Defense industry lobbyists plot mass layoff notices the day before election

[phantom power]

I bet they don't even think this is anti-democratic. It's just "helpful information" or something. Threatening people with mass layoffs if an election doesn't go a certain way...

“If it really did happen, if hundreds of thousands of layoff notices went out right before the election, it could hurt incumbents – mainly, the president,” said Todd Harrison, a defense expert at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments.

“You could do a layoff notice that just informs people they might be laid off, and you could do that very broadly,” Harrison added. “Do companies make the notices go to all of their employees, half of their employees or just the 10 percent of their employees who are likely to be affected?”

Jim Dyer, a lobbyist with Podesta Group who represents some of the top defense firms, including Lockheed, said he believes the threat of mass layoffs will force a compromise. But, he noted, he also had faith that the ill-fated congressional supercommittee would reach a deal.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0612/77400_Page2.html#ixzz1xnOtMM65

[Blue_Tires]

1. I grew up in an alternate reality

Because I was taught in school that ugly things like extortion, fraud, collusion and monopolies were things that people went to prison for...

[abelenkpe]

3. +1000 nt

[denverbill]

2. Why would this hurt Obama? Republickers are the ones who oppose taxes increases.

The automatic cuts only kicked in because Republickers refused any compromise on increasing taxes.

[abelenkpe]

4. Better title: Northern VA threatened with no work if they vote dem.

[Chan790]

5. Yup, it's a play to win VA.

Because as I've pointed out before...VA is not winnable for Romney and he needs it if he wants to be President. Too many people live in NoVA and don't vote for Bible-thumpers or fiscal-conservatives. Romney's the second and he needs to choose the first to cover him on the evangelical front.