Paul Ryan, Newt Gingrich and Barack Obama stand with an American labor union (for NFL refs)!

Three cheers for the victory for American labor in the deal reached between management (NFL owners) and labor (the unionized regular NFL referees). Management opposed stronger working conditions and pension programs. Labor favored better working conditions and fairer pension programs for the real referees. Many anti-union Republicans supported the NFL referees union against an ill-advised lockout by management. Ryan, Gingrich and Obama supported the refs union. Romney was unclear. Considering my column this week, perhaps Mitt considers the NFL refs to be among the dependents, freeloaders and deadbeats he demeans.

President Obama supported the union refs, but I don't recall Mitt Romney's position. Romney is very close to the NASCAR team owners, he says, but I don't know whether he supported the NFL referees union or management. Most likely Mitt had not finished his focus groups and polls in time to take a stand.

Speaking of the lack of clarity of Mitt Romney's positions, or in the case of the deadbeats he demeans, too much clarity: Stay tuned for an upcoming piece I will soon write about why Ohio is going Obama and Democratic.

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