File this in the “Are you effing kidding me???!” file:
Republicans Go ‘Nah, Nah, Nah’ and Ban Word ‘Labor’ from Committee
Petty. Petty. Petty. With major issues like jobs and the economy straining for attention, House Republican leaders took a big step to solving the nation’s problems when they boldly acted—drum roll, please—to change the name of the Education and Labor Committee to the Education and Workforce Committee.Give me a bleedin’ break. They so hate the word “labor” because after all, it’s often followed by the word “union.” OMG!
The Washington Wire has more:
For years, the committee was called Education and Labor. But when Newt Gingrich and the Republicans took over the House in 1994, they wanted to show that there was a new sheriff in town—and he was not a pro-labor sheriff.So they changed the name to the Committee on Economic and Educational Opportunities. Unfortunately, no one knew what that meant, nor could anyone remember the name. So it was soon changed to Education and the Workforce.
“Workforce” is a term employers are likely to use, while “labor” is more evocative of the union movement—after all, they call it the American Federation of Labor. So when the Democrats recaptured the House in 2006, they changed the name of the committee back.
I took a look at the new website for the Education and Labor Workforce Committee and was really shocked at their blog. It reads like some of the most right-wing websites you’ll ever have the misfortune to look at. It’s exceedingly anti-Obama and uses phrases like “ObamaCare” and refers to President Obama’s “progressive pals”. Unbelievably unprofessional from a governmental body. I understand that they are opposed to our President. But I was really angered to see such outright and obvious disdain and derision.
This is going to be a looo-ooong two years…
I’m just sayin’…
