Dec 21, 2010

Mitch “puppet of the rich” McConnell named Scrooge of Year


Senate Minority Leader Mitch “Yertle the Turtle” McConnell, R-KY., was named Scrooge of Year in Jobs with Justice’s eleventh annual national contest to determine the greediest, most cold-hearted person or company of the year.

A small number of Senators, led by rightwing Mitch “puppet of the rich” McConnell, have spent this Congressional session aggressively blocking almost all legislation from passing, especially laws that would help working people, and those actions led him to take 42 percent of the thousands of votes cast. He was also responsible for the decision to block the bill to provide medical care to rescue workers who became ill as a result of breathing in toxic fumes, dust and smoke at the site of the World Trade Center attack in 2001.

“The Daily Show’s” John Stewart called McConnell out on his refusal to help dying first responders on the show by showing a clip of McConnell crying over retiring Sen. Judd Gregg, R-NH, yet he stiffs dying first responders who will not live to retire.

“We hope that by being elected national Scrooge of the Year, Senator McConnell will see the ‘Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come’ and understand the dire consequences that his actions will have for generations of Americans,” said Sarita Gupta, National Jobs with Justice Executive Director.

The Kentucky chapter of Jobs with Justice plans to deliver the Scrooge of the Year award in person to Senator McConnell’s offices in Louisville.

Those with a heart not as cold as McConnell‘s, at least this year, was runner up the Health Insurance and Pharmaceutical industry. Their single-minded focus on profits at the expense of our health won them 22 percent of the vote. Hyatt Hotels won 10 percent of the vote for attempts to eliminate quality healthcare and make the recession permanent for its employees, and for their safety record.

Other nominees included Rite Aid, Publix and Giumarra Vineyards. The contest also allowed write in votes, and popular write-in candidates were Honeywell CEO Dave Cote and Del Monte Fresh.

In addition to the national Scrooge of the Year contest, each year local Jobs with Justice coalitions across the country hold Scrooge of the Year elections to determine the most deserving greedy Scrooge in their hometowns. This year’s local winners include: Marsh Supermarkets in Indianapolis; US Chamber of Commerce CEO Thomas Donohue in Washington, DC, Governor Jan Brewer in Tucson; Pinnacle Entertainment in St. Louis, MO, and Rex Sinquefield in Kansas City.

Jobs with Justice is a national organization with the vision of lifting up workers’ rights and struggles as part of a larger campaign for economic and social justice and worker‘s rights.

1 comment:

Motor City Liberal Returns said...

The only bright side to the last election that the boner and the turtle can't hide and shoot spit balls at the President and the Democrats.At least in the house boner has to lead and we know he's going to failed because he doesn't know how to lead. As for the turtle I hope we spent the next two years highlighting this douche.