Union Boss Sweeney Among Those Who 'Have Worked on Behalf of Equality for the Poor and Struggling'
Reporter Michael Shear gets carried away in praise of John Sweeney, former head of the AFL-CIO, and highly partisan Democrat.
Published: 2/16/2011 2:19 PM ET
Michael Shear, who writes the New York Times' political blog, made the print edition on Wednesday with a story on Obama honoring former President George H.W. Bush (the elder) with the Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor: "Highest Civilian Honor Goes to the Elder Bush."
But Shear went on to describe the long-time Democratic political partisan, former AFL-CIO union boss John Sweeney, in very glowing terms as one of those "who have worked on behalf of equality for the poor and struggling." From the online version:
(Note: Perhaps sensing a union boss is not everyone's idea of a secular saint, the Times in the print version listed Lewis first, followed by Sweeney.)
But Shear went on to describe the long-time Democratic political partisan, former AFL-CIO union boss John Sweeney, in very glowing terms as one of those "who have worked on behalf of equality for the poor and struggling." From the online version:
Among those to receive the award Tuesday from Mr. Obama was one of the world's richest men, Warren E. Buffett. But the president also lauded those who have worked on behalf of equality for the poor and struggling, including John J. Sweeney, who for more than a decade led the A.F.L-C.I.O., and Representative John Lewis, Democrat of Georgia, who helped lead the civil rights movement in America.
(Note: Perhaps sensing a union boss is not everyone's idea of a secular saint, the Times in the print version listed Lewis first, followed by Sweeney.)
