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Sen. Clinton, Rep. Lewis, Sweeney, Holt Baker Rally Seniors for Obama |
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Today in Pittsburgh, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and AFL-CIO President John Sweeney joined members of the Alliance for Retired Americans to rally on behalf of Sen. Barack Obama. Meanwhile, in Georgia, AFL-CIO Executive Vice President Arlene Holt Baker joined the Alliance and Rep. John Lewis for a forum on seniors’ issues in Atlanta.
Clinton and Sweeney spoke to more than 1,000 seniors in Pittsburgh, highlighting why Obama is the right choice for retirees in this critical state. Obama will protect Social Security benefits, eliminate income taxes on low- and middle-income seniors and ensure Medicare cuts costs for seniors by negotiating for lower drug prices.
Sweeney called the past eight years a “nightmare” for retirees and noted that Sen. John McCain consistently has backed Bush in privatizing Social Security and undermining Medicare.
As we move into the final days of this election, we need to remind ourselves and retirees across our country that John McCain and George W. Bush have been partners in attacking everything seniors depend on for a secure retirement.
Just a couple of months ago, John McCain called Social Security a “disgrace.”
He somehow forgot to mention that Social Security is still good enough for him to take $23,000 a year in benefits, even while bashing the program. Now that’s a disgrace—a national disgrace.
Working together, John McCain and George W. Bush tried to raise the Medicare eligibility age to 67.
Working together, the two of them tried to raise Medicare premiums.
Sweeney praised the efforts of Obama, Clinton and Sen. Joe Biden to resist the Bush-McCain privatization agenda and protect critical retirement security programs. He also thanked union retirees who are taking part in door-to-door walks and phone banks as part of the Labor 2008 program.
Alliance President George Kourpias says seniors are worried about the economic crisis but are encouraged by Obama’s pledge to protect Social Security and Medicare.
An event of this size shows just how worried seniors are about the direction of our country. Retirees are supporting Barack Obama because they know he opposes Social Security privatization, has a plan to fix our health care mess, and will do away with income taxes for seniors earning less than $50,000.
The Pittsburgh rally also featured Gerald McEntee, president of AFSCME, and Leo Gerard, president of the United Steelworkers (USW).
Clinton has been traveling with the Alliance in key states this week. On Monday, she spoke to 2,000 retirees in West Palm Beach, Fla., appearing alongside AFT President Randi Weingarten and Machinists (IAM) President Tom Buffenbarger.
In Georgia, Holt Baker, Lewis and union members discussed key issues like Social Security, Medicare and the cost of living for seniors. Holt Baker says the crisis on Wall Street, which is hitting workers’ pensions and retirement savings, shows Social Security’s guaranteed retirement benefits are more important than ever.
When retirees go to the voting booth, Holt Baker said, they need to make that they keep retirement security and health care in mind.
You and I know what America needs: We need to strengthen Social Security, not privatize it. We need to protect pensions and retirement savings. And we need health care that works for everyone. Because in this country we are so proud of, no one should go without health care—and after a lifetime of work, everyone should be able to retire in dignity.
Early voting has already begun in Georgia.
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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.
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