Steelworkers Don’t Like Scrapple

As it happens, I was hanging out with some steelworkers earlier this month. Among other things, we were talking about the field trip they’re planning for us blogger types during Netroots Nation to a spangly new steel factory in Pittsburgh. I suggested that the Senate race might be a really good way to focus some attention on the plight of American manufacturing.

At the time, they thought the presumed senate race between Arlen "Used to be Haggis but is now Scrapple" Specter and Joe Sestak wouldn’t be that big a deal–that Scrapple would embrace labor friendly policies to make sure it wasn’t. 

I guess not.

PA-Sen: Sestak Cheered By Steelworkers, Specter Disinvited

By Chris Bowers

At first glance, Joe Sestak reiterating that he is a co-sponsor of the Employee Free Choice Act while speaking at a United Steelworkers conference doesn’t seem like much of a news story. As the title of this post implies, however, there is something that made it very interesting:

U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak keeps increasing the likelihood that he’ll challenge Sen. Arlen Specter for the Democratic Senate nomination next year.

On Sunday, he told the United States Steelworkers Legislative Conference in Atlantic City that he backs the Employee Free Choice Act, the proposed law that would make it easier for unions to organize.

The catch is that Senator Arlen Specter did not speak at this event. In fact, he was disinvited.

Here is the full story, courtesy of an email exchange with Jim Savage, who is President of a Steelworkers local here in Philadelphia:

  • "The Senator [Arlen Specter] was invited & confirmed as the keynote speaker."
  • "There was quite an uproar when we found out. He was uninvited because of the rank-and-file reaction."
  • "Also, it’s worth noting that the Senator was none too happy about it."
  • At that point, Sestak was then invited. Before he spoke, he was "introduced to the delegates as "our next Senator" to a rousing ovation."
  • The general sentiment toward Specter was "fuck’m." [my emphasis]

See? We’re not the only ones who can’t stomach Scrapple.

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17 replies
  1. orionATL says:

    i hope to god specter gets put on his sorry ass by penn voters.

    aren’t they feed up with his anything-to-keep-me-in-power approach to representing pa in the senate.

    • RevDeb says:

      Only if the asswipe powers that be “allow” a primary.

      Not seeing much love for Snarlin’ in the circles in which I travel

      We shall see.

      • joanneleon says:

        RevDeb, my “sources” tell me there will be a primary whether the powers that be allow it or not There has been a lot of pressure, but Sestak is not backing down.

  2. hayduke says:

    well ahem, you know, historically the Haggis saga was pretty late in the lunacy. He should be sent home for being the author of the ’single bullet theory’ adapted by that bastion of truth, the Warren Commission.

    So Scrapple has been out of sync for some time now.

    Another undeniable sideline will be Rep Sestak’s own stances on the important issues of the day.

  3. cbl2 says:

    a little drive by O/T for bmaz

    A breakaway Formula One series was averted when Max Mosley ceded to the rebel teams’ demand that a planned budget cap be scrapped and the FIA president said he won’t seek re-election.

    linkage

  4. MrToad says:

    hey! hey, there! There’s nothing wrong with scrapple in and of itself – I happen to love it, even though I honestly can’t eat it any more for health reasons (ie I want to stay somewhat healthy). Fried up good, and with applesauce or syrup (depending on your tastes), it’s one of the most delicious things I’ve ever eaten.
    Specter, on the other hand, looks pretty unappetizing to me, even thinking of him as soup stock.

    • emptywheel says:

      To be honest, I love scrapple too, but then I also like haggis.

      Never tried it with applesauce–I’ll have to try it. My family eats it with homemade “chili sauce” (which is really ketchup, I think).

      • SparklestheIguana says:

        Wow. You should’ve been on “I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here” with Patti Blagojevich. She ate a tarantula. Maybe the two of you could go head to head.

  5. fatster says:

    O/T or back to secret surveillance:

    Rights group sues FBI to reveal its surveillance rules
    BY DANIEL TENCER 

Published: June 24, 2009 
Updated 3 hours ago

    “A digital privacy watchdog group has filed suit against the Department of Justice in an attempt to make public new FBI surveillance rules that allow the bureau to spy on Americans even without any suspicion of terrorist activities.”

    http://rawstory.com/08/news/20…..nce-rules/

  6. fatster says:

    O/T or back to torture. Whazzis?

    Obama Task Force on Torture Considers CIA-FBI Interrogation Teams
    Proposal Implicitly Lowers CIA Status on Questioning Terror Suspects

    By SPENCER ACKERMAN 6/24/09 6:00 AM

    “The task force charged with fleshing out President Obama’s ban on torture in interrogations is likely to recommend the creation of small, mixed-agency teams for interviewing the most important terrorist targets. Representing an implicit demotion of the CIA, which currently has responsibility for interrogating high-level terrorists, the teams would report jointly to the attorney general and the director of national intelligence, according to officials familiar with the proposal.”

    http://washingtonindependent.c…..ions-teams

  7. fatster says:

    It gets worse.

    Sanford’s “Spiritual Giant”
    Who is Cubby Culbertson?

    By Meredith Simons
    Posted Wednesday, June 24, 2009, at 5:14 PM ET

    “Near the end of South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford’s jarringly open confessional press conference Wednesday, as the event deteriorated into a storm of questions, interruptions, and half-answers, Sanford paused to give a shout-out. “I see Cubby Culbertson in the back of the room,” Sanford said. “I would consider him a spiritual giant.” Someone tried to interrupt him, but Sanford pressed on: “And an incredibly dear friend. And he has been helping us work through this over these last five months. And Cubby, I want to say thank you for being there as a friend.”

    “So, who is this spiritual giant who for five months has been advising the governor? Warren “Cubby” Culbertson is a pillar of the Christian community in South Carolina’s capital, a Bible study leader and Sunday school teacher who owns a court reporting business.

    “Culbertson helped form a men’s Bible study group with the help of good friend Bill Jones, the president of the evangelical college Columbia International University. “

    http://www.slate.com/id/2221334/

  8. Mauimom says:

    •At that point, Sestak was then invited. Before he spoke, he was “introduced to the delegates as “our next Senator” to a rousing ovation.”
    •The general sentiment toward Specter was “fuck’m.” [my emphasis]

    I would think “your emphasis” would be that last phrase, rather than the highlighted part.

  9. joanneleon says:

    Excellent. I use the “Scottish Haggis” nickname around here sometimes but nobody gets it. I think “Scrapple” will be more familiar but require even more explanation!

    I’d love to join you for the side trip to the steel mill at NN09. Please count me in if it’s an open invitation type thing.

    My S.O. and I have been strong supporters of Sestak from the early days of his first run. We’ve started an ActBlue campaign called “Sink Specter”. For people who are going to donate to Joe Sestak for this primary, please consider sending the funds through our Sink Specter campaign. (All the funds end up in the same place — Sestak’s campaign fund).

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