McCain Campaign Uses Slave Labor in Alabama

[Troubadour]

Prisoners from an Alabama jail were apparently used as free labor to set up a McCain campaign event.

http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/news/120904552360150.xml&coll=2

McCain also apparently received an 80% discount on the fee to use public facilities for the event - a discount not granted to Democrats.

[PostmodernProphet]

excellent idea.....do you think they filed a patent on it yet?......perhaps it isn't too late....

[Troubadour]

excellent idea.....do you think they filed a patent on it yet?......perhaps it isn't too late....

Patent on what? The slave labor, or the theft of public funds?

[BoogyMan]

Using those repaying a debt to society to setup an event is slave labor?

Given the choice of sitting in a cell or being out in the sun and getting to do something, I would GUARANTEE you that those inmates would choose the later.

Slave labor? This is a joke, right?

[Elrathin]

I wouldn't complain about the inmates setting up the event, but I think it is wrong to charge Dems full price while McCain's campaign gets a discount.

[Alonzo]

Can I have a slave too? It's not fair that McCain gets a whole bunch and I don't even get one. :(

[Buck Laser]

Using those repaying a debt to society to setup an event is slave labor?

Given the choice of sitting in a cell or being out in the sun and getting to do something, I would GUARANTEE you that those inmates would choose the later.

Slave labor? This is a joke, right?
I hope you'd feel the same way if the inmates had been setting up an event for a democratic candidate.

[Easy90]

Since most inmates in America are Democrats, I think it's particularly outrageous that they were used for McCain's benefit. However, unless they do things different in Alabama (and who knows?)...inmate labor crews always come from volunteers who are happy to get out of their cells to do most anything. Even work to benefit a Republican.

[Elrathin]

Since most inmates in America are Democrats,..

Got anything to back that claim up?

[PostmodernProphet]

I wouldn't complain about the inmates setting up the event, but I think it is wrong to charge Dems full price while McCain's campaign gets a discount.

no kidding.....who screwed up and let the Dems use the property at all.....

[Elrathin]

no kidding.....who screwed up and let the Dems use the property at all.....

Wow someone on the right calling for censorship of the left. No surprise there.

[BoogyMan]

I hope you'd feel the same way if the inmates had been setting up an event for a democratic candidate.

It doesn't matter to me WHO they setup or do work for Buck, they are working, and that is the extent of the validity of this thread. There is no slave labor being used.

[Easy90]

Got anything to back that claim up?

Just a clear perspective and the ability to observe reality. Oh...and the fact that there's been a movement sponsored by Democrats to get laws changed all over the country to allow inmates and convicted felons to vote. I doubt they would be pushing that if they didn't know pretty much how they would vote...don't you think?

[Elrathin]

Just a clear perspective and the ability to observe reality. Oh...and the fact that there's been a movement sponsored by Democrats to get laws changed all over the country to allow inmates and convicted felons to vote. I doubt they would be pushing that if they didn't know pretty much how they would vote...don't you think?

Ah ok so your comment is just baseless righty rhetoric with no amount of truth, got it thanks.

[PostmodernProphet]

Wow someone on the right calling for censorship of the left. No surprise there.

It's for your own good, El...imagine if some young person happened to attend a Democrat rally....and they heard something and believed it was actually true.....then they spent a significant portion of their life living under that illusion....when they finally came to their senses and realized they had been duped, they would resent you.....I know you wouldn't want that burden hanging over you, so I am trying to protect you....

[Troubadour]

no kidding.....who screwed up and let the Dems use the property at all.....

Yeah, taxpayers shouldn't be allowed to use public facilities. Only Republicans should.

[Troubadour]

Using those repaying a debt to society to setup an event is slave labor?

What do you call it? "Freedom Patriotic Labor"?


Given the choice of sitting in a cell or being out in the sun and getting to do something, I would GUARANTEE you that those inmates would choose the later.

I'm sure the sheriff with the shotgun and mirrored sunglasses "guaranteed" it too. Pump the shotgun, then say "Ah'm lookin' fer some...volunteers, heh heh."


Slave labor? This is a joke, right?

Oh, sure - slavery is a barrel of laughs, especially in Alabama.

[lily]

I wouldn't complain about the inmates setting up the event, but I think it is wrong to charge Dems full price while McCain's campaign gets a discount.

It was Monday's rate........not much going on on Mondays. I remember this rate discussion being held when the Petraus ad came out and Rudy got a special rate for it also being on a weekday.

[BoogyMan]

What do you call it? "Freedom Patriotic Labor"?

I'm sure the sheriff with the shotgun and mirrored sunglasses "guaranteed" it too. Pump the shotgun, then say "Ah'm lookin' fer some...volunteers, heh heh."

Oh, sure - slavery is a barrel of laughs, especially in Alabama.

You haven't proven that it is slavery and it certainly is better for those men than having them sit in a cell and stare at the walls. These men are prisoners and if the prison requires that they work, so be it. I would imagine that they do other types of labor as well.

[Phyxius]

It's still a political event. Regardless of which party the event was for, state employees (the guards), and wards of the state (the prisoners) should not have been involved.

[BoogyMan]

It's still a political event. Regardless of which party the event was for, state employees (the guards), and wards of the state (the prisoners) should not have been involved.

Municipalities and state entities such as state universities host political events all the time Phyxius. Unless you plan to shut those activities down I don't think you have much to stand on here.

[PostmodernProphet]

It was Monday's rate........not much going on on Mondays. I remember this rate discussion being held when the Petraus ad came out and Rudy got a special rate for it also being on a weekday.

????...I thought it was the Dems that got the special rate.....

[lily]

Thinking back, I think they both got the standby rate.

[apdst]

I hope you'd feel the same way if the inmates had been setting up an event for a democratic candidate.

I wouldn't have a problem in the world with them doing the same thing for a Democrat event. I agree with Elrathins comment that if they are going to do it for McCain, they should do the same for a Democrat, as well.

[Troubadour]

and it certainly is better for those men than having them sit in a cell and stare at the walls.

A lot of things would be better for them than being in an Alabama jail, but they were in an Alabama jail, and in most cases probably for things they did. It's likely most of them appreciated the break, but why do people serving duly given sentences get a break from jail because the jailer is a Republican looking to give his candidate someone else's helping hand? Moreover, are we just supposed to believe on faith that if any prisoner didn't want to help out, that he could safely say no to an ethically-challenged Alabama Republican jail warden? That sounds, at best, like a recipe for a beatdown.


These men are prisoners and if the prison requires that they work, so be it. I would imagine that they do other types of labor as well.

So even though you're skeptical of whether this incident constituted slave labor, you're okay with the general concept of slavery. In Alabama, of all places. Nice. Real nice, BoogyMan.

[BoogyMan]

A lot of things would be better for them than being in an Alabama jail, but they were in an Alabama jail, and in most cases probably for things they did. It's likely most of them appreciated the break, but why do people serving duly given sentences get a break from jail because the jailer is a Republican looking to give his candidate someone else's helping hand? Moreover, are we just supposed to believe on faith that if any prisoner didn't want to help out, that he could safely say no to an ethically-challenged Alabama Republican jail warden? That sounds, at best, like a recipe for a beatdown.

Who cares whether or not the prisoners WANTED to work? They are in prison for a reason and are to do what they are told to do in aid of serving out their sentences.


So even though you're skeptical of whether this incident constituted slave labor, you're okay with the general concept of slavery. In Alabama, of all places. Nice. Real nice, BoogyMan.

Where did you get that? Prisoners have historically had to do some kind of work and this situation is simply that, work. The assertion that this is slavery is completely ridiculous.

[Troubadour]

Who cares whether or not the prisoners WANTED to work?

So after quibbling with whether it was slavery, now it's "who cares"?


They are in prison for a reason and are to do what they are told to do in aid of serving out their sentences.

So being Kunta Kinte for John McCain is a rehabilitation strategy? Wow, and I just thought it was some sleazy Alabama Republican jailer acting the part by abusing authority.


Prisoners have historically had to do some kind of work

They've also historically had limbs chopped off. Let's keep the discussion within the confines of civilization, shall we?


The assertion that this is slavery is completely ridiculous.

Forced labor is not slavery? Hmm. So it's just Wal-Mart without the insulting pretense. Interesting.

[BoogyMan]

So after quibbling with whether it was slavery, now it's "who cares"?

This is a red herring, you should learn about fallacy. I pointed to the FACT that it isn't slavery.


So being Kunta Kinte for John McCain is a rehabilitation strategy? Wow, and I just thought it was some sleazy Alabama Republican jailer acting the part by abusing authority.

He abused authority by having prisoners setup for a public event? You really should pick a topic that you can prove and can backup Troubadour. You really have NOTHING to stand on here.


They've also historically had limbs chopped off. Let's keep the discussion within the confines of civilization, shall we?

Prisoners is America have historically had limbs chopped off? You cannot rely on your own belief to support an argument, show me where American prisoners are being mangled as you assert and you *might* be able to salvage this, elsewise it is little more than your own say so.


Forced labor is not slavery? Hmm. So it's just Wal-Mart without the insulting pretense. Interesting.

We are not talking about free Americans being forced into labor, we are talking about prisoners having to work while in prison and you falsely branding it slavery. There is a huge difference.

[Troubadour]

This is a red herring, you should learn about fallacy. I pointed to the FACT that it isn't slavery.

Oh, you begged the question rather than changing the subject?


He abused authority by having prisoners setup for a public event?


It wasn't a public event, it was a private fundraiser.


You really have NOTHING to stand on here.


Well then, maybe I should just get myself some slave labor to build me a podium.


Prisoners is America have historically had limbs chopped off?


Since you didn't limit your initial statement to American history, neither did I.


We are not talking about free Americans being forced into labor

Right, we're talking about prisoners being forced into labor.


we are talking about prisoners having to work while in prison and you falsely branding it slavery. There is a huge difference.

Yes - prisoners, even when required to work, get paid for their work. Slaves, like these guys, didn't.

[Trish]

Yes - prisoners, even when required to work, get paid for their work. Slaves, like these guys, didn't.

Just a quick question. How do you know that the prisoners didn't get paid? The article says that the McCain campaign wasn't charged for their labor, but how do you know the city didn't pay the prisoners? Things certainly may be different there, but prisoners here get paid so much per hour for doing labor. It's not much - a mere pittance credited into their "accounts" for use at the commissary, but they do get paid. Also, they get paid by having their court fines paid off by days served. For every day in jail they get so much off their fines and court costs. Of course, no actual money changes hands - but it is a form of payment.

Do you know that these prisoners weren't similarly compensated?