Nancy Kassebaum: “So these very workers who were in jeopardy of losing their jobs because the company was going bankrupt now have at least…”

“So these very workers who were in jeopardy of losing their jobs because the company was going bankrupt now have at least had an opportunity, if they so chose to do so, to work for a company that is productive and is going strong. Whether or not they should have done it by replacing striking workers, I would argue, is not what we should be debating here. I suggest to the Senator from Iowa, we can have this debate at another time. But what we should be debating here is something that follows on just the past weeks and months of debate that we have had on the separation of powers regarding the Constitution. That is why I feel we ought to take seriously this Executive order. I do not mean to intrude on the time of the Senator from Iowa, but I think that if you get into the particular situation of Bridgestone/ Firestone it was not a question of long-time workers somehow being forced out in the cold. There was a great tragedy that Firestone was teetering on the edge of bankruptcy and was going under. But I would like to go back to the fundamental issue here, which really is the separation of powers.”