The Chairman and Chief Executive Office of Murray Energy, Robert E. Murphy became notorious during the presidential campaign by allegedly forcing workers to go to a Romney rally. Now, Murray has responded to President Obama’s re-election with a prayer and dozens of layoffs.
The Ohio CEO declared that the reelection would continue a “war on coal” and announced a time for prayer and firings — proclaiming “Lord, please forgive me and anyone with me in Murray Energy Corp. for the decisions that we are now forced to make to preserve the very existence of any of the enterprises that you have helped us build.” It appears that he “did not build that” alone, to use an Obama phrase.
Murray then broke away from a request for the grace of God to laid off 54 people at American Coal, one of his subsidiary companies, and 102 at Utah American Energy.
You may recall Murray from the August 2007 mine collapse where six miners were trapped at the Crandall Canyon Mine in Utah.
Later, the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) hit the mine with its highest penalty for coal mine safety violations, $1.85 million. Murray would ultimately lobby heavily against new procedures needed to avoid such deaths in the future.
The employees this week were able to walk out of Murray’s company — a certain improvement. However, before being kicked out, the employees were given Murray’s prayer as solace on their way out the door:
Dear Lord:
The American people have made their choice. They have decided that America must change its course, away from the principals of our Founders. And, away from the idea of individual freedom and individual responsibility. Away from capitalism, economic responsibility, and personal acceptance.
We are a Country in favor of redistribution, national weakness and reduced standard of living and lower and lower levels of personal freedom.
My regret, Lord, is that our young people, including those in my own family, never will know what America was like or might have been. They will pay the price in their reduced standard of living and, most especially, reduced freedom.
The takers outvoted the producers. In response to this, I have turned to my Bible and in II Peter, Chapter 1, verses 4-9 it says, “To faith we are to add goodness; to goodness, knowledge; to knowledge, self control; to self control, perseverance; to perseverance, godliness; to godliness, kindness; to brotherly kindness, love.”
Lord, please forgive me and anyone with me in Murray Energy Corp. for the decisions that we are now forced to make to preserve the very existence of any of the enterprises that you have helped us build. We ask for your guidance in this drastic time with the drastic decisions that will be made to have any hope of our survival as an American business enterprise.
Amen.
Of course, he could not fire the “young people” in his “own family.” This is a familiar lament among some Romney supporters, including one at a Romney fundraiser at the Hamptons who stated:
“I don’t think the common person is getting it. Nobody understands why Obama is hurting them.
“We’ve got the message,” she added. “But my college kid, the baby sitters, the nails ladies — everybody who’s got the right to vote — they don’t understand what’s going on. I just think if you’re lower income — one, you’re not as educated, two, they don’t understand how it works, they don’t understand how the systems work, they don’t understand the impact.”
He is also not alone in threatening or actually firing people if Obama won. Indeed, a Utah CEO fired over 100 people and blamed it on Obama’s reelection. However, Murray does this all with a bit more religious fervor.
Source: Washington Post
LK,
Did it bother you that Petraeus with his military background was placed in charge of one of the key civilian intelligence agencies? OS and I had a discussion that touched on that over dinner this evening. That relationship certainly smelled of inherent conflict of interest to me. As to your other criticisms of him, I’ll just say “Yep.”
Broadwell gives new meaning being embedded with the military.
Furthermore, the book is called, “All In,” …
shano:
you’re imagination is besting you…
Someone tell coal schmuck that the last month that Bushie II was in office the Dow was at about 9600. It is up 60% under Obama. So, if schmucko thinks we are going to hell can we short his stock and see if it goes down? Is it publically traded?
wow she looks like the cat that swallowed the canary.
his nickname is ‘peaches’ he can turn water into bottled water. high energy, did you pinch him?
The mistress was on Jon Stewart, he he, he said “embedded”:
http://wonkette.com/489512/biographer-lady-revealed-to-be-petraeus-mistress-linchpin-of-benghazi-cover-up-probably#more-489512
The word “embedded,” as currently used, will forever have new meaning…
There is only one answer for a man such as this….. His body should be discovered, under a ”cave-in” at the bottom of his mine….
Petraeus didn’t impress me at all. He would write columns that dissed the Administration’s prosecution of the war(s) and blame (rightly no doubt) the mis-handling of money and guns on his superiors and the Administration. He is/was a big advocate of nation building and a whole-country approach to our wars This was the Bush administration and you know I have no love lost for them. My attitude then and now is that such actions are inappropriate, self-serving and an attempt to make policy- something precluded to the military.
I think Obama promoted him to get him out of the limelight, shut him up so the withdrawal would be facilitated and neutralize his popularity as a general. He was like MacArthur or Patton. He couldn’t keep his mouth shut and had his own agenda. Now, with a second term, Obama can get rid of him (if the conspiracy theories are correct) and sooner is better than later.
Petraeus should have resigned the military and made his criticism known as a civilian IMO, as should all military leaders that have fundamental disagreements with their civilian masters. I’m leaning towards ‘good riddance; later better than never.
SWM, I think you know that if I did “kick” you that you should say so. I respect you and enjoy engaging w/ you..friendly and substantively. Whether I agree w/ people has little to do w/ how I think about them. I would be bored to death if I only engaged w/ people who thought like me.
SWM, I agree w/ you on ISSA. Again, Patreus may have been preoccupied and not on top of his duties, but it’s merely a guess @ this point. Here’s my thinking. This attack @ Benghazi happened on 9/11. I believe, or @ least I would hope, all defense people, CIA, FBI, are on full duty and alert that day annually. However, I also know the govt. Unlike you, SWM, I have high regard for Patreus and so does our president and virtually everyone who knows him. So, I don’t want to see him be the sacrificial lamb. Conversely, if he f@cked up I want to know that also and see justice served.
ID, I don’t believe I “kicked” SWM. If I did I know she would say so and she hasn’t. If you want to chase the scandal, knock yourself out..this is America, well here it is. You’re a Swede!! I am not above doing that also, but I get queezy on matters as serious as this. To each their own, paisan.
SWM, re glad big money lost. I agree but I heard a discussion last night that postulated that he lack of obvious effectiveness of the big money would be used as a rationale for retaining Citizens United un-regulated. Also, the less obvious influences like making the other side scramble for more money, campaign more and spend less time actually working etc. were not being talked about.
SwM,
At times like these I wish that I knew more. When will the first timeline come up?
So what is the investigation all about, if not Benghazi?
And what is the connection to P and B and who blew the whistle on the compromised PC.
Don’t waste your time, I must learn to do my own research. Thanks for the tip.
(I once left a doc in the stall in the men’s room—-bad boy. Only confidential, Sergeants don’t let Lts go out with Secret and TS in their grubby hands.)
Time to bed now, old man tired. G’night.
AP,
Thanks for the answer on Broadwell. Like Jon Stewart implied: Did you ever stop at mile 15 to get the breath to do an interview (and maybe do something else after yyou had hung off his security detail?)?
Did you see her muscles, former military, triathlon!
Moscow sure trains their spies well. Most of them in the FBI/CIA were fat couch potatoes only interested in money. She is as her book title says: All In. (for it)
Maybe she had Mata Hari in mind when she started her career. She contacted Moscow instead of being recruited. She had her hubby in the audience. Was he unknowing of the affair? So many questions and so much scandal.
This is a serial that will last for 3 months and get us past the idiot phase of post-erection Congress, with all those playlets to ignore, while laws expire.
Good night all, 3AM. Gotta get back to my circadian clock again.
Idealist, The investigation has been going on since spring way before Benghazi.
In this social networking smart-phone age, why can this guy expect to do something like this and avoid the appropriate public shaming?
Don’t any of his former employees or their supporters have the motivation and ability to start a Facebook page or something and keep the truth hanging around his neck until it is good and ripe?
If not now, when?
Workers…..
Amazing absolutely amazing….. Now, how are they justifying this….. I guess the same principal that Romney would use to fire FEMA works….