More Mr. Smith Whining in Washington - September 14, 2007

"It was the rudest I've been treated in Congress."

So the Chairman of a House of Representatives Committe ignores Fred Smith's charms and persuasions.  And Mr. Smith responds like a rejected date on a reality tv show.  More desperation.

Congress changing hands in 2007 is another change in tide that is just as natural and predictible.  But when the ones on top one day make enemies through their arrogance - especially enemies with long memories and committee seniority like Oberstar - then one shouldn't whine like a school girl when the enemies get their day on top.

The delivery giants and organized labor have battled over the issue before. FedEx Express briefly lost its airline status in the mid-1990s, but a Republican-controlled Congress reinstated it after a bitter fight with some pro-labor Democrats, including Oberstar. Oberstar said he "vowed at the time" to change the law if Democrats ever took control of Congress. He said he was "offended by FedEx's powerhouse lobbying in 1996 protecting themselves against any future organizing activities."

There is a lot to learn from reviewing the transcripts from the Senate showdown in 1996 over the FedEx sweetheart clause in the FAA bill that year.  What goes around comes around, Mr. Smith.