Unions press Obama to back Bush plan

[Teaser]

U.S. National - AP
AP
Unions Lobby Dems to Back Air-Pollution Plan

Mon Feb 14, 7:03 PM ET

Add to My Yahoo! U.S. National - AP

By MALIA RULON, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - A coalition of labor unions — traditionally a bastion of support for Democrats — are lobbying senators of that party in favor of President Bush (news - web sites)'s air-pollution plan.



The unions have written to members of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, where they are targeting freshman Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., to possibly provide the swing vote when the measure is considered Wednesday.

Tommy Vietor, a spokesman from Obama's office, said Monday that the senator welcomes the unions' opinion on the bill, but he couldn't say whether it would affect Obama's vote.

Support for the measure is divided down the middle of the 18-member committee. Democrats on the committee, along with Sen. Jim Jeffords, a Vermont independent, and moderate Republican Sen. Lincoln Chafee (news, bio, voting record) of Rhode Island, oppose the measure because it doesn't deal with carbon dioxide, the chief "greenhouse" gas blamed for global warming.

link

Get to work on Obama folks:

Washington D.C. Office
Dirksen Senate Office Building SD-B40
Washington, D.C. 20510
[phone]
[phone] fax
Email our office

Chicago Office
John C. Kluczynski Federal Office Building
230 South Dearborn St.
Suite 3900 (39th floor)
Chicago, Illinois 60604
[phone]
[phone] fax

Springfield Office
607 East Adams Street
Springfield, Illinois 62701
[phone]
[phone] fax

Marion Office
701 North Court Street
Marion, Illinois 62959
[phone]
[phone] fax

[AuntiBush]

1. Which UNIONS exactly?

Certainly none I know of! Unions are adamently against anything BU$H!

[Teaser]

2. link added

Oftentimes you get the autoworkers and such like arrayed against green (small g) causes. This seems to be the case here. Check link for more.

[cestpaspossible]

10. Here is the list

The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers
International Brotherhood of Boilermakers,
Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers and Helpers
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
International Brotherhood of Teamsters
Marine Engineers Beneficial Association
Transportation · Communications International Union
United Food and Commercial Workers
United Mine Workers of America
United Transportation Union
Utility Workers Union of America

NOTE: the UAW is NOT on the list.

[Skidmore]

15. How about getting to work on the unions too.

[cheshire]

21. I agree

[hatrack]

3. Yes, there isn't nearly enough mercury in the fish yet

Let's go for warnings in all 50 states - THEN we'll really be cooking!

[SoCalifer]

4.

Being a rank & file member of the I.L.W.U. (local-13), I can assure you we don't back that - and don't back "anything" this drunk nazi does.

[merh]

5. Will you email obama as a union member and let him know

that the lobbyists are not representing all unions!

[dansolo]

6. You don't need to worry

I believe that Obama has a very good track record on environmental issues.

[Teaser]

7. kick

for changes.

[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[TayTay]

9. Because Byrd recanted this

That took place in the 1940's. Byrd has admitted to it, is ashamed of it and asked forgiveness for it.

What else do you want? I should think that someone admitting they made an error, seeking forgiveness and going on to vote in a way that shows they learned their lesson would be enough.

What else would you have him do? At what point are you going for vengeance for vengeance sake and betraying what you yourself claim to be seeking?

[Name removed]

20. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[cestpaspossible]

22. How 'bout the fact that what you're saying is untrue?

How should we factor that into our consideration of this matter?

Upon what are you basing this inflammatory statement?

[bdiddy04]

23. go to this website

go to issues2000.org and look up his voting record.

[cestpaspossible]

24. Yes, gentle reader, go look up his record for yourself.

I encourage everyone to yes indeed, read his voting record FOR YOURSELF, instead of believing the blanket characterizations of anonymous people whose motives are unknown to you.

http://www.vote-smart.org/bio.php?can_id=S0950103

[bdiddy04]

26. bogus site

check out issues2000.org and quit ignoring the fact that he is racist.

[cestpaspossible]

28. vote-smart-org is bogus? LOL

Your credibility is moving into the negative range.

[bdiddy04]

30. not bogus but

issues2000.org gives you a comprehensive look of where he stands.

[cestpaspossible]

You are misrepresenting the facts.

Why?

[Name removed]

33. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[cestpaspossible]

36. LOL

I encourage everyone to read about his record in it's entirety, think for yourself, and form your own judgements.

http://www.issues2002.org/Senate/Robert_Byrd.htm

http://www.vote-smart.org/bio.php?can_id=S0950103

Form your own opinions, and beware of blanket characterizations and oversimplifications.

Is Byrd perfect? No. Does he hold racist attitudes? I don't doubt it. Is it accurate to characterize him as anti abortion rights? Absolutely not.

[bdiddy04]

37. as a black man

I was speaking only about his record on race. He is moderaely anti- abortion. but you expect me to support Byrd with that history. All I saw when Obama voted for Rice was how he was asellout, but everyone praised that racist byrd.

[cestpaspossible]

39. You might be black, you might be white. I don't care either way.

But I certainly wouldn't believe you just because you say so.

Anyway, I'm judging you by your words and actions, not your skin color... to do otherwise would be... what's the word I'm looking for?.... racist.

[bdiddy04]

40. what the hell?

I'm talkking about the way people on this site bashed obama, but praises aracist like byrd. I thought democrats were on the forefront of fighting racism.

[cestpaspossible]

41. Racism

Obama - Again, if he does the wrong thing he will be criticized, regardless of his skin color. To do otherwise would be the essence of racism.

[bdiddy04]

42. yes racism

everybody knows the democratic party uses the black vote and blacks get nothing in return except be ridiculed for being a rookie senator and have racists like byrd praised.

[cestpaspossible]

43. Well, that's what Bush says about it.

However, Bush is a liar, and the fact that you repeat his false claim doesn't turn it into the truth.

Mr. President, as I close, Mr. President, I heard you say Friday that you had questions for voters, particularly African-American voters. And you aksed the question: Did the Democratic Party take us for granted? Well, I have raised questions. But let me answer your question.

You said the Republican Party was the party of Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. It is true that Mr. Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, after which there was a commitment to give 40 acres and a mule.

That's where the argument, to this day, of reparations starts. We never got the 40 acres. We went all the way to Herbert Hoover, and we never got the 40 acres.

We didn't get the mule. So we decided we'd ride this donkey as far as it would take us.

Mr. President, you said would we have more leverage if both parties got our votes, but we didn't come this far playing political games. It was those that earned our vote that got our vote. We got the Civil Rights Act under a Democrat. We got the Voting Rights Act under a Democrat. We got the right to organize under Democrats.
Al Sharpton speech at the 2004 Dem convention

[cestpaspossible]

11. Wow, talk about OT

that takes the prize.

[hatrack]

17. Pardon me while I . . .

stifle a big, big YAWN. :eyes:

[strategery blunder]

18. I'm suspicious of pulling out quotes from sixty years ago

Especially when the person quoted has recanted and apologized.

Byrd has made mistakes in the past, but as another poster said, he has taken responsibility and apologized. What else would you have him do? Bush the Pompous can't even admit his mistakes.

The Faux News Chicago affiliate dug that up a couple of years ago to air it. Now, it's just used like more Republican slime, turned into a half-truth (ignoring the repentance), and business as usual in KKKarl Rove's office.:eyes:

The Republicans like to trot this out to say "Hey look, Demoncrats are the party of the KKK!," in a desperate attempt to split off African-Americans from the rest of the party, when in reality, the parties switched racial positions during the civil rights movement (Republicans giving up their "Party of Lincoln" positions to appeal to Dixiecrats who hated the Civil Rights Act).

[bdiddy04]

19. recent history

On March 4, 2001, an interview with FOX News Sunday host Tony Snow was aired. In the interview Byrd was asked about race relations: "They are much, much better than they've ever been in my lifetime," Byrd said. "I think we talk about race too much. I think those problems are largely behind us... I just think we talk so much about it that we help to create somewhat of an illusion. I think we try to have good will. My old mom told me, 'Robert, you can't go to heaven if you hate anybody.' We practice that." Then Byrd warned: "There are white niggers. I've seen a lot of white niggers in my time; I'm going to use that word."

[cestpaspossible]

25. I thought you said you objected to his voting record?

BTW, what do you think he meant by the statement you quoted?

[bdiddy04]

27. both

used racial slur in quote.

[cestpaspossible]

29. Are you afraid to engage in a discussion?

I asked you what you thought he meant by the term.... are you afraid to answer?

[bdiddy04]

31. ok

He was attacking whites that support affirmative action which the grand wizard feels is hurting his white constituents.

[cestpaspossible]

34. That is a blatantly untrue.

100% inconsistent with the meaning of Byrd's offensive statement.


I'll ask you again, what do you think Byrd meant by the offensive, racist phrase 'white niggers'?

[bdiddy04]

35. prove it

Look at byrds history. Against the civil rights act, voted against thurgood marshall, clarence thomas and condi rice. I don't mind the last two. Byrd is simply a racist and the last dixiecrat. He's one step away from being zell miller.

[cestpaspossible]

38. Anyone reading the statement can see for themselves

that in no way was he 'attacking whites that support affirmative action'. The statement speaks for itself. It was offensive, and perhaps reveals an underlying racist attitude, but it was a blatant falsehood on your part to say that statement was an attack on whites who support affirmative action.

When you engage in such a blatant falsehood, don't you think the readers of your comments will use it to judge your credibility overall?

[cestpaspossible]

12. About the 'Clear Skies Act of 2005'

Required reading: http://www.cleartheair.org/sweetheartdeal/

[John_H]

13. Another exaggerated, misleading story from AP, natch.

AP implies that organized labor is coming down on Obama. It's 2 unions. And I doubt he'll cave.

[cestpaspossible]

14. More accurate headline: "Fringe unions opposed to Clean Air"

[cheezus]

16. Good! Obama can prove he's not "beholden to the unions"

[DU GrovelBot]

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[Carolab]

44. Not impressed with this guy AT ALL so far.

Just a pretty face and a smooth talker.

[lonestarnot]

45. This a weird post...??? Unions fight for jobs and workers rights ...

something amiss!