Cantor’s Spokesperson Apologizes For Labor Goon Video
Under fire from big labor unions for pushing the labor goon video, GOP Rep Eric Cantor’s spokesperson, Brad Dayspring, sends over an apology and makes it clear that his boss had nothing to do with the whole thing:
“I would like to apologize for a joke that was in no way an official response from Congressman Cantor, but instead an inappropriate email. I apologize to AFSCME for my inappropriate email containing an old video. Let me be clear, we know people are hurting in these trying times and House Republicans completely agree that we must pass an economic recovery bill that preserves, protects and create jobs for Americans facing these economic challenges.”
Dayspring had originally said he intended the vid as a joke that had nothing to do with Cantor, and there were no indications that his boss had known anything about it. But joking about labor amid the economic crisis, at a time when the House GOP opposed the stim package en masse and President Obama is hammering Congress for action, was inevitably going to be depicted by the left as a sign that the GOP leadership is out of touch with the economic pain of ordinary people.
Update: One side tale here that made this more untenable: It turns out Cantor has a history of condemning profanity.
He’s lying, of course.
Shorter Cantor: You know I didn’t intend you to see that. Just like I don’t use the n word in public.
Greg, how come MSM outlets aren’t picking up on this story? You are the only person (besides Huffington Post) which mentions it. Seems like a pretty dumb and offensive move by the GOP, surely it deserves to be reported on in a full news article.
Face it … the video is pretty funny. Profane, yes, but not really anti-union – it shows the union doing all the important but dirty work that nobody else really wants to do. Nothing wrong with that!
Repubs often send out really nasty stuff (like Barack the Magic Negro), but to me this wasn’t demeaning.
I’ve read in the comments at Benen’s place that it is NOT anti-union, it is a parody that has been around for years. The fact that Cantor doesn’t get it and thinks it is anti-union, and that we “lefty blog” folks get outraged is an interesting part of the story.
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It’s an old pro-union clip, and the voice is the original voiceover guy for the official version, not a new voiceover.
The original voiceover guy wrote an alternate script for the original AFSCME ad and recorded it. Apparently, it was an underground union hit for decades before someone uploaded it to youtube.
The fact that Cantor thinks it’s anti-union shows how completely out of touch the Republicans are.
Posted by: ferg on February 11, 2009 at 12:43 PM | PERMALINK
Aside from the profanity, it was a pretty positive image of union activities. I guess the drooling frat boy brigade that came in with Gingrich and Rove are still employed with what’s left of the Republican party. Too bad for them.
Posted by: Curmudgeon on February 11, 2009 at 12:47 PM | PERMALINK
That’s exactly right. My uncle worked for AFSCME and used to pull out a VHS tape w/ both versions, clean and parody, and play them in that order. I hadn’t seen the “tha $*&)#!(@! yoon-yun” version in more than 20 years until I saw it online a few weeks ago. And yes, it’s still awesome.
Maybe Cantor thought he was doing ju-jitsu – useing a clip in which a union spoofs itself to discredit the pro-stimulus union ads? That approach seems not to have worked for him.
Posted by: Sean on February 11, 2009 at 1:02 PM | PERMALINK
The vid? Heh! Just a typical day in Chicago.
What kinda name is “Dayspring”? Is it a translation of “Tagfeder”?
I repeat, Americans United for Change president, Brad Woodhouse, is an Obama operative.
http://obamareport.blogspot.com/2009/02/obama-good-cop-obama-bad-cop.html
Video is not featured on any official AFSCME page: (Shameless plug
AFSCME’s Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/pages/AFSCME/6165653060
You Tube http://www.facebook.com/pages/AFSCME/6165653060
Twitter http://twitter.com/AFSCME
If I were Italian-American I’d be further offended.
Barack the Magic Negro did not come from Republicans. It came from Al Sharpton.
“I repeat, Americans United for Change president, Brad Woodhouse, is an Obama operative.”
Glad to hear it. I like the guy better already.
This a typical Republican. I think Obama has given plenty of room for input. The Democrats are the majority. To my mind the Reubllcans did not allow much of any input during the last 8 years.
They would not compromise on this bill anyway. While they give GW anything he wanted, and balloned the deficit. Now the Dems will be blamed for trying to head off certain calamity caused in part by the Republicans Laize Faire Policies of the last 8 years. Strange how the they yell foul now. I think Obama has tried, they have been the ones who are obstructionist. It is my fondest hope it will come back to haunt them. They can always get advice from Rush. He surely will be their leader. Like leemings they can follow him to the sea of oblivion.
Barack the magic negro was a hoot! Demoncrats are sooooooooo lame they need to dry up and blow away they whine more than the other guys….
The Dumocrats caused this mess to begin with anyways.
Bush had the economy headed for the ditch but Obummer has it going over a cliff! You chuckleheads are sad….
The video was beautiful! You have nothing to apologize to these goons for!
Hmm,… I don’t usually comment but yea. That was good. I concur.
Cantor:Just a thug who thinks he is above the law…that’s all.
He is one of hundreds that WE the People fail to get rid of…
There is no left right..it is a false paradigm..
THEY work for themselves-NOT for us.. wake up sheeple
INFOWARS