Michigan rams through anti-union law

>>> show." one thing about republicans, they never give up. there's an assault on middle class workers in the state of michigan . it's a replay of what happened in wisconsin. rick snider backed by the cokoch brothe brothe brothers, michigan republicans rammed through right to work legislation. it problems prohibits paying union dues . the bill is expected to pass next week. this is a complete political attack by governor snider. he never campaigned on a right to work law and the bill passed with little or no debate. that's what's infearuating people. republicans used a dirty trick to involve a recall vote on the law. they included spending in the bill laws with spending can't be overturned by a citizen vote such as a referral. so this sneak attack on labor has people in michigan absolutely outraged. took a lot of calls on it on the radio show . protesters stormed the capital on thursday. police used pepper spray on protesters and eight arrested were made. governor snider claims his right to work law isn't bad for unions?

>> i do not view this as something against the unions. i support the unions in many regards. i support their right to organize. i encourage them to present the best cases.

>> the governor is dead wrong. when right to work laws pass, union membership goes down along with workers wages. this is part of the republican effort to dismantle the democratic base by union busting . let's bring in lansing mayor. you're steaming about this. you just heard what the governor said. he wants to encourage the unions and encourages people to join.

>> it's the ultimate double speak. democracy is under attack. it's not hyperbolic to say democracy is under attack. to attack them, they are locking people out of the capital. they are using state police . those weren't my police that maced folks. they are using state police to block people from entering the capital. i don't blame the individual officers. their orders come from them. so it's an assault on democracy in so many ways. you talk about the fiscal cliff earlier in the show. many families facing the fiscal cliff. the biggest organization leading the fight to help working families has been the unions. that's been the equalizer. we know the top six states in unemployment are right to work states. what are we doing to promote? what is the governor doing to help grow the economy. it has nothing to do with raight to work. it's very underhanded the way they are going about it with no debate.

>> they are doing this in a lame duck session .

>> you see the time. they are out shopping thinking about the holidays and trying to do this in a matter of days. they have suspended the rules and violated their own rules. not allowed any public debate . they are saying this has been debated for years. bull. there's been no debate. let's talk about right to work. let's talk about what it means. it's right to work for less. it's completely undemocratic when the majority of people vote, you know what it is. i'm not sure they know what right to work means. the fact is it's antidemocratic. when the majority of a company, the major tip of workers say we want a union, there ought to be a union and everybody should pay for it because they are going to benefit. what they are talking about with this choice, that's like me saying if i don't like the president, i shouldn't have to pay my taxes. it's a majority rule .

>> the governor thinks right to work laws create jobs. here he is earlier today.

>> this could be good for economic development . more jobs coming to michigan . we have watched what's going on in indiana . they have seen many more companies look at indiana , siting this as one of the factors that they did it in february. they could have thousands more jobs because they became a right to work state.

>> your response to that?

>> that's absolute crap. they have a governor who is working his butt off to bring jobs back to indiana . i have been around. i'm bringing jobs from italy and other places. and nobody asks about right to work. give me a break. the unions helped create the middle class . the fact is that right to work states have worse education. they have worse performance, higher unemployment. the facts just don't back the governor up. this is a governor that prides himself on having the facts.

>> bob king blamed the koch brothers for helping ram through this legislation. what roeld role did they play in any of this?

>> there's a lot of big money involved. i see this prosperity america. that's their outfit. i see equipment and so on. i don't know how much money is flowing around. i think they are all over. you have been on this before. we have to get the big corporate money out of politics. this is disgusting. i tell you democracy is under attack. we have to get the big corporate money out. it's disgusting to think the koch brothers money can make it happen. working people are under attack. i believe there will be repercussions.

>> in what way?

>> the governor is making a huge mistake. i know 14 is a ways off, but this governor, as you said, did not campaign on this. he said little about anything he would do. but he said this wasn't on his agenda. but now suddenly it is. i wonder why? i wonder what changed? so i think that there will be repercussi repercussions. i hope he won't be back.

>> good to have you with us on the program tonight. tha thanks so much.

>>> a last hch ditch effort is underway to get republican support behind the violence against women act . will it work? that's next.