Laborers president says race not much of an issue as he woos labor for Obama
Laborers’ International Union of North America’s general president, Terry O’Sullivan, acknowledged Wednesday that racial issues can pose a challenge as he and other labor leaders lay out their case to their rank and file to support Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama for president.
But O’Sullivan said Wednesday, “I have been pleasantly surprised all along the way, how receptive” his union’s members have been towards Obama.
The reason: Voters have more important concerns on their minds.
“This isn’t about race. It’s not about the social issues. It’s about economic issues,” O’Sullivan said in a telephone interview, as he traveled between two labor events held Wednesday in the St. Louis area.
However, O’Sullivan added that he and other labor leaders have been aware of the challenge as they promote Obama, who is biracial, to union worker, many of whom are white. O’Sullivan said the Laborers’ union is roughly 60 percent white, and 40 percent African/American or Hispanic.
“We’ve been hitting the race issue right from the get-go,” O’Sullivan said.
O’Sullivan said his message to rank-and-file members of his union has been that Republican John McCain opposes most of the issues most important to their well-being. “Since 1983, McCain has voted against any bill protecting the prevailing wage and the Davis-Bacon Act,” O’Sullivan said. If the prevailing wage protections were dropped, “our members would take a 35 percent pay cut.”
McCain calls for taxing employer-provided health care, which O’Sullivan said would increase his workers’ taxes by $2,500 a year. O’Sullivan cited Obama’s support for expanding access to health care.
O’Sullivan said Obama also supported the resurrection of defined-benefit pensions, which are being replaced by 401Ks in many companies. Workers depending on 401Ks are seeing their retirement benefits tank along with the stock market, O’Sullivan said.
During his multi-day, cross-state swing, O’Sullivan estimated he had met with more than 4,000 union members from Missouri and nearby Illinois. The biggest gathering was at the Laborers’ Local 110 union hall, 11000 Lin-Valle Drive, in south St. Louis County.
O’Sullivan accused the McCain campaign and their allies of “reinjecting race” as a campaign issue, which he called “an act of desperation. And it’s despicable.”
That is funny, I was just at a tavern over on Morganford and a card carrying Laborer(he showed me his card) had no problem screaming about “n***rs” and he was a relatively young guy. It was pretty awful, just last Tuesday. He did get tossed out of the bar. Of this type, I don’t know how much as a percentage of Union members, but it is certainly there. As someone who is in the middle of this election, I worry about this traditional segment of Democratic vote. It may cost Obama 1-4% of the vote. I hope not.
Forget race, Obama is not looking out for Union members either. As a Union Member, I will not vote for him just because the people in charge have sold out. He voted in the last year to raise taxes on those making $42,500. He is an idiot and just as out of touch as McCain on economic issues.
Even uber-liberal George McGovern opposed the Employee Free Choice Act and believes that Obama is too liberal for America:
http://hotair.com/archives/2008/10/07/george-mcgovern-to-fight-card-check-in-debate-ad/
First of all, it’s silly to call yourself ‘A CENTRIST’ when you’re obviously conservative.
Second of all, just because McGovern is against the EFCA and Obama is for it does not mean that McGovern thinks Obama is too liberal. Don’t make silly inferences, it’s illogical.
Lastly, Hot Air is a noted conservative blog. If you want to cite a source that people will take seriously, you might want to try a normal news source with at least some claim of being non-partisan.
Nice Try.
It won’t be long, and John McCain and Sarah Palin will have no more importance than our shadows following us. Just found a quote from Muhammad Ali and thought it fitting to paraphrase here. In twenty years, do you die-hard republicans really want to look back on this election and say you voted for McCain? Don’t you think your children and grandchildren might find it a bit embarassing to know you were so out of touch?
— E.D. Let’s review the issue…
Uber-liberal McGovern opposes EFCA and liberal Obama supports EFCA.
McGovern takes a center-right position and Obama takes a left position —- one clearly to the left of McGovern.
Ergo, “O” is too liberal for McG on this issue. Isn’t that what you KNEW Centrist meant?
Btw, silly inferences are not necessarily illogical. Silly inferences can also be logical.
Lastly, P-D Political-Fix is a noted liberal cesspool. Be a brave gal and dip your toe in that frightful pool of center-right/conservative Hot Air… and cleanse your mind.
===