Maytag Repairman Against Obama

Egalia, over at TGW, justifies the IAM President Tom Buffenbarger's missive against Liberals, by pointing out that he was "justifiably" angry over Obama's inability to control the global marketplace.

Back in 2004, Maytag was thinking about closing up some of their plants and moving them to Mexico (wonder what trade agreement greased that deal?), and Obama (like any Senator) said it shouldn't happen. Well, at the same time, he was getting donations from Lester Crow, who the IAM President falsely claims is the owner of Maytag. Here is Lester's resume from Wikipedia:

Lester controls family holdings, including large stakes in Maytag, Hilton Hotels, Alltell, Aspen Skiing Company, New York's Rockefeller Center, and pro basketball's Chicago Bulls. He also holds a stake in the New York Yankees, being a Partner since 1973. Presumably, the large stake held in Bank One at the time of the 2003 Forbes 400 listing has converted to JPMorgan Chase stock and was derived from an interest in First Chicago, which was enumerated in the 1998 Forbes 400 list as First Chicago NBD shares. Recent achievements include brokering a controversial agreement to expand O'Hare International Airport, and spearheading the funding of the new Cook County Hospital (Stroger Hospital). He is a major benefactor of Jewish charities, universities and the Aspen Institute. He is the chairman of the Commercial Club of Chicago and Chicago Foreign Relations Council.

Basically, the assumption is that Obama should've known this guy's portfolio like the back of his hand, and that somehow if Obama had said, "look, Man, screw the profits, would you do me a solid and keep the plant here?" Then magically these jobs would've stayed in Illinois and everyone would've lived happily ever after.

Sorry folks, that is the downside of global trade; if its less expensive to make the products in a neighboring country, they will likely do it...you gotta problem with that? Take it up with Bubba. The only thing the Government can do at this point is to help the former employees with training for a new industry...and that is what Sen. Obama and Sen. Durbin did. From a press release in 2006:

On May 10, Whirpool announced that it would be closing laundry appliance plants in Illinois, Arkansas and Iowa. The Illinois facility located in Herrin employs 1,000 people and is the backbone of the local economy. Shortly after this announcement, Senators Obama and Durbin wrote to DOL Secretary Elaine L. Chao requesting that the agency be prepared to immediately assist any workers displaced as a result of these closings.

Earlier today, Obama and Durbin were informed by Secretary Chao's office that the DOL is prepared to provide Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) to displaced workers in these communities. TAA will help identify appropriate training programs for displaced workers, and help them obtain reemployment at the conclusion of the training program. To ensure workers are referred to appropriate job openings and placed in jobs that utilize their highest skills, employment counseling, resume writing, interview skills workshops, and job search and relocation allowances will be provided.

As mesmerizing and magical as the sound of Obama's voice may be, it wouldn't have been able to stop the inevitable move of the Maytag plant. Should he have known that one of the many boards Lester Crown sat on happened to be Maytag? Maybe, but even if he did, Crown said that even if Obama had known he was on the board, and had talked with him about the closings, it would've been futile. It was a business decisions, and that is what happens when you have free trade, and shareholder run companies.