Obama tells activists he would walk picket line as president

[TeamJordan23]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070721/ap_on_el_pr/obama_labor

Obama courts Iowa union activists
By MIKE GLOVER, Associated Press Writer

Democrat Barack Obama is telling union activists he would walk a picket line as president if organized labor helps elect him in 2008.

The Illinois senator also criticized President Bush's policies toward working people.

`We are facing a Washington that has thrown open its doors to the most anti-union, anti-worker forces we've seen in generations," Obama said in remarks prepared for delivery Saturday night. "What we need to make real today is the idea that in this country we value the labor of every American."

Obama was scheduled to speak to Iowa's largest union representing more than 20,000 state workers.

Four other Democratic presidential candidates have courted activists at the annual convention of Council 61 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.

Like his rivals, the Illinois senator challenged Bush's labor policies and said he was committed to union causes.

"I stood on the picket line and marched with workers at the Congress Hotel in Chicago last week," Obama said. "I had marched with them four years earlier and I told them when I left that if they were still fighting four years from now, I'd be back on that picket line as president of the United States."

In his prepared remarks, Obama cited his years as a community organizer in Chicago. Because of that experience, Obama said he has closer ties to people who are struggling. He asked union activists to keep that in mind in choosing a candidate to support in January's Iowa caucuses, which begin the presidential nominating process.

"So I want you to remember one thing, because you'll hear from a lot of candidates between now and January," Obama said. "When I talk about hope, when I talk about change, when I talk about holding America up to its ideals of opportunity and equality, this isn't just the rhetoric of a campaign for me, it's been the cause of a life — a cause I will work for and fight for every day as your president."

Obama portrayed himself as a political outsider, saying it takes a new figure in Washington to break the gridlock.

[napi21]

1. Boy, talk about pandering to the audience!

I like Obama, but can you just see him and the SS detail picketing???? Yeah, right!

[TeamJordan23]

2. Well you wouldn't think he would picket as a candidate running for Prez, but he did. nm

[napi21]

3. As a candidate, YES, as a President...NO! n/t

[Tellurian]

4. WOW, small potatoes for a country in deep Iraq sh*t...

walking a picket line? The neophyte, thinks he's talking in terms of a college protest.

[TeamJordan23]

5. He's addressing labor issues, not the Iraq War. So you think protests are worthless? Look at history

and see if they were 'small pototoes' during the Civil Rights era.

[Tellurian]

6. As someone said upthread..

like BO is going to walk a picket line with hoards of SS covering him. (for a photo OP) my addition.

There is nothing authentic or genuine about Barack Obama. He's accomplished nothing and promotes nothing to benefit the people.
Now that we've learned his campaign donations are coming from selling campaign merchandise to boost his numbers. Obama is as disingenuous as a $3.00 bill.

[Ethelk2044]

26. Your post is full of BS. He walked picket Lines for people

before he even thought about the 2008 election. He actually cares about the middle class instead of the large corporations like some people.

[Alexander]

32. Got links or evidence to back up anything you said?

"There is nothing authentic or genuine about Barack Obama. He's accomplished nothing and promotes nothing to benefit the people. Obama is as disingenuous as a $3.00 bill."

I get it. You're "concerned" Obama might win the primary.

[Tellurian]

34. Is that your best answer?

Got links to prove me wrong?

[Laurab]

35. Have you read his books?

I see you in every Obama thread saying rotten and untrue things about him - I don't understand why - you have a good candidate, why don't you post good things about your candidate if she's so great?

You obviously know nothing about Barack Obama, and you are expending so much effort that could be so much better spent elsewhere. Perhaps reading the two books he wrote?

I'd say Obama is a thousand times more authentic and genuine than Hillary, and I'm not exactly sure what she's accomplished - although she's been my senator for quite a while now.

You surely know the campaign donation accusation is untrue, as well. I don't get it. Tearing one candidate down does NOT make another candidate look good, particularly when the tearing down is based on untruths.


Disingenuous indeed....

[PBass]

38. Wow, talk about missing the point by a mile!

Seeing a presidential candidate (let alone the President) walking in support of Labor would make an incredible statement, draw tons of awareness to the issues that workers face.

Don't you care about Labor at all? I sure as hell do. If they destroy the unions, you can forget about non-union labor ever catching a break, let alone getting what they deserve. The unions are the first line in Labor issues.

Your partisan fervor is duly noted and appreciated, but Obama is on the right side of this issue. If "your' candidate isn't, maybe it's time for you to log off from DU and start making some phone calls.

If Hillary can't get Labor's endorsement, I probably won't vote for her in the primary. It's one of my main issues, and maybe it's not one of yours, but your disrespect of how important OTHER people might find it, is surprising and sad.

[calteacherguy]

25. Yes, I can see that. Why can't you? nt

[William769]

7. Glad to see he's taking Edwards lead on this.

[draft_mario_cuomo]

8. It is a lame attempt to "one up" Edwards

Edwards will walk a picket line? Oh yeah? Well, I will leave the Oval Office and come to a small town in Iowa to walk a picket line. I promise. Really.

If he said he would use his office to pressure anti-union companies that would at least be semi-believable, if not very naive. This seems to be an instance of Obama making an unforced error based on his inexperience in prime-time. You can never imagine HRC saying something so ridiculous.

Still, I am glad to see Obama following Edwards' leadership on yet another issue.

[maximusveritas]

22. Nah, he probably doesn't know what Edwards is doing

Just like the rest of the country. I had to do a search just to find out about it and the only mention I saw was your post here about it.

[draft_mario_cuomo]

23. A prez candidate does not know what his second biggest rival is doing?

I have never worked on a prez campaign but I assume the candidates are all keeping abreast of what their chief rivals are doing. It is no coincidence Obama's anti-poverty speech just happened to take place during Edwards' poverty tour. ;)

The hubris from some Obama supporters regarding Edwards' position in the polls is amusing. If Edwards is irrelevant vis-a-vis Obama, what does that make Obama vis-a-vis HRC? Edwards is closer to Obama than Obama is to HRC in the polls...

[Ethelk2044]

27. Obama is not following Edwards. He has done this in the past

When has Edwards ever walked a picket line. When did Edwards take a $12,000 job. I believe Edwards was a trial lawyer. Obama gave up a good job offer because he cared about community work. I do not see where Edwards did that. I could be wrong, Please send me a link to prove otherwise if I am wrong. Obama has always been about working to help the poor and middle class. It was not about the money he could make. If he cared about money, he would have taken a six figure salary.

[Colobo]

10. You can't find anything positive in a post about Obama, can't you?

[draft_mario_cuomo]

12. self delete nt

[Colobo]

15. I wasn't referring to you, draft.

You are one of the best from Edwards's camp here at DU.

[draft_mario_cuomo]

17. Oh sorry, I missed that

Thanks for the kind words. :toast:

[William769]

19. Sure I can!

He's Afro American. :)

[Colobo]

9. Obama- Real change in Washington.

[Ethelk2044]

31. Yes, he is a refreshing change.

[Hippo_Tron]

11. The POTUS walking in a picket line would pressure a business to cave to union demands

Even if it is a symbolic gesture it would get a huge amount of news coverage and that will pressure the business to get the strike settled as soon as possible.

[Colobo]

13. Obama as the anti-Reagan- I love it.

[draft_mario_cuomo]

20. He does have that potential, given his rhetorical ability and his gift of being able to inspire

And we desperately need to reverse the damage Reagan did and set the stage for. I also think an Edwards victory would be a mandate for rejecting some of the basic premises of the "Reagan revolution."

[draft_mario_cuomo]

14. Sure but the problem is the chances he will actually do this are 1 in a million nt

[rucky]

16. Glad to see Unions are a campaign issue again! n/t

[Jillian]

18. That would be an interesting site - having the Secret Service in a picket line

and Obama would have to wear protective gear.

A President can't just walk around like that anymore.
Geez - Obama already has Secret Service protecting him.

[Colobo]

21. Agents of change are willing to do things most would consider impossible

[calteacherguy]

24. K&R. nt

[illinoisprogressive]

28. I just got an image of secret service walking the picket line. hahaha

[Ethelk2044]

29. He cares about people

http://weblogs.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/blog/2007/07/obama_walks_picket_in_chicago.html


Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama took a couple laps on the picket line outside Chicago's Congress Plaza Hotel this afternoon, showing his solidarity with workers associated with a key union that has many members in the early voting state of Nevada.

The Illinois Democrat, in a white dress shirt with sleeves rolled up, received cheers from about 100 strikers after he jumped out of a black SUV with his Secret Service agents in front of the South Michigan Avenue property.

"I can only imagine how difficult it has been," he told the workers through a bullhorn, a translator then offering his words in Spanish. "You have been out here in the cold. You have been out here in the hot."

Last month marked the fourth anniversary of the strike at South Michigan Avenue property, where housekeepers, dishwashers, bartenders and other employees are engaged in one of the longest-running ongoing strikes in the nation.

Obama said that workers must stick together, if they are to get ahead.

"The reason you have been able to do it is because you are a member of a strong union," he said. "When workers are divided, employers can pick them off…when workers are united, every worker benefits."

[illinoisprogressive]

30. Obama never lost the Community Organizer in him.

[tomreedtoon]

33. I think it was pandering, but accidental.

Saying he'd walk a picket line as an elected official is simply wrong. The most a President should do in such a situation is this: if an event is taking place at a hotel with a picket line around it, he could refuse to cross the picket line. It would cause hell for his staff to move the event, but it would make his respect for unions clear.

But "joining" a picket line would prejudice any negotiations between the union and the company. Any court in the land would have to take that into account during the negotiations. And although the rank-and-file of the union might not realize it, the union leadership should.

I would certainly support Obama if he is the candidate, but I am bothered by the glittering generalities he puts in his writing. I bought his book. I thought at the moment I bought it that it would be inspirational. But the more I read, the more I wonder if he really knows his stuff. (I haven't read any other candidate's books, so I really don't have much comparison ability, but it still troubles me.)

[Laurab]

36. You're probably talking about his 2nd book....

it's more inspiring if you read his first book, really, at least I thought so. In the first book, I got an idea of how he got to be the kind of person he is, and why he thinks the way he does. I actually found the first book much easier to read, too. He does generalize a lot in "The Audacity of Hope", I agree, but I was somewhat inspired because I like the way he thinks.

He listens to all sides before making decisions - I think he would be, in a way, like Bill Clinton, having his all night talk sessions, and making his mind up only after having an complete picture of what he's dealing with. It also wasn't a "I'm running for president" tome - he wasn't, at the time - I imagine there are a lot of additions he would make now.

[Tom Joad]

37. would he work to repeal anti-fair trade agreements like nafta & wto?