Many here are doubtless aware that Gerry Connolly, the Representative from northern Virginia's 11th District, has long been doing steady yeoman's work - along with Elijah Cummings - to blunt the nefarious purposes of first Darrell Issa, and now Jason Chaffetz, as the evil-lizard Republican chairs of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. It has just come to my attention that Mr. Connolly has also recently done a little something else that demonstrates his willingness to actually walk the walk - not just talk the talk - on behalf of labor solidarity in this country. Past the orange evil-lizard snare below, I will briefly report the event.
Sharknado 3. No, wait - don't run screaming from the room in disgusted horror; at least hear me out. The third installment of this execrable film franchise is currently in production, and it is at least marginally interesting here insofar as the venue for this latest fantastically mindless celebration of physically impossible events is ... Washington, DC. Michele Bachmann, Mark Cuban, and Ann Coulter are all slated to make appearances in this film - as well as other politicians for the moment unknown by name to this reporter. Even Gerry Connolly was scheduled to make a cameo appearance, a prospect he frankly described as "alluring." Then it came to his attention that members of the International Association of Stage and Theatrical Employees (IATSE) were on strike against the production. "I cannot be a party to the firing of a film crew seeking unionization, or its replacement with scab labor," he said, canceling his scheduled shoot for the film. As IATSE President Matthew Loeb wrote, in his letter acknowledging Connolly's action: "With the many challenges facing working men and women and the labor movement across this country, the kind of dedication and leadership you displayed is something we desperately need to see in Washington." Amen. The whole Democratic caucus in Congress should be loud and proud to stand up for the rights and interests of labor in this country, especially in light of what the Walkers, Christies, LePages, Kasiches, Rauners, and etc are nakedly doing day-after-day to hobble and destroy that all-important sector of our economy, at a time when wealth inequality is absolutely off the charts and steadily getting worse. It's just a no-brainer. Kudos and thanks to Gerry Connolly - my Representative in the 114th Congress - for a principled stand that should inspire the whole Party to put Labor prominently on its agenda every single day, going forward.