Remarks and Q & A with reporters on the Air Traffic Controllers (PATCO) strike

[mamadoenut]

obama would help the unions sue, what a joke! obama cant wait to see the country in the toilet

[irufushi8]

"...they have forfeited their jobs, and will be terminated.......End of Statement." Hahaha!! I love it!!!

[Henryk516]

We miss you President Reagan!

[lander4545]

How many people on Youtube can say that they were blessed and fortunate enough to come of age in a time when they were able to vote for Ronald Reagan not once but twice! I'll never forget the 80's because of President Ronald W. Reagan. R.I.P. sir.

[mamadoenut]

we need a president that will place these obnoxious unions in their place. 

[PaulGreen11]

@mamadoenut After seeing this press conference again, I agree with the President.

[xlucim]

One of his finest moments. This is the candidate we need for 2012.

[SirBrettley]

The REAL Reagan position on public unions! Vote Yes On 2 in Ohio!

[quirose]

If I or anyone else doesn't show up for work, we'd get fired. I guess the controllers thought they were special.

[person22u]

@quirose I guess you thought you knew what a strike was.

[ReviewForReel]

You gotta love this guy, not only did he threat to fire these air-traffic controllers, he took them to court to get them back to work, tried to de-certify their union, and had the court size their stirke funds.

[RiverSkyHigh]

This was a joke. He seemed so stunned at the question suggesting a "lesser punishment," as if some sort of middle ground were impossible.

[Wulfgardson]

If you can't follow your oath, you shouldn't take the job. Every one of these federal employees swore an oath and then broke it if they struck against the public. This is why Reagan fired them. They broke the law.

[redhotporsche]

unfortunately, we have a person in office right now (2011) who has no clue or understanding of this country that you displayed while you were PRESIDENT. THANK YOU for you for your AMAZING service and unique ability to LEAD this country as you did while we were fortunate enough to have you in office. WE MISS YOUR LEADERSHIP, soooooooooo much!!! OBAMA IS A CLUELESS THUG.

[cheeriosinabowl]

I wonder how Ronnie would handle things today if he were president and not that Kenyan guy?

I didn't agree with all what Ronnie did, but he had a "leadership" quality to him, which was lacking with so many other presidents, such as Carter, Obama, etc.

[witt1973]

We need a president with guts like him

[Sonyag1]

President Obama needs to be this tough regarding the congressional funding for the FAA.

The congress running out of town hurts workers. So much for John Boehner's promise to focus on job creation....

[Texfield91]

@Sonyag1 The president running off the Martha's Vineyard hurts them, too

[91bobdole]

I like the WTF response he gives to the "reporter" asking for lesser action. Politicians today don't call out idiots masquerading as reporters enough,

[thafoofa]

@91bobdole I do too.  His exasperation at the stupidity of the question is so apparent.

[lvll138inrs]

we need more leaders like them. if workers go on strike they should just get fired.

[divisioneight]

681 million dollars.

That's a drop in the bucket in today's government expenditures.

[sagajagan]

@divisioneight But this was 30 years ago. $681 million then is equivalent to $1.867 bn today.

[3dofanatic]

Reagan didnt feed around the bush when he answered questions he came out and hit you with the answer.

[ultraback29]

I've noticed that the protests by state workers in Wisconsin remind us of the air traffic controllers' strike of 1981.

But the incidents where controllers have slept on the job also has me thinking about this event in the past.

Where do you stand on this current issue?

Do you see it as a case of slouching bureaucrats who have contempt for the taxpayers?

Or do you see it as the inevitable result of making government smaller?

[lmd6204]

Today we suffer with incompetent leaders! How dare the Democrats in WI walk off the job just because they don't like what is in front of them . They should be fired!!

[SHAIAz96]

As much as I loved Reagan, I think all unions are un american, unless the private company wants them, the employees should not be able to force the company to go union. Unions are corrupt to the core, and not even government should be union, the military isn't. and unions protect bad workers, how many times have you heard that a bad employee cannot be fired because they are protected by the unions ? Also we all have to pay because union workers are many time over payed for what they do

[jmitterii2]

@SHAIAz96 I completely disagree with you. Unions promote safety, equitable wages, equitable benefits, legal assistance, ensure company policies are followed between management and subordinate. As for government employees striking, they're employees not military, so should be allowed to strike. It is the only reason a middle class was every formed, it is the only reason United States was ever created, it simply ensuring voices of the venture are being heard. Its a democratic form of governing.

[jilajig2]

And this is how you deal with the public union thuggery that is going on in Wisconsin: You fire them, jail them, then confiscate their funding and shut them down.

[V35H]

@jilajig2 I'm not saying I agree or disagree with you, but if you are to fire and jail all of the teachers in Wisconsin, who is to teach the children? Teaching is not exactly a sought after profession

[RetroRobotRadio]

@V35H You only have to fire the ones who don't show up for work and those ones are already not teaching, so no loss. Plus, the end result will be a purge of the most liberal of the teachers, so it's win-win.

[RetroRobotRadio]

@V35H My wife is an excellent teacher who cannot get hired because she has too much experience. Under union rules she would REQUIRE suck a high sallery for her experience, the schools won't hire her. So she cannot get work in a public school. She has to take a job for half what a starting public teacher makes. Remove the union rules and pay her less, and she'd make MORE, that's what the union rules have done. Forced out experienced teachers.

[mdstalla]

"I have told you what I think should be done; they're terminated!" The last great president!

[boblgumm]

He was the best president ever at starting the race to the bottom for American wage earners. Welcome to the United States of India. Did pretty good at raising taxes and increasing the national debt, too.

[Hockeytown0001]

This is what needs to happen to the teachers rioting in Wisconsin. Tell them either they're back to work at 8 am Monday morning, or they're all fired.

[rstryker27]

It's to bad we don't have a President like this today. At least we have a few Governors with the balls to stand up to the unions.

[powpizzy]

this is how you deal with Hussein's people

[500SmithandWesson]

An amazing leader with vision and moral clarity. Dear God, please give us another Reagan.

[Jafromobile]

8:42 Just beautiful. This was an administration that got things done. The law is there to save time, money, and outline the consequences for deviation. He's telling the media how it is and it's the law, unlike the way politics are now.

Today, sadly, there would have been a bailout, so the US bankrolls the American taxpayer to pay for its failures with the unions, like we did with TARP.

"Government is the problem."

I was 9, and I remember this. I'm so glad I got to have seen it again.

[AmyLeesPetWookiee]

This is beautiful.

[yoyosapazm]

I'd like to see Jimmy Carter handle this

[Yehudittx]

@yoyosapazm I'd like to see Barack Obama handle this. Oh wait, Trumka talks to the White House every day; we know what side Obama's on, he'd give them everything they want.

[le238man]

The greatest leader in my lifetime! R.I.P Mr Reagan! How we miss you!

[The6000Sabre]

We need a president like Ronald Reagan, again!

[AnalgesicBalm]

Reagan a lifetime union man.. So much for the undying leftist myth that Reagan was against unions.

[powpizzy]

good gracious this administration just gives you straight up answers and no wishy washing around the point!

[Obscuros8]

we a need a president willing to break more unions. Especially the ones holding the auto industry hostage. Ford and GM cannot compete with Toyota and Honda because it costs them nearly double to produce a car due to unions. Damn unions are a bunch of commies.

[draiktame]

@Obscuros8 Ford can compete, but GM and Chrysler certainly can't.

Which American manufacturer didn't need money, but instead posted a profit? Ford. They're doing something right.

[ThunderAppeal]

That press conference and how that whole situation was handled was simply brilliant. They pointed out the law and how the union was in violation. There was no vindictiveness.

Reagan was an astute observer of anything.

Just brilliant and competent, the government doing its job.

[gopconservative78]

One of the greatest Presidents of the 20th Century. This is a REAL leader!

[timDOGcrane555]

@gopconservative78 Correction: THE Greatest President of the 20th Century! :)

[Astroman1990]

i love his reply: "what other penalty than termination". Straight to the point and unrelenting conviction.

[buickgn1897]

What I miss most is his clarity. Whether you agreed with him or not, by God you knew what he meant when he talked. Something our current POTUS lacks completely.

[kentuckypreacher]

Mr. Reagan had unbelievable class, conviction, and clarity. How I miss him!

[wiedep]

@kentuckypreacher we've been missing someone like him ever since