unions

Let's talk about why the Republicans are really willing to throw millions out of work and further cripple the struglling economy: union busting.

The first line in their Action Alert memo says it all:

Republicans should stand firm and take their first shot against organized labor, instead of taking their first blow from it.

The second line is their cover:

This rush to judgment is the same thing that happened with the TARP. Members did not have an opportunity to read or digest the legislation and therefore could not understand the consequences of it. We should not rush to pass this because Detroit says the sky is falling.

It is my request that each person go to their local Democrat headquarters this weekend and Monday and volunteer. Take one day this weekend and do the work need to to turn out the vote and next week work and the week after work...there is to much to lose here...

Yes we can

Next Monday is International Human Rights Day, and Justice@Smithfield supporters plan to commemorate by drawing attention to human rights abuses at Smithfield's Tar Heel Plant. Working conditions at the plant rank among the most brutal in the United States, and, in years past, were even profiled by the international watchdog Human Rights Watch.

Recently,on October 14th, I had the opportunity to meet and interview John Edwards and get to see him speak to a small audience in North Carolina. Some of the notable points of the evening were the following.
First, the Lieberman Kyl bill had just been voted on by the Senate, and Edwards was already going on the offensive on Clinton's vote in support of that bill.
At that point, there had been no threats or sanctions by Bush or Cheney, yet Edwards was already ahead of the curve on the danger of supporting this bill. Now Iowa voters are catching on, and are even booing Clinton at Iowa rallies for this vote.

With the recent implementation of the Mexican trucking company portion of Clinton's NAFTA bill, we are seeing the race to the bottom for wages and good jobs in the United States. The only good jobs that NAFTA could not outsource were shipping jobs, and now that is being dismantled.
With Union buster, Mark Penn working on Hillary's campaign, I have no doubt that her administration will be business as usual and her "it takes a village" will actually be "so lets make our country more like a village in the third world"

We need a president who will defend our jobs and will stand for Unions.

It seems like every time the UFCW organizing drive at Smithfield gains traction, Immigration and Customs Enforcement goons magically show up to terrorize the company's immigrant workers:

Federal immigration officials conducted a raid Wednesday -- the second this year -- at Smithfield Foods' giant pork slaughterhouse in Bladen County.

It's one thing to engage in constructive debate with the opposition. But when that opposition behaves like the Fox News channel by distorting reality to fulfill its ideological agenda? Well that's a different kettle of fish.

Much of the debate of the 2008 Presidency has largely ignored trade and labor. This is the moment to push this issue for working class Americans and for working class people all around the world.

Yesterday, I packed up my laptop, tripod and videocam and headed over to Chapel Hill to vLog John and Elizabeth Edwards' appearance on the Ed Schultz Show. It's always a double plus to see those two together! (It's apparent why their marriage has lasted 30 years). ;)