Conservatives Use Auto Rescue To Engage In Union Busting Campaign from Think Progress

Late last night, Senate Republicans blocked a deal brokered by the White House and the Democratic leadership to extend a $15 billion loan to General Motors and Chrysler. Senators were "deadlocked over Republican demands for steep cuts in pay and benefits by the United Automobile Workers union in 2009." Republicans immediately blamed unions. "It sounds like the U.A.W. blew it up," said Sen. David Vitter (R-LA). Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL) said, "[L]abor has got to give. If they want a bill they can get one."

Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) — who introduced the pay-cut amendment that sank the agreement — took to the morning shows today to blame the UAW for supposedly refusing to make concessions and allowing "these companies to fall into peril":

As I wake up this morning, knowing the gravity of where we were, the fact that they were willing to make no concessions — zero — and let these companies fall into peril as they are now, to me, as I wake up today, it's pretty surreal actually.

Watch a compilation of conservatives pointing the finger at unions:

rest at http://thinkprogress.org/2008/12/12/blame-unions-watch/