Leftist bloggers are questioning Ed Schultz’s commitment to unions, despite his pro-labor reputation (and hefty labor-union honorariums). But the radicals at Firedoglake are making trouble by reading into his Tuesday statement on MSNBC that “I’ll look you right in the eye tonight and tell you I support workers in every workplace in America when it comes to fair share, collective bargaining, and the vote.” He's taking sides against his corporate overlords at NBC?
“So why is Ed Schultz telling viewers to look him in the eye as he pledges fealty to workers rights? The answer is due to a little known labor dispute going on within the NBCUniversal/Comcast media empire that has some on the left questioning Schultz’s commitment to workers.” FDL also pointed out Schultz’s verbal battling with leftist labor hacks and radio hosts like David Sirota:
Chief among the critics are Mike Elk, Josh Eidelson, and David Sirota. Elk called into Schultz’s radio show to ask if Schultz would stand with workers at Peacock Productions a long-form production unit for NBC News. Workers there are looking to unionize and seek better compensation. Schultz was initially evasive and the conversation turned nasty with a focus on personal comments made by Shultz regarding Sirota, Eidelson, and ultimately Elk of having “income envy.”
Schultz claimed he and one of his critics, David Sirota, had an extensive and acrimonious personal history from their “Denver days” which seems to refer to a conflict over the legality and usefulness for journalistic investigation of the killing of Osama Bin Laden. Schultz called into Sirota’s radio show and eventually told him to “go to hell” on air.
Sirota thinks Schultz is a phony convert and Obama hack, which could just be bitterness since MSNBC didn't give him a show to attack Obama from the left (as Cenk Uygur discovered he couldn't do).
Here is Schultz's vague statement about "every workplace in America":
