Fox News slams remark made by union boss toward McNamara

A remark made by local union boss Dennis Duffey, left, about Toledo City Council President Joe McNamara, right, has made national headlines.

A hot dispute between a local labor union boss and the Toledo City Council president over a council appointment made national television news Tuesday night.

"Why is this union president so hostile?" began the preview for the story on Fox News' On the Record with Greta at about 10:50 p.m. "He called for castration of a city council president."

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Fox News channel reported that Dennis Duffey, secretary-treasurer of the Ohio State Building Construction Trades Council and former head of the Local 8, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, had said that Toledo City Council President Joe McNamara should be "removed, tarred and feathered, or de-nutted." That quote was first reported in The Blade on Tuesday.

The show's host, Greta Van Susteren, spoke with Byron York of the Washington Examiner about the fight over who should replace Phil Copeland on Toledo council. Mr. Duffey favored Shaun Enright and Mr. McNamara wanted former Toledo Mayor Jack Ford.

"There's anger issues in the Midwest," Mr. York said, characterizing Mr. Duffey as a longtime official of a "very active, very rich, very powerful union."

Making the story hotter, Mr. York pointed out, is the fact that "they're all Democrats here" and "there is also a race issue," as well as the fact that the union's candidate has been convicted of carrying a concealed handgun.