Have the 'Occupiers' Become Big Labor's Occupying Army?

Back in September, Teamsters chief James Hoffa presented the president with a gift:

While warming up a Labor Day crowd in Detroit before a speech by President Obama, Hoffa said unions should fight a “war” with tea partiers and congressional Republicans. “President Obama, this is your army,” Hoffa declared. “We are ready to march. Let’s take these sons of bitches out and take America back to where America we belong.”

Two days later, AFL-CIO chief Richard Trumka, who was present at Hoffa’s remarks and said that he agreed with the sentiment, was First Lady Michelle Obama’s special guest to watch President Obama address a joint session of Congress to pitch his jobs bill. The president himself has also not repudiated either Hoffa’s “war” remarks or his statement that the unions are Obama’s “army.”

Now a month later, former Obama “green czar” Van Jones is leading the Occupy Wall Street movement. The unions, as I reported yesterday, have locked arms with the occupiers. One of the unions that is leading the way, the United Federation of Teachers, is an AFL-CIO affiliate.

So perhaps it’s time to call this camping scruffian protest what it is: An occupying army.