Jimmy Hoffa

White House: 'Hoffa's Words Are His Own'

Susan Crabtree | September 6, 2011, 6:51PM

Teamsters President James P. Hoffa

White House spokesman Jay Carney put only a bit of distance between President Obama and incendiary comments Teamsters President Jimmy Hoffa made warming up a crowd before Obama's pro-union speech Monday.

Hoffa's comments caused a stir in GOP circles with many conservative figures and commentators accusing the Hoffa of inciting violence against Tea Party activists and the members of Congress they support.

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James Hoffa

Teamsters President: 'No Regrets' After Fiery Speech Draws Right-Wing Criticism

Evan McMorris-Santoro | September 5, 2011, 5:29PM

Teamsters President James P. Hoffa

Updated: September 5, 2011, 6:30PM

Teamsters union president James Hoffa would say it all again if he could, he told TPM Monday.

Hoffa riled up Fox News and the right wing Monday with a Labor Day speech in Detroit in which he called Republican members of Congress "sons of bitches" and said union workers are ready to "go to war" with the tea party next year and "take out" Republicans at the ballot box.

Hoffa said he'd say the exact same words all over again.

"I would because I believe it," he said. "They've declared war on us. We didn't declare war on them, they declared war on us. We're fighting back. The question is, who started the war?"

The speech came shortly before President Obama took the stage in Detroit -- and Hoffa's remarks certainly overshadowed Obama's on Fox. But the Teamsters chief said he was just matching fired-up conservative rhetoric when it comes to organized labor and Obama with some fired-up rhetoric of his own.

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Jimmy Hoffa

Hoffa: 'Let's Take These Sons Of Bitches Out!'

Susan Crabtree | September 5, 2011, 3:34PM

Teamsters President James P. Hoffa

Teamsters President Jimmy Hoffa didn't mince words when warming up the crowd before President Obama's pro-union speech in Detroit Monday.

Hoffa described the recent Republican-led assaults on collective bargaining rights as a "war on workers" and described Obama as union workers' general who will lead them to victory in 2012 over the Tea Party and like-minded allies.

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