Union Officials: Obama Should Hit Harder On Economy, Not Worry About "Class War" Label

Andy Stern has a message for Barack Obama: do not fear being accused of waging "class war" by speaking out for middle class and poor families.

On the sidelines of a pre-convention Sunday event in Denver, the president of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) said that the "class war" charge -- often levied to good effect against Democratic presidential candidates -- has jumped the shark. Citing new polling numbers on the economy, which will be released Monday by the Change To Win coalition of unions, Stern told the Huffington Post: "People appreciate that power has been re-balanced away from them -- that economic fairness has come out of balance, and they can't figure out what's going to happen to their kids' [futures]. And so, I think someone saying corporations have way too much power and workers way too little is a message that everyone actually believes right now. And they may not have believed that 10 years ago."

Change To Win's new polling data will be released at a Monday morning panel addressing access to "the American dream." Presumably, the data will paint a bleak picture. And in light of what Stern sees as an increasing public appetite for sharp populism, the SEIU president said corporate America is the recipient of fewer and fewer crocodile tears. "No one's wincing and saying insurance companies are our friends. Or that Wal-Mart is really trying to help America be better as opposed to the Walton family."

Still, Stern observed the crucial difference between big businesses riding high and smaller companies that are feeling the pains of the economic squeeze. "I think there is a way to do this without broad brush accusing every employer in America with doing something wrong," he said.

But he also warned Obama against appearing too timid to reach the same judgments that Stern believes ordinary citizens now hold when it comes to the economy. "Americans have identified who they think is responsible for part of the problems in their lives. I think Barack Obama understands this -- and I think he needs to say it."

The union's sectretary-treasurer, Anna Burger, agreed. "I do think he [Obama] has to hit this harder, that the government has to work for workers," she said.

To help get that message out, the union is preparing a ground assault in nine battleground states -- Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, Indiana, Missouri, Colorado, and Nevada. A press release claims that over 100,000 SEIU members will be volunteering between now and November, while the union's independent expenditure committee plans to spend $85 million to "educate voters about John McCain's anti-worker agenda and elect Barack Obama."

Part of that $85 million is sure to be spent on television ads in targeted states, according to a political affairs aide for the union. Some of those ads may even feature footage of Barack Obama folding sheets, preparing a meal and otherwise helping out homecare worker Pauline Beck as part of the union's "Walk A Day In My Shoes" campaign.

Beck, an SEIU member who will also speak at the convention, was asked by reporters at Sunday's event whether Obama actually excelled at any of the tasks he performed during his visit. "Cutting the watermelon," she said with a slight smile, adding: "He was really good at everything that he did."

Comments

[themodernleader]

mgulch. You hit the nail on the head. Just because private organizing and employee protections are supported by liberals and middle Americans, it does not follow that liberals or any other political group supports the suffocating tax burden required to support our growing civil servant system which is evolving peculiarly alike the Ancient Chinese Civil Service System. The yolk around the necks of ordinary Chinese under that system started about 600 AD and it was not thrown off until 1904 with the influence of the powerful ideas of an extraordinary American and educator: John Dewey. You do not see the Chinese hankering for a system that impeded the progress of Chinese civilization for those years of dynastic rule through a Mandarin class of civil servants.
Our civil servant unions aver to the needs of the commoners as long as their members are on top of the heap in influence, salary, benefits and guaranteed cradle to grave security. Their unrestrained power is as startling and dangerous as the power of concentrated ownership and wealth. The academic requirements to manage our bureaucracies must be reconsidered and dismantled in part or in whole before these requirements for service become an end in themselves and the country's people become frozen in time.

[ThePeacemakers]

Just a note the great stock market crash of 2020 wiped out social security because it's been privatized.
And good ole speculation took care of the rest....

[ThePeacemakers]

Here's a "fun" idea:

Let's assume the US continues on the deregulation and privatization of all government divisions and programs, including the military and the infrastructure of the country.

I see a future where slavery is brought back or at least indentured servitude.
How?
Minimum wage will eventually be done away with.
Debt will continue to be a problem and loans and credit hard to receive. Business will start giving "loans" to workers. Soon they also owe money to the business they work for.
Debtor prison will be brought back. All it takes is another "Bankruptcy Reform" act or admendment that's even worse that made it harder to file for bankruptcy for individuals.
Companies will be able to get even administrative and other "white-collar" type work done thru prison outsourcing.
If you're old and sick, most likely you will be left on the street to die - assuming you don't have friends and family able to take you in. In that case, they will be left to die in the homes of family and friends.
Cause the great stock market crash of 2020 wiped out many people's social security benefits.

What do you see with more years of neo-con influenced rule?

[Nova16]

The latest Gallup poll shows that 80% of Americans, 8 out of 10 polled, know the country is headed in the wrong direction under Bush and 70%, 7 out of 10, say the bad economy is getting worse. the necessary fire power to defeat the republicans is obvious and available, just as it was in the last election but the Democrats ran an insipid, ineffective campaign under Kerry and paid the price. This must not be allowed to happen again. Another republican administration following eight years of incompetent and corrupt management of Bush/Cheney would be detrimental to the welfare and security of this nation.

[Nova16]

The economic indicators that have flashed across the land present the best program for Obama to offset the republican desire for control and power over the US treasury. Bush has added nearly seven trillion dollars to the national debt in just seven years when it took 232 years of our previous history to accrue 3 trillion in debt, the current account deficit is in arrears nearly 500 billion dollars and growing, we have squandered nealy 600 billion dollars on his phony war in Iraq and growing daily, we lost nearly 3,000,000 manufacturing jobs since he took office, all facets of the economy--credit, housing, energy, unemployment, outsourcing, stock market, infrastructure, trade imbalances, etc.etc., all point to the fact that we are in serious financial difficulty that may take generations to rectify. These matters need to be spelled out to the electorate in detail to insure a win.

[pilgrim7]

And with today"s Gallup poll showing he holds a 52%-40% edge over the Repugnant in terms of which candidate would better handle the economy, it would be STUPID not to run with this and make the economy the dominant focus of the campaign.

[zizyphus]

Only Barack Obama, of any candidate for President, ever, would have done the work of a service employee in order to understand what they go through, and what their needs are. And then analyze the experience and comment on it, with comments by the service employee included. What a man!

[JJeff88]

Wear different hats Pretend you're a middle class soccer mom. Pretend you're an unemployed steam fitter. Pretend you're a senior citizen in a Florida condo. Or someone with a family member suffering from black lung disease.

What do you want in a President?

What issues do you want addressed that can improve the day to day lives of you, your friends and your family?

Which of the two candidates is more likely to make your life better?

Case closed.

A case Sen. Obama has to make early, often and everywhere.

[marylandtravelinman]

I can't wait until McCainosaurus choose Romney and they can be painted as the Millionair Ticket.

[intothefuture]

[irishlaw]

I've seen the "class war" charge made, but when has it been made "to good effect?" Whenever the charge is made the politician involved immediately backs off. Whether this charge really affects the American people in an adverse fashion has not been put to the test in a very long time. Since the rich and connected have been waging a reverse class war and winning it for about the last 30 years I think it's high time that a Democrat finally stand up, unafraid and without apologies, in defense of average Americans. Unfortunately, in light of Senator Biden's support for "free trade" and vote for the Orwellian-named Bankruptcy Reform Act of 2005, he may not be very well-positioned to take advantage of this issue.

[wdw101]

do you need defense?

[morefromLA]

The good thing is Biden is not at the top of the ticket. Obama voted against that pitiful piece of legislation and is in favor of retooling NAFTA. I like the Biden choice very much. It shows he can reach out to work with others who hold different opinions and still move forward. That he gets an articulate pit bull in the bargain is an added plus.

[LondonTownNY]

GAME ON. If you saw the zenmaster's face when he introduced Joseph Biden, Obama's batteries are charged and ready to go. Sports analogy: Hillary=Kobe, Obama= Michael Jordan. MJ won titles and is a legend for his performances with the finals on the line. Kobe has skills but is a selfish player. Anyone who plays ball like MJ realizes 4th quarter game on the line the great players say: "gimme the ball." Obama wants the damn ball. I pity the tool that underestimates Obama. The Joe Biden pick illustrates clearly that Obama is in it to win it. Hillary's people tried to force her down the throat of the Obama campaign. That is not how you show respect to the party's nominee. Despite (i) the Corporate MSM in the tank for McCain (ii) Clinton's doing all they can to hold on to and control the so called "Clinton Dems", the world is going to witness Obama beat all the odds. Make no mistake, Clinton operatives are behind some of these P.U.M.A. & Clinton Dem groups and while Hillary on the surface endorses Obama, Hillary and Bill are on some level nurturing their deadenders with their silence. The Clinton's were selfishly smart driving a wedge into the party via an apparatus to work against Obama while they appear to have their hands clean. History will show that the Clinton's are Neocon roleplayers, who always get even with their enemies.

[wdw101]

that is the problem with the Clintons......they just get even......I always go for revenge......

[GrainOSand]

I can discern more than a whiff of logic in your comment. It is unfortunate if the Clinton's are in any way complicit in sabotage. I am tired of even commenting that approach informs results. Shotgun loaded, aim at foot, pull trigger, nation screams in agonizing pain, wonder why we did it, repeat every four years. Any questions -- do not worry for this time we are aiming at the head, which will end all questions.

[Avembe]

Come on Obama it's not that difficult to find and use honestly stupid statements(i know how to find Ben Laden/how to win wars etc...) controversial stories(keating 5) cheating (cone of silence), absence of mind,oblivion,flip flops,misjudgments, lies, racists expressions(remember when he insults Vietnameses calling them "gooks=n word"(oh yeah i nearly forgot,he was a POW...

[ApolloniaCreed]

It seems O's policies are on the right side of most Americans in a supposed "class war". Do they R's really want to go there?

[CharlesJ]

I agree, Obama needs to be less concerned with public reaction to fighting back, and more about stopping McCain. As long as Obama keeps his fight, honest, factual and to the point America will relate. What America is tired of is the stupid, insane, tit for tat back and forth where no fact or resemblence of fact exists. It is all about fact vs fiction, honesty vs lies and honor vs dishonor. McCain has regressed to fictional statements, our right lies and distortions of fact and in my opinion he has regressed to becoming a man extreemly lacking in honor.