Union Head Disses Dead Fire Fighter's Mates

What a Schaitberger! Harold Schaitberger, head of the International Association Of Fire Fighters, that is. Want to see how political he can be? Pretty revolting, actually. While Charleston was burying nine of its fire fighters after a recent tragedy, all this Schaitberger could do was try to score political points and complain because he wasn't running the show for the funeral.

This was a letter that was recently put out by International Association of Fire Fighters General President Harold Schaitberger regarding the Memorial Service for the 9 members of the Charleston, South Carolina Fire Department who were killed in the line of duty.

... the memorial service for the nine Charleston fire fighters, who died in the line of duty Monday evening, doesn't seem to be very organized and up to the IAFF's normal standards for funerals and memorials.

The reason for this is simple.  The IAFF is not in charge of this service.  Let me be very clear and frank about the situation in Charleston.  This is an openly anti-union city that is hostile towards the IAFF.

To give John Kerry his union's support in the last election, he surveyed the membership. But he didn't bother to ask them who they supported:

But how did the IAFF decide who they were going to support? Many in the public would believe that the members were given the opportunity to voice their opinion. Nothing could be further from the truth.

So, who were the individuals filling out these “surveys??" I have heard there were 800 participants, but I have not found one.

I have found, however, that it was not really a “survey” in the usual sense. What these elusive members were given was not a list of candidates, but they were asked about what “attributes” they would like to see in a President.

How convenient is that for a man like Harold Schaitberger? After sending out a “survey” for his political cover, Harold Schaitberger then gets to decide which candidate fulfills the list of attributes these members desire.

Now sadly this Schaitberger is capitalizing on another tragedy to take a swipe at Rudy Giuliani as a result of 9/11. No matter the nominee, we know who he'll be alleging his union supports come 2008 - Hillary. Like I said, what a Schaitberger, indeed. The IAFF admits its a political video here via YouTube.

Calling the video a "mockumentary," (Giuliani) campaign spokesman Michael McKeon said, "the union leadership makes Michael Moore look like Edward R. Murrow."

Comments

[bbbustard]

Amazing.Did you forget to mention that since the Kerry endorsement, he has been re-elected? I guess you forgot. The rank and file obviously did not feel misrepresented. You act as if a totally partisan site is proof of something - Fire Fighters for Bush?
New York Fire Fighters despise Giuliani - they are still mad that they did not have functional radios, and that the remains of so many of them are in the dump in Staten Island. You can play all the games about who endorsed who, see how biased they are, blah, blah, but these guys are pissed that their brothers lay dead in a dump. It's not always political gamesmanship - people are pissed that their son's remains are next to soiled Pampers. Is this too hard for you to understand? Is it too hard for you to comprehend that they thought 8 years was enough time for Giuliani's administration to provide them with functional radios?
Maybe it's cause I'm from New York, but your fondness for playing political games with 9/11 really annoys me.

[tally]

IAFF is claiming the firefighters didn't follow the correct procedures for fighting the fire (join our union or you might die). Yet, we had deaths when Mr. Shitberger's rules were followed (9/11). Anyway, The Sofa Super Store's lot is going to be a park with a memorial to honor the Charleston firefighters.