Fox host Eric Bolling opened a discussion of the Supreme Court’s recent Harris v. Quinn ruling by saying, “The Supreme Court ruling home health care workers in Illinois can’t be forced to pay union fees if they’re not in a union. Jonathan, this could be good for all workers, yeah?”
Bolling was speaking to Jonathan Hoenig, whom Bolling almost surely knew would come up with an inflammatory, anti-union soundbite.
Sure enough, Hoenig said, “Anytime you can get rid of force in America that’s a positive thing.” He said unions “use government really as a weapon, getting these special deals, special advantages that aren’t given to any other group or any other individual. …What are unions in today’s economy? They’re fascist parasites. They only are supportive of a free society when they’re at the helm.” On the split screen, panelist Michelle Fields was seen smiling.
Juan Williams challenged: “Fascist? Oh, my gosh. You know, unions – remember, they helped raise wages for those very workers, that woman we just saw in that clip before the commercial. She gets higher pay because of the union negotiations.”
Hoenig added, “Let me clarify why I use that term: ‘Fascism’ refers to the combination of private interests and government interests. And you know what? Unions have a six-time higher representation in the government as they do in the private sector, so there you’re seeing fascism in full force.”
Williams started to argue that what’s really bothering American workers is income inequality.
But Bolling cut him off and directed the panel to stay on the topic of “this ruling.” Yet, a few moments later, Bolling “just asked” whether unions are “in business to help the worker or are they in business to be a political organization?”
That set Fields off on an anti-union rant about how “money is basically stolen from (workers) and given to Democratic candidates” and “every highly unionized domestic industry in this country has basically collapsed because of unions.”
Bolling never asked her to go back to the topic of the ruling. However, he did allow Williams time to respond.
On Fox News, you can never bash unions too much. But mention income inequality and the host immediately wants to change the subject.
Watch the discussion below from yesterday's Cashin' In.