SEARCH
Presidential Hopefuls Join Workers at Pennsylvania AFL-CIO Convention
 |
|
More than a thousand union members from around Pennsylvania have gathered in Philadelphia this week for the 38th annual Pennsylvania AFL-CIO Convention, where they heard from both Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Barack Obama (D-Ill.), the two contenders for the Democratic presidential nomination.
Focusing on this fall’s elections, workers are discussing the key issues in play and getting ready for the unprecedented mobilization of hundreds of thousands of union members across the state.
Clinton and Obama are trying to make their case to workers as the crucial April 22 Pennsylvania primary approaches. Union members have come out to vote in huge numbers this primary season, contributing to record-breaking turnout numbers.
Yesterday, union members heard from Clinton, who was introduced by AFSCME President Gerald McEntee. She praised the union movement, saying that “unions are America, unions built America.” Clinton also spoke about the challenges ahead and the opportunities for the next president to build a better country. She announced a plan to create an infrastructure fund and make investments in transportation and energy.
What am I going to do for the American people today? What am I going to do to make sure you’ve got good jobs that can’t be outsourced? What am I going to do to make sure we have trade agreements that are pro-American and pro-worker and make sure that we can compete with anybody, anywhere, anytime? If you give me the chance, that’s the kind of president I will be.
She also offered sharp criticism of Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), the presumptive Republican nominee.
John McCain admits he doesn’t understand the economy—and unfortunately he’s proving it in this campaign. He looked at the housing crisis, and he blamed consumers. His plan for the economy is to extend George Bush’s tax cuts for billionaires and give a $100 billion additional corporate tax cut. The Bush-McCain philosophy could not be clearer—it’s the “ownership society,” which really means, “You’re on your own.”
Today, Obama spoke to the assembled union members after being introduced by Henry Nicholas, the president of the National Union of Hospital and Health Care Employees (NUHHCE). Obama also discussed the importance of electing a pro-worker president and the opportunities to turn around America.
I’m tired of playing defense. I know the AFL-CIO is tired of playing defense. We’re ready to play some offense. We’re ready to play offense for a decent wage. We’re ready to play offense for retirement security. We’re ready to play offense for universal health care….It’s time we had a president who didn’t choke saying the word “union.”
Obama also criticized McCain’s anti-worker agenda.
Like George Bush, Sen. McCain is committed to more tax cuts for the rich, and more trade agreements that fail to protect American workers. His response to the housing crisis amounts to basically standing on the sidelines and watching millions of Americans face foreclosure. And some of his top advisors were lobbyists for the special interest when they went to work for his campaign, so it’s not hard to guess who they’ll be working for if they get into the White House.
Both Clinton and Obama have each won the endorsement of several AFL-CIO affiliated unions, and both have answered the AFL-CIO’s presidential questionnaire. John McCain has not answered the AFL-CIO questionnaire, but the McCain Revealed site provides a close examination of his record. The AFL-CIO has not endorsed a candidate but will spend the upcoming months mobilizing the largest union voter drive in history as part of the Working Families Vote 2008 campaign to help elect a worker-friendly Congress and president.
Later today, union members will hear from AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Richard Trumka, and tomorrow they’ll get a visit from AFL-CIO President John Sweeney.
____________________________________________________
Paid for by the AFL-CIO Committee on Political Education Political Contributions Committee, www.aflcio.org, and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.
 |
Become a Fan on Facebook |  |
Follow Us on Twitter |  |
Subscribe to YouTube |  |
Subscribe to Blog RSS | ||||
2 Comments
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
Ever wonder why the “progressive” (as he repeatedly describes himself) Obama dances for Wall Street on the (fake) Social Security “crisis” (Krugman 2007a) and sounds like Mitt Romney and Rudy Guliani in decrying the specter of “government mandated” universal health care (Krugman 2007b)? Curious about why the avowed environmentalist thinks that nuclear power should be considered part of the solution to America’s energy crisis and has recently joined Hillary in voting for the extension of the corporate-neoliberal North American Free Trade Agreement to Peru?
Follow the money. Obama’s presidential campaign has received nearly $5 million dollars from securities and investment firms and $866,000 from commercial banks through October of 2007. Obama’s top contributor so far is Goldman Sachs (provider of $369,078 to Obama), identified by Center for Responsive Politics (CRP) investigators as “a major proponent of privatizing Social Security as well as legislation that would essentially deregulate the investment banking/securities industry.” Eight of Obama’s top twenty election investors are securities and investment firms: Goldman Sachs, Lehman Bros. (number 2 at $229,090), J.P. Morgan Chase and Co. (# 4 at $216,759), Citadel Investment Group (#7 at 4166,608), UBS AG ($146,150), UBS-America ($106,680), Morgan Stanley ($104,421), and Credit Suisse Group ($92,300). The last two firms are also known to be leading privatization advocates (Center for Responsive Politics 2007a)
Senator Obama has made the following statement,” I don’t take money from oil and gas companies and I don’t take money from lobbyists.” From the Center for Responsive Politics he accepted $160,000.00 from major oil companies, Exxon, Shell, Chevron, BP and others.
Two of his top bundlers George Kaiser and Robert Cavnar are CEO’s for major oil companies. Last month, Obama accepted another $8400.00 from ExxonMobile, $12,370.00 from Chevron and $6500.00 from British Petroleum..
These are the same major oil companies testifying on Capitol Hill today
These are the funds and contributors for 2008 Finance/Insurance $15,087,469.00, Communications $7,035,249 Securities, $6,715,680.00 , Education $5,069,186.00 Misc. Business $10,261,541.00 there is a little more than $8,024,382.00 undisclosed.
Exxelon a lobbying group, for Nuclear Power Industry contributed $227,000.00 far exceeding any support for any other presidential candidate. David Axelrod, Chief Strategist has helped Edison Commonwealth, a subsidiary of Exxelon
with its communications strategy since 20002.
This isn’t even taking into account his friends; William Ayers, the domestic terrorists, friend, neighbor and board member with him on the Woodlawn Preservation & Investment Corp.
.
Anthony Rezko on trial for kickbacks,a real fixer, friend since 1990 although Obama, initially lied and said he only did about 5 hours of work for him and a church on a real estate deal; he also was a major bundler for Obama’s campaigns raising $14mil in 2003 according to the Federal Election Committee.
Nadhim Auchi, Iraqi billionaire; Friend of Saddam Hussein; and Tony Rezko; loaning him $3.5 mil. For the purchase of the house and lot in question; the determining factor for his arrest. He was convicted of corruption charges in France and received a suspended sentence and was living in London. Although Obama says he doesn’t remember ever meeting with
Auchi they met briefly at the Seasons Hotel according to the London Times.
Ali Abunimah a Chicago based activist for Electronic Intifada a Pro-Palestinian online publication, who introduced Obama and and his wife Michelle at an Islamic fundraiser at the home of Rashid Khalidi an executive of AAAN.
Finally, his Pastor and mentor almost like an Uncle, Rev. Wright who disrespected and degraded our country along with being an anti.-semite and a hate monger. Our U.S.Senator did not even say anything to this man of God?
This is from our candidate for change. He has honesty and integrity; the one that will always be truthful. Right!!!a
jcless-most all of your information is wrong and it is gotten from the right wing Fox network links!! You ought to get your info from Union papers, union radio and television stations. Then you would know the truth instead of ranting and ravings of the right wing!!!
Who are you supporting for president?
With your rant and rave it sounds like David Duke!!!!!