labor: tax the rich, don't touch safety nets

[xchrom]

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_WHAT_LABOR_WANTS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2012-11-10-04-08-51

WASHINGTON (AP) -- After two years of getting pummeled in Wisconsin, Indiana and other battleground states, leaders of the nation's big labor unions were beaming on election night.

Labor's massive voter turnout effort played a major role in helping President Barack Obama win Ohio, Nevada and Wisconsin, according to exit polls, and its leaders are now looking for a more liberal, pro-union agenda from the White House.

"There are things the president can do, and we'll be expecting that leadership from President Obama," AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka told reporters after the election.

Topping labor's wish list - for now - is a push to raise taxes on wealthy Americans and discouraging Obama from agreeing to any deal with Republicans over the looming "fiscal cliff" that cuts into Social Security and Medicare.

[lalalu]

1. They are going after social security and medicare.

That is their mandate and they will not end their attack on those programs. Never, ever.

They will always try to dismantle social security, medicare, abortion rights, civil rights, and voting rights. They are already trying to get their supreme court flunkies to repeal part of the voting rights act to prepare for 2016.

Unfortunately we do not have the same type of democrats in office who fought to establish many programs and rights. The democrats in congress are the ones to watch, not the president. President Obama will not have enough congressional democrats willing to fight republicans in congress. They haven't done so in decades and Americans need to wake up to that fact and start voting new people into congress.

[ladjf]

2. That's a good and simple plan. The Dems should take that advice. nt

[woo me with science]

3. We all need to be proclaiming this, loudly and publicly.

No more theft from the middle class and the poor. It is time to raise hell and make it politically untenable to cut Social Security.

[xchrom]

4. +1

[Starry Messenger]

5. k&r