survived an unimaginable nightmare but is now thriving in the United States due to faith in God, the powerful response to her story, and a nation that would give her a fresh start.

Born in the Soviet Union in 1973, Nikitina endured eight months of captivity at the hands of Chechen criminals who were looking to make money by demanding ransom.  Living two hours from Chechnya, Nikitina’s nightmare began on Oct 4, 1994, just three weeks after her twenty-first birthday.

“I was with my friends hanging out at the restaurant.  I got into an argument with my boyfriend and decided to leave the party.  The next thing I knew I was in a car surrounded by strange men speaking in a foreign language.  For weeks, I didn’t know why I was there, who they were and what they wanted,” said Nikitina, who tells her gripping story in “Girl Taken: A True Story of Abduction, Captivity, and Survival.”

Nikitina would not discuss with us how she was treated by her captors but points out she goes into painful detail about that in her book.  She was able to speak with her mother once as the abductors demanded money.

Before arrangements could be made for payment and Nikitina’s release, the first Chechen War broke out and telephone lines were cut off.  But while the war ended talks between the Chechens and Nikitina’s mother, it also very likely spared her from an even darker fate.

“I was pretty sure that I was sold into slavery, but the war got in the way of the delivery,” she said.

Over the eight months, Nikitina was held at four different locations.  She doesn’t remember the first location very much because she was drugged most of the time.  She then was kept in a tiny room for a few months.  Later, she was held in the home of a captor’s family member and eventually “in a little pit” at a house in a mountain village.

Despite the ordeal, Nikitina decided early on that she would never give up hope.

“We never know how strong we are and what we’re capable of until we’re put in a situation like that.  You just have to decide if you want to stay a victim or become a survivor,” she said.

After 245 horrific days, Nikitina suddenly realized she was alone in the house and decided to escape – a journey she describes as “unbelievable and thrilling.”  She had no idea where she was or how to find help, so she just started walking.  However, Nikitina firmly believes someone else was guiding her steps.

“I walked and walked without knowing where I was going and what or who I could meet on my way.  I couldn’t realize it then but now I understand it.  I was miraculously led by something or someone,” she said, also nothing that her faith carried her through her captivity.

“I just can tell you from my personal experience is that faith in God is the best you can hope for in a moment and total and all-embracing despair like that,” said Nikitina.

Eventually, Nikitina happened upon Russian soldiers who initially mistook her as a Chechen suicide bomber.  Upon further investigation, the soldiers confirmed her identity.  She then went to the home of a Russian general in Dagestan to clean up, get a good meal, and await her mother’s arrival – a moment so sweet words can hardly suffice.

“It was a moment of happiness, like true, clear, ultimate happiness for me,” said Nikitina.

Nikitina may have been free of her abductors in June 1995 but the joy did not last long.  Within five years, she was in the United States after being granted political asylum.  She is now the mother of a 16-year-old girl.  Elena’s mother joined her in the U.S. in 2006.

“I just didn’t see a way to live in my country anymore because I was threatened and I was heavily imposed upon by another religion.  It took place during my ordeal and right after I came back home.  I just decided to come to a better place,” said Nikitina.

She is reticent to give too many details about her asylum story, although she is considering another book to tell that story.  However, Chechnya and Dagestan are heavily Muslim-populated areas.

Nikitina originally wrote down her story so her mother could fully know her ordeal, but as the details came flooding back to her mind, she decided to write a book about it.  As painful as it was to relive those eight months, she says the response has been more than she ever dreamed.

“The real and true healing therapy came afterwards with the feedback that I received from people I didn’t know.  For me, it means everything that my book can help in some way or make people think or move their feelings.  This is amazing.  This is priceless,” said Nikitina.

She is also in love with her new country.

“I just love it.  It’s amazing,” said Nikitina.  “I don’t have any regrets.  I just really love this country.”

Please listen to the full podcast to hear all of Elena’s moving story.

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Filed Under: News and Politics, Podcasts

Big Wins for McConnell, New Mexico Madness, Annul Trump’s Presidency?

August 30, 2018 by GregC

Listen to “Big Wins for McConnell, New Mexico Madness, Annul Trump’s Presidency?” on Spreaker.

Jim Geraghty of National Review and Greg Corombos of Radio America are glad to see seven more judicial nominees have been confirmed in the U.S. Senate this week and eight more will happen next week.  They also assume “Cocaine Mitch” is pleased to see the West Virginia Supreme Court block failed Republican U.S. Senate candidate Don Blankenship from appearing on the November ballot as a different party’s nominee.  They’re also pulling their hair out as child abuse charges are dropped against the suspects from the alleged Islamic extremist school shooter training camp because prosecutors failed to hold a preliminary hearing quickly enough.  And they get a kick out of Clinton-era Labor Secretary Robert Reich arguing that President Trump should not only be impeached if evidence of Russian collusion is found but that the Supreme Court should invalidate every action taken during his time in office.

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Filed Under: News & Politics, Podcasts Tagged With: annulment, Don Blankenship, Mitch McConnell, National Review, New Mexico, President Trump, Robert Reich, school shooter, Three Martini Lunch, training camp, West Virginia

McCain: Military Hero but Conservative Apostate

August 29, 2018 by GregC

Listen to “McCain: Military Hero but Conservative Apostate” on Spreaker.

Former Defense Department official Jed Babbin says the late Arizona Sen. John McCain was undoubtedly a military hero whom many of his fellow prisoners of war credit with keeping them alive during their years in captivity.  However, Babbin says McCain’s political legacy is quite different.  Elected to the Senate as a staunch conservative to succeed the legendary Barry Goldwater, McCain subsequently charted a different course than conservatives on issues ranging from immigration to campaign finance reform and from health care to the debate over torture.  Babbin explains why he believes conservatives ought to see McCain as a major political disappointment. Listen to our conversation here.

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Filed Under: News & Politics, Podcasts

Ex-RNC Lauds McCain, Reflects on 2008 Campaign

August 29, 2018 by GregC

Listen to “Ex-RNC Official Lauds McCain, Reflects on 2008 Campaign” on Spreaker.

Arizona Sen. John McCain died Saturday after more than 50 years in the public eye, first as a prisoner of war in Vietnam and later a member of Congress for more than 35 years.  Frank Donatelli served as deputy chairman of the Republican National Committee during the 2008 campaign when McCain was the GOP nominee.  We discuss McCain’s two bids for the White House, his honorable service in uniform, and his penchant for bucking his party on key votes.  Listen here.

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Filed Under: News & Politics, Podcasts Tagged With: 2008 campaign, Frank Donatelli, John McCain, prisoner of war, Vietnam War

Good GOP Primary Night, Cardinal Sins, McCain Tribute Uproar

August 29, 2018 by GregC

Listen to “Good GOP Primary Night, Cardinal Sins, McCain Tribute Uproar” on Spreaker.

Jim Geraghty of National Review and Greg Corombos of Radio America cheer the results of primaries in Florida and Arizona, pointing out that the GOP enjoyed turnout advantages in both states, and got its best option for holding the Senate seat in Arizona while Democrats nominated an avowed socialist for governor of Florida.  They also unload on a Catholic cardinal from Chicago for suggesting Pope Francis cannot go down “rabbit trails” like rampant allegations of pedophile priests and bishops who covered up the crimes because the pontiff needs to focus more on climate change and building acceptance for migrants.  And they roll their eyes as Democrats and the media (but we repeat ourselves) are horrified that any Republican senator would not immediately rush to rename a Senate office building in honor of John McCain and that any opposition to the idea is an endorsement of the segregationist views of the senator for whom the building is currently named.

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Filed Under: News & Politics, Podcasts Tagged With: 2018 midterms, abuse scandal, Arizona, cardinal, Florida, John McCain, National Review, Pope Francis, Richard Russell, Three Martini Lunch

Trump Trade Deal: Stronger Economy, Higher Prices

August 28, 2018 by GregC

Listen to “Trump Trade Deal: Stronger Economy, Higher Prices” on Spreaker.

The United States and Mexico are on the brink of a new bilateral trade deal that will give a bigger boost to our economy but also leave our wallets a bit emptier, according to a top free market economist.

On Monday, President Trump and Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto announced they reached a consensus on a new trade agreement that Trump hopes will replace the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA, but thus far does not have Canada on board.

The agreement still includes many NAFTA provisions but also makes some important changes.

“Many of the agreements that were in NAFTA are actually in place within this bilateral trade deal, when you think about lowering tariffs and having a lot of freer trade in general.  But the auto sector is one key point that there is definitely a difference compared with NAFTA,” said Vance Ginn, director of the Center for Economic Prosperity at the Texas Public Policy Foundation.

The proposed trade agreement requires that 75 of the parts of all automobiles sold in the U.S. and Mexico must be produced in the two countries.  Currently, the mandate is 62 percent.  The deal further requires that 40-45 percent of the workforce making those parts make a minimum of sixteen dollars per hour.

Ginn sees positives and negatives in the proposal.  For example, he likes the fact that American business will have to do less guessing.

“It decreases the foreign trade uncertainty that’s been out there so long.  That’s why we’ve seen the stock market go up a lot and a lot of these entrepreneurs are saying, ‘You know what?  I can start to budget for the future and make some transactions,'” said Ginn.

He’s also glad to see a badly needed update on internet commerce, which is still based on language crafted in 1994.

“When NAFTA was created, e-commerce wasn’t a big deal and now it really is.  So they put some rules in place that seem to be pretty free-market oriented,” said Ginn.

The problem, according to Ginn, is that stronger mandates on domestic production and hourly wages is not going to be pretty for American consumers.

“This will mean higher prices for auto consumers.  As you raise the cost of doing production from a wage standpoint and a parts of origin standpoint, where the production will take place.  Often times you’ll find the best place to do it based on the lowest costs and the highest quality.  And this seems to take that out a little bit,” said Ginn.

The U.S.-Mexico framework is scheduled to last for 16 years and would be up for review every six years.  However, Ginn is hopeful that Canada will be part of the mix before everything is finalized.

“I do think it is very important to make sure that Canada is part of this agreement.  Canada is a large trading partner for us.  If for some reason they don’t join it as well, I do that would be a negative moving forward,” said Ginn.

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Filed Under: News & Politics, Podcasts Tagged With: auto industry, Mexico, news, President Trump, trade

Public Sides with Trump vs. Brennan, CNN’s Latest Shame, Politics of Room Temperature

August 28, 2018 by GregC

Listen to “Public Sides with Trump vs. Brennan, CNN’s Latest Shame, Politics of Room Temperature” on Spreaker.

Jim Geraghty of National Review and Greg Corombos of Radio America react to a new poll showing nearly 60 percent of Americans supporting President Trump’s decision to revoke the security clearance for former CIA Director John Brennan and even more backing the idea for those fired at the FBI.  They also unload on CNN after after the cable network used anonymous sources to report that President Trump knew of the 2016 Trump Tower meeting with Russians before it happened and claimed Cohen attorney Lanny Davis did not comment for the story.  Davis now says he was the anonymous source and got the story wrong, but CNN stands by its story.  And they have fun with New York gubernatorial candidate Cynthia Nixon demanding the room temperature to be 76 degrees for her debate against Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who likes the room to be much colder.

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Filed Under: News & Politics, Podcasts Tagged With: Andrew Cuomo, CNN, Cynthia Nixon, John Brennan, Lanny Davis, National Review, poll, President Trump, room temperature, security clearance, Three Martini Lunch

McCain: Assessing His Legacy, Media Hypocrisy, Trump’s Reaction

August 27, 2018 by GregC

Listen to “McCain: Assessing His Legacy, Media Hypocrisy, Trump’s Reaction” on Spreaker.

Jim Geraghty of National Review and Greg Corombos of Radio America examine the passing of Arizona Sen. John McCain.  They discuss his military record as well as a legislative career that gave conservatives reasons to cheer and reasons to fume.  They also call out the hypocrisy of the mainstream media, which provided adoring coverage for McCain when he was a thorn in the side of Republicans but trashed him viciously in 2008, when he was the final impediment to an Obama presidency, and at other times when he sided with fellow Republicans.  And they shake their heads as President Trump spikes any sort of White House statement on McCain’s death and the White House raises flags back to full staff.

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Filed Under: News & Politics, Podcasts Tagged With: 2000 campaign, 2008 campaign, John McCain, media, National Review, President Trump, Three Martini Lunch

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