Hoffa responds, reaffirms tea party remarks
(CNN) - Teamsters President Jim Hoffa stood by comments he made at an event Monday, where he referred to Republicans as "sons of bitches," after receiving criticism from members of the tea party movement, including Sarah Palin.
In a statement Tuesday, Hoffa said his comments at the event echoed the sentiments of American workers who are "under attack by corporate-funded politicians who want to destroy the middle class."
"We're tired of seeing good-paying jobs shipped overseas. This fight is about the economy, it's about jobs and it's about rebuilding America," Hoffa said. "As I said yesterday in Detroit, we all have to vote in order to take these anti-worker politicians out of office."
Hoffa said his entire speech shows he was "referring to voting out the Tea Party politicians in 2012, not inciting violence against members of Tea Party organizations."
Speaking onstage before the president arrived at a Labor Day rally Monday, he stressed the importance of creating American jobs and in part blamed members of the tea party movement for stalling action in Washington.
"President Obama, we want one thing, jobs, jobs, jobs, jobs, jobs, jobs, jobs, jobs. That is what we are going to tell him," Hoffa said. "And when he sees what we are doing here, he will be inspired. But he needs help and you know what, everybody here has got a vote. If we go back and we keep the eye on the prize. Let's take these son of a bitches out and give America back to America where we belong."
The Tea Party Express quickly responded to the comments in an email to supporters and Chairwoman Amy Kremer told CNN Tuesday the comments were "disgraceful."
"This is essentially calling for violence," Kremer said on CNN "Newsroom." "Anybody that says let's 'take out these SOBs,' that is absurd and not the language we should be using when we're having these conversations."
Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin took to her Facebook page to criticize the comments as "outrageously wrong."
- CNN's Dan Merica contributed to this report.
Keep hammering them Hoffa,.. they like to dish it out, but can't take it. Organized labor needs to go on the offensive,.. call out morons like Palin ,Bachmann, DeMint and Joe Walsh. Workers are consumers,.. by the same token, they need decent paying jobs. The country needs a strong middle class,.. it's what fuels the economy. Republicans and Tea Partiers are anti workers, and definitely anti middle class,.. throw the bums out.
Impeach hussein obama – this country is in dire need of a leader not a liar.
2012 cant come soon enough!
Hee-hee. Pack your bags for Canada or China then because Obama will win re-election. The nation is slowly coming to realize that the tea party is not good for America. America has no place for racial strife and hatred; we've been through that already. It's the tea party congress that will only have one term – not President Obama.
Since when do people care what thugs and criminals say. All power to Hoffa who comes from the biggest scumbag ever in organized labor and that is a big accomplishment. The more he talks the better it is for everyone that is not associated with him. You won't see any politcians running out to hold hands with this dirtbag unless they are done serving or are from one of the loser ultra high unemployment union states.
When I read the hatred spewed from the little troll hoffa, It makes me proud to be self employed. You union ilk must be very proud of your boss.
What a moron. Only to a rich elitist liberal democrat union leader would asking for a fiscally responsible government get turned into a declaration of war. I never knew that forcing people to join a union and pay dues is what the union movement was about? The rest of us (the majority) are working Americans and we are not in unions. We fund our own retirement and we pay for our benefits. How about unions start doing the same?
Amen!!!!!! Glad somebody finally had the nerve to say it.
Uh, why would "corporate-funded politicians" want to destroy the corporations' best customers?
Rampant paranoia...
John K: " Union Punks"? When have union people been out attacking Tea party types? Have they brought guns to rallies? Has anyone suggested killing Palin, or Rick Perry, the way a person at Rep. Broun's town meeting earlier this year did? The only ones threatening violence are the Tea Party, and no amount of PR or spin can change their miserable record of that. How about when Ted Nugent said the President coulf "...suck my machine gun". Is this the level of rhetoric and hate they really feel? Well, guess what: you called down the thunder, now you've got it. The Tea Party will be finished after the enxt election.
Typical union thug. Hoffa and this union buddies are making the US a terrible place to live and work. They have driven manufacturing over seas and have led to the demise of the working man. Good job Hoffa.
Union punks should think twice about attempting to intimidate the Tea Party. In a period of just over two years the Tea Party has manged to change the political discourse in the United States. They have 0bama and the Democrats on their heels.
The Tea Party is a racist/facist organization disguised as "angry Americans" and "grassroots organization." Not true at all. You are right that they have caused political discourse in this country. They are a hypocritical group with no shame. We will take these tea party SOB's out at the pols though.
"These union idiots will never understand that the reason the jobs are being shipped overseas is because the unions(with their demands) and the democrats(with their policies) are driving companies away from here."
They don't understand it because accepting the truth of it implies what is to them the unthinkable: that unions have become basically parasitical and that the entire economic philosophy of the left has utterly failed, around the world, wherever it's been tried.
That's right, I said it...you go Hoff...lets take back America form the Red Neck Right.
Since 2010, it looks like a battle between those who graduated the third grade versus the Tea Party – the lying bigots who didn’t.
Now for Sarah to say this is a bad statement is rich, real rich!
Hey emma the teabaggers call themselves strict constitutionalist Then they call for the president to reign in Mr Hoffas comments I understand they are a moronic mob of racists but last I checked there is an ammendment in the constitution protecting free speach Shows you what kind of govt we would suffer under if these idiots ever took over when the loudmouth idiot from texas (come to think of it is there any other kind of texan?)Rick Perry said texas should suceed from the union if I was Pres he would of found himself being cuffed the next morning by US marshals for inciting treason You and your ilk are a bunch of bigots their are a lot more workers than corporate scum in this country keep dumping on them and you just might find them at the palace gates with the gallows ready for you right wing SOBS
What is amazing to me is that those ridiculous tea bag pepole carry around signs with depictions of President Obama as Adolph Hitler or call him a terrorist and they think that is fine. It's is too bad there is not a padded room large enought to hold these kooks. Well done Mr. Hoffa – these pukes can not take a dose of their own medicine.
Hey Sarah, how are those cross hairs working out for you?
Better hide Jimmy, the baggers got you in their gun sight while they pray for forgiveness for what they are about to do.
They claim to be the true working man's America.
Yeah, & Hoffa is a lying, jerk, Thug........and to think; Liberals get upset when Hussein Obambi is called what he really is; a SOCIALIST! The unions think they can muscle their way into anything........when what unions are, no more or less, a PONZI scheme where crooks like Hoffa leach off others!