OBAMA JABS AT CLINTON; APPEALS TO SEIU

[Omaha Steve]

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/09/17/365133.aspx

Posted: Monday, September 17, 2007 3:37 PM by Domenico Montanaro

From NBC’s Domenico Montanaro
Obama took shots at Clinton -- on the day she laid out her health-care plan -- saying at the SEIU presidential forum in D.C that his plan would pass by the end of his first term, not “defeated” like “in 1994.” He also said he was right on the Iraq war and took the position of being against the war in 2002 when it wasn’t “convenient.”

He railed against the Washington establishment and defended his experience, talking up his work as a community activist, civil rights lawyer and constitutional law professor. He added that what he realized was that politics is considered a “game” by insiders. “It’s not about who plays the game the best,” Obama said, adding later, “I know I have the experience Washington needs right now. Hope and change are the story of my life. Hope and change are the story of this country.”

Obama also made a direct appeal for the 1.9 million-member SEIU’s endorsement, saying he wouldn’t be where he is today without their endorsement in 2004. Obama showed his community activism experience, as he has before on the trail, riling up the crowd and pledging again to walk the picket lines if elected president.

[Missy M]

1. Does anyone really believe that an elected...

president would walk picket lines. Talk about campaign BS.

[JDPriestly]

2. Some past presidents have supported labor in more meaningful ways than walking the picket line.

FDR is a prime example.

It is only since the American right has succumbed to this absurd phony faith in the god of "the markets" that virtually all presidents have acted to break labor unions and impede workers' organizational efforts. Before that, some presidents were favorable and were even elected with significant labor backing. Walking the picket lines doesn't have to be interpreted literally.

[Missy M]

3. I know past presidents have supported labor....

and I'm sure some will in the future but Obama did mean it literally, if you read his words. Talk about telling a group of people what they want to hear, for a vote.

[JDPriestly]

4. You are drawing a conclusion that is not warranted by the evidence.

Just because a person tells others what they want to hear does not mean that he is doing it to get the listeners' votes. I have no doubt that Obama and Edwards among others really do support labor. And they very well could walk a picket line after being elected president. If you have some ground to believe they do not mean what they say, that is one thing. But there is no ground that I am aware of to believe that either Edwards or Obama is insincere in supporting labor. I have questions about Hillary. The basis for my doubts about her are the effects of NAFTA which her husband has signed. She has not been specific enough about how she would change NAFTA and other trade agreements to remedy the terrible damage done to labor in this country. Now if you have evidence like that about either Obama or Edwards, I would like to know.