Obama for President

Barack Obama has mobilized a historic movement to reclaim the greatness of America. With his leadership, our nation will rise up to rebuild the middle class at home and restore America's reputation in the world.

This election, the choice could not be clearer: We can elect a champion for working families or we can elect John McCain and have four more years of George W. Bush's disastrous policies. When you look at McCain's record on the issues instead of his rhetoric on the stump, it's obvious that he's just another Bush.

McCain and the high-priced lobbyists who run his campaign promise us four more years of destructive economic policies at home and 100 more years of occupation in Iraq. We need a change now!

That's why the International Executive Board of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), AFL-CIO, today unanimously endorsed Senator Barack Obama for President of the United States.

AFSCME will mobilize more members and invest more resources than ever before to help Senator Obama win the White House. We will turn out an army of 40,000 AFSCME activists to knock on doors, make phone calls, and talk with their co-workers and neighbors to produce an unprecedented turnout in the 2008 election.

Barack Obama is a proven fighter on the issues our members care about most, such as ending privatization, providing state and local fiscal relief, fully funding and supporting public services and the workers who provide them, and guaranteeing that everyone in our country has quality, affordable health care they can count on.

Barack Obama will change the direction of our country and end the Bush era of corruption and incompetence that has led to increased unemployment and home foreclosures, higher gas prices and grocery bills, in addition to putting health care and college out of reach for millions of America's working families.

During the primary season, AFSCME showed that when we make an endorsement, we back it up with everything we've got. That is exactly what we're going to do until November to elect Barack Obama and take back the White House for America's working families.

We are proud of our members' efforts over the past months in support of Senator Hillary Clinton. They worked their hearts out. We completely agree with Senator Clinton that: "The way to continue our fight now -- to accomplish the goals for which we stand -- is to take our energy, our passion, our strength and do all we can to help elect Barack Obama the next President of the United States."

As a U.S. senator, Barack Obama has been a strong advocate for critically important legislation to help working families. This includes bills opposed by Senator McCain, such as the Employee Free Choice Act, which would enable more Americans to improve their lives by joining a union to negotiate for better wages and benefits, and expanding the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) to provide health coverage for an additional 10 million children from low-income families. Senator Obama also opposes McCain's plans to privatize Social Security and vital public services.

This election is about rebuilding America's middle class, providing affordable, quality health care for all and ending the war in Iraq. It's about prosperity and opportunity, and giving us a government that responds to the needs of the American people. It's about combating the greed of corporations and their hired hands who run the Republican Party and set its bankrupt agenda. It's about rising up and reclaiming the great promise of America, a nation conceived in liberty where men and women who work hard and play by the rules can get ahead and give their children a better life.

Barack Obama has the experience, judgment and strength to reinvigorate our economy and resurrect the American Dream.

Comments

[Demoid]

There's no telling how many millions of dollars worth of damage A.F.S.C.M.E. inflicted on Obama because of McEntee's bizarre crusade for Hillary Clinton. Together with his weird 2004 decision to endorse and then abandon Howard Dean and his ongoing, costly, stupid war against S.E.I.U., it's now obvious that McEntee's vanity and erratic behavior has become a serious problem for the Democrats. The members of A.F.S.C.M.E. would be doing the country a service by retiring McEntee and replacing him with someone who isn't an egomaniac.

[Grissom1001]

Thank you for an article that does more than play off the right wing nuts post tosties of the day for breakfast.

People can whine and make things up but thats just it, they have to make things up and stretch the truth because Obama is clean and when the day comes he is President and cleans up some of the problems we are having then, and only then, will the idiots shut up.

[jade7243]

I was disappointed the actions and tactics of both Mr. McEntee and the union he represents during the primaries. There is a difference between being a champion for your candidate and a party to low-ball attacks right out the GOP playbook.

Supporting Obama now, although appreciated by those of us who supported him, is not because McEntee believes in the message, policies and platform of Obama, but because it is now politically expedient.

Your motives are exposed, but hopefully your actions will be genuine.

[Demoid]

Has McEntee ever done anything that wasn't politically expedient?

[CommonSense121]

Thank you Mr. McEntree... and my 7 year old son thanks you too!

[Speakchic]

Obama WILL be the next President. In the meantime, let's all sit back and watch the racist bigots that rule this nation (NOT the folks who disagree with his politics). I mean the ones who can't find any reason not to like other than, his former pastor, his so called Muslim ties, and oh his racist wife.

[Yohomegirl]

Hey Chic, I have a better idea. Volunteer, give, call, knock, bend ears, register others, give, give, give til it hurts, 'cause 2009 is going to be so fine

[RobertArend]

Welcome back from the darkside, Mr. McEntee. We knew you'd come home sooner or later.

[DallasMike]

I hope that when obama is elected he will take care of me from cradle to grave that way I can live off the tit or your taxes.

[RobertArend]

Hmm, we got one of them there good-'ol "elite-type" Texans here. You know, the one's that open their mouths to show the chaw they been chewing all day....

[egal]

Or instead, he could be like Bush and McCain and fight to prevent our soldiers, those who have sacrificed for our couuntry, from getting needed medical care and education and other benefits they've more than earned.

Or how about preventing the soldiers' pay and minimum wage from increasing to keep up with inflation, let alone with rising living prices.

Maybe Obama should keep insurance companies and other Big Business from paying fair taxes, doing what's best for customers, and encouraging capitalism rather than personal wealth.

And force schools to teach to tests and cut programs like art and music that exponentially improve student performance in math, English, science, etc. even more than extra classes on the subjects do

[egal]

Obama patriotically attempts to improve our nation so that those who work hard GET WHAT THEY DESERVE instead of getting far less because the rich get all the benefits and control, and so that the needs and wants of the 80% of the populace who aren't filthy rich don't get ignored because of special interests and rising costs.

Failing to understand how important this is for a capitalist society's proper functioning, people like you buy into the Republican hype and complain and mischaracterize it as socialism to provide working people with the rewards their work SHOULD earn them instead of letting those with the most money but no merit of the extra dividends benefit off of the rest of us while we get less and less return for our work.

And while you're asking for Obama to be as detrimental to this nation as the current president and republican candidate, it's not surprising that you mischaracterize, misunderstand, or simply are too bigoted to bother looking into the capitalist and democratic benefits of:

offering quality education to help keep high-paying jobs in America, better trade regulations to keep and bring back lower-paying jobs, better health care coverage to save taxpayer money by preventing problems instead of spending hundreds and thousands of times more to address problems when they're really bad, and more benefits to Veterans and Active Duty soldiers who can't afford educations, homes, or medical care under the current plans.

[blaqntelligence]

That is the America of the Bush era.
Unfortunately, you probably weren't rich enough to qualify, hence your mockery of an America that is all-inclusive.
An Obama presidency will require you to contribute along with the knowledge that the government will help those in need.

[Thorn]

You're so brave to come out for Obama on the Huffington Post!

[BurntToast]

Thank you Gerald. I note your return to reality and welcome the fact that you see great efforts and great opportunities to solve the problems that will soon be dumped at our feet. We've got much work ahead of us. best

[hopeless277]

I refuse to vote for a person who shirks their responsibility and lets the House sell the American public out to Bush and the Telecoms. Obama has shirked his responsibility. He will not get my vote.

[leftcoastindy]

Self defeating attitude.

[Researchguy66]

They're called "principles". Look it up on Wikipedia.

[PascoBill]

I hope you have a more progressive candidate in mind... Oh, and does your candidate have a chance to become President? Yes, Obama does do the political thing more often than I'd like, but what is the alternative? In the real world, we often have to choose - and I choose Obama.

- Bill

[96Bravo]

No offense, but your priorities are pretty odd. You refuse to vote for the only candidate who's spoken out against the Telecoms on this. Because he didn't 'do something' about the House's capitulation?

Your choice is simple. If you don't like this kind of stuff happening, you need to vote for Obama.

[Researchguy66]

Your logic doesn't follow, but you do actually realize that, don't you?

In fact, Obama doesn't need anyone's vote to stop this from hapening. He could do it right now if he wanted to. But he's not.

I'll don't think that's a reason not to vote for him. I'm voting for Mccain and McCain favors the bill. But it is reasonable to feel betrayed by the hope and change politician.

[bazokbros]

This is such a bizarre reason to not vote for a candidate that it doesn't make any logical sense. Glad to see that the right wingers are now attacking left wing blogs but at least make your arguments plausible.

[wheresthebeef]

Hopeless. Indeed.