Just got Done Watching Lou Dobbs (Pelosi Alert)

[BayCityProgressive]

if this is true I am soooo fucking disgusted with Pelosi. It would just go to show our whole government is bought and paid for. Apparently Pelosi Made a company "Del Monte" immune to paying the new minimum wage in the Samoa. Truly disgusting. The average wage there is 3 fucking dollars.

[shoopnyc]

1. That story makes no sense...

Star Kist are REPUBLICAN CONTRIBUTORS.

[katsy]

2. The panel said it was a mistake.

Pelosi doesn't get $ from sunkist, the repubics do.

They will correct it. Beat the clock Nancy!

[Grateful for Hope]

3. Thanks for letting us know about the correction n/t

[BayCityProgressive]

5. Please

I doubt it was a mistake. She just didn't think she would get caught. The Dems have hammered the GOP for not giving raises to these areas...so how could she overlook it. Even if they don't donate to her they have influence in her district and apparently she didn't want to offend them.

[lapfog_1]

10. American Samoa has NEVER EVER been subject to US

minimum wage law. In order to get Samoa included, the new law would have had to specifically call it out. Nancy said it was and oversight and they are fixing it.

Del Monte (Starkist) is a big repuke contributor, not a Dem. I'm sure that someone from the repuke party will be on the phone with them today explaining why it was important to embarrass Nancy, more important than the money from Del Monte.

[katsy]

11. "She just didn't think she would get caught."

How do you know this? Proof?

No politician has clean hands. Representatives are elected to represent for the interests of their constituents. We all understand this.

American Samoa wages are set by the Dept. of Labor or some special industry and it is a one industry economy. I don't know much more than this or how it affects legiislation.

Unless proven otherwise, I'm giving Nancy the benefit of the doubt here for the 1st 100 hour blitz.

The problem will be corrected. She gets my one pass on this.

[goforit]

4. That would be stupid.....sounds like a set up story.

[Fridays Child]

6. Slow down. Make no mistake about it, Lou Dobbs...

...for all his good work on outsourcing and the war on the Middle Class, hates Liberals. Toward their destruction he will purposely distort things. So, take what he said with a grain of salt. It may not be the whole story. It may not even be true, at all.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

7. You should check out the facts

You can find them on this thread by CatWoman earlier today:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=364&topic_id=3107081

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

8. But it's Lou Dobbs.

LOU DOBBS!

The most honest man in America!

[Lone_Star_Dem]

13. Oh, dear. How could I forget of whom we were speaking?

Next time I swear to keep that in mind before letting such trivial things as facts get in the way. ;)

[katsy]

14. Specifically:

I hope it's okay to repost a post. Here:

Bornaginhooligan (1000+ posts) Fri Jan-12-07 07:02 PM
Response to Original message
7. Hmm

"In a statement in response today, Faleomavaega (American Samoa delegate) said "despite recent claims made by the Washington Post which suggest that American Samoa is exempt from the federal minimum wage process, I wish to set the record straight."
He says since 1956, the Wage and Hour Division of the US Department of Labor has conducted Special Industry Committees every two years in American Samoa to determine minimum wage increases.

"While these Industry Committees have been phased out in other US Territories due to their more diversified economies, American Samoa continues to be a single industry economy. In fact, more than 80% of our private sector economy is dependent either directly, or indirectly, on two U.S. tuna processors, Chicken of the Sea and StarKist. As has been repeatedly stated at our Special Industry Committees, a decrease in production or departure of one or both of the two canneries in American Samoa could devastate the local economy resulting in massive layoffs and insurmountable financial difficulties," the Congressman says.

"For this very reason, I do not support efforts to apply mainland minimums to American Samoa at this time. The truth is the global tuna industry is so competitive that it is no longer possible for the federal government to demand mainland minimum wage rates for American Samoa without causing the collapse of our economy and making us welfare wards of the federal government."

http://www.pacificmagazine.net/news/2007/01/11/america-...

[Lone_Star_Dem]

16. Thank you for pointing that one out

I was on a phone call when I posted the first link and didn't bother to dig it up. me=lazy

Lots of other good info on that thread too, however. :)

[geek_sabre]

9. So much for ending the culture of corruption...

According to wiki, Nancy Pelosi's husband is a primary investor in Del Monte (to the tune of $17 mil)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Del_Monte

[hedda_foil]

15. Interesting. There's nothing in the wiki piece about Del Monte investors.

It's a corporate history stub -- nothing more. Your timing seems to be off. Did you post the smear before the RNC wiki squad got it posted to Wikipedia?

[katsy]

17. oh fer chrispsakes... read about American Samoa above.

[theothersnippywshrub]

22. Untrue. Why are there no honest Bush followers?

Bush's followers, like Bush himself, have no honor or integrity. Why this appeals to people like you I will never understand.

[originalpckelly]

12. Actually, the Political Action Committee or PAC, Del Monte's CEO gave to...

did fund some Democrats:
James Davis, FL
Bob Graham, FL
Alcee Hastings, FL
Earl Hilliard, FL
John Kerry, MA
Sander Levin, MI
Zoe Lofgren, CA
Bill Nelson, FL
Ben Nelson, NE
Loy Sneary, TX
Robert Wexler, FL
John Spratt, SC

But this exemption might have been added as an amendment.

[fairfaxvadem]

18. if this is about American Samoa, that's BS

I know someone who went on the last special committee, which goes to AS periodically to review the whole wage issue with the DoL. This person knows the AS congressional delegate very well also. American Samoa is in a precarious economic position. While my friend supported a wage increase, that was the minority view of the committee that went this past time (and most times previously, as I understand it). This is not a Congressional issue.

[Cleita]

19. Why don't we just keep beating up on Pelosi until we get

another REPUBLICAN congress elected? Why is everyone going off half cocked with these accusations without checking their facts first and posting their sources?

[AndyA]

20. I heard this one from my Republican Father at lunch today.

I told him it sounded like something that was cooked up by Karl Rove to make the new Dem House Leader look bad. I told him Nancy is not a stupid woman; she did not get where she is today by doing stupid things or reckless things.

Then I asked him, "Do you think she would really do something like this, knowing that every GOPer in the country is watching for her to make a mistake or do something they can blow out of proportion?"

I told him I'd get the facts for him, and get back to him on that one. Then I mentioned all the Republicans who have benefitted from our tax dollars in some way, and used their office to do so. The subject was then changed.

[rpgamerd00d]

21. DEBUNKED 3 TIMES HERE TODAY STOP POSTING IT

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=364&topic_id=3107081