Seth Harris

Barack Obama, Labor Day, and Unions

Seth H. from New Jersey — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 13:57:38 EDT

It is fitting that Barack Obama will be chosen as the Democratic nominee for President just a few days before Labor Day. Because this election is all about labor and working families. Wages have been stagnant for decades. Prices for gas, food and tuition have gone through the roof. Jobs are disappearing by the tens of thousands. Millions of working Americans have no health insurance or retirement security. Home foreclosures reach ever-higher, record levels.

At the same time, corporate profits have soared and the richest 1% in our country continue to get richer. In John McCain's America, where he can't even remember how many houses he owns, everything is just fine. But for the hard-working men and women who are the back-bone of our country and our economy, times are tough. Very tough.

Barack Obama understands that we will need unions to help us solve these problems. That's his message as Labor Day approaches. Watch him discuss the important role that unions have played in our history, continue to play today, and will play in building our future. Here are two videos of different appearances where he addressed the same question: do you support unions? Barack's answer was an emphatic "yes."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJ3ibE6LtEE&eurl=http://www.facebook.com/home.php?

http://www.necn.com/category/32/15988

You can help us spread the word about these videos. Invite your friends, neighbors, union brothers and sisters, and anyone else who cares about working families to visit this blog, read this post, and watch these videos. Then, encourage them to spread the word to everyone they know.

This is our candidate talking about our issues. You can help him let everyone know which side he is on.

Update:

If you are wondering what the reference to John McCain not knowing how many houses he owns is all about, watch this new commercial:

http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/seven_ad

NEA Endorses Barack Obama

Seth H. from New Jersey — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 20:26:32 EDT

On our nation's birthday, this important news of an endorsement from the nation's largest union comes from the NEA web site:

Educators Vote to Endorse Obama
Nearly 10,000 NEA delegates approve presidential endorsement

WASHINGTON —The National Education Association voted today to endorse Sen. Barack Obama for U.S. president. Nearly 10,000 educators, representing the NEA’s 3.2 million members, officially endorsed Obama as part of the NEA’s Representative Assembly. Obama will address the delegation on Saturday via satellite.

The following statement can be attributed to NEA President Reg Weaver:

“NEA’s 3.2 million members, like most Americans, are ready for change. Barack Obama understands that a child is more than a test score, that schools need adequate resources, and that creating great public schools for each and every child is a shared responsibility. We need a president who understands that the strength of our country, the vitality of our economy and the health of our democracy depend on quality public schools. NEA members have shown today that they’re prepared to help put a friend of education in the White House, and get this country back on track.”

As of now, Barack Obama's campaign for change has been endorsed by both teachers unions, both labor federations, and dozens of other unions. Labor has come together to take back our country.

Obama on the June Unemployment Numbers

Seth H. from New Jersey — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 09:43:03 EDT

Senator Obama today released the following statement on the Bureau of Labor Statistics' unemployment numbers report:

As we head into the 4th of July weekend, today's report that our economy has lost another 62,000 jobs is a stark reminder that far too many Americans will spend this holiday out of work and struggling to provide for their families because of the failed policies of the last eight years.
Our economy has not shed 438,000 jobs over the past six months, while workers' wages fail to keep pace with the skyrocketing cost of gas, groceries and health care. The American people are paying the price for the failed economic policies of the past eight years, and we can't afford four more years of the same. That is the essential issue of this campaign because Senator McCain has fully embraced the Bush economic agenda. I believe it has to change.
But, as these numbers demonstrate, the American people can't wait another six months. We need action now.
That's why I'm calling on Congress and the Preasident to enact real, immediate relief with energy rebates for working families this summer, a fund to help families avoid foreclosure, extended benefits for the long-term jobless, and assistance to states that have been hard-hit by the economic downturn.
As President, I'll move us in a new direction with policies to restore broad-based, bottom up growth that benefits all Americans. I will provide working families with a middle-class tax cut; fith for affordable health care and college tuition; work to help raise workers' wages; and invest in infrastructure, education and a clean energy future to create millions of new jobs. That's the change the American people need."

Insulators Join the Campaign

Seth H. from New Jersey — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 12:07:45 EDT

This news of another union endorsement arrived today via press release (no link):

The International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers has officially endorsed the candidacy of Democratic Senator Barack Obama for the office of President of the United States.

The Insulators Union is an affiliate of the Building and Construction Trades Department of the AFL-CIO, with members employed in the insulation sector of the construction industry across the United States and Canada.

The union’s General Executive Board unanimously voted to endorse Senator Obama and has called upon every member of the union to participate in a determined effort to elect a Democrat to the White House in November and to broaden the Democratic Party’s margin of control in Congress.

General President James A. Grogan announced the union’s endorsement, noting that working Americans, including union members, have suffered almost eight years of economic decline as a direct result of governmental policies that have reduced job opportunities, lowered our nation’s standard of living and enriched the pockets of the wealthy at the expense of the middle class.

In contrast, the union’s president said, Senator Obama has advanced programs and policies designed to reverse the misguided actions of a Republican Administration and its supporters, including GOP presidential nominee Senator John McCain, whose position on the issues suggests a continuation of domestic and foreign policies that have undermined our economy and our nation’s standing as a world leader.

“The policy positions embraced by Senator Obama reflect the values and a pathway to economic growth that are of vital importance in restoring job opportunities and economic prosperity to the working men and women of this nation.

“Our support of Senator Obama, our active involvement in his campaign and his subsequent election to the office of President of the United States will restore and fulfill the hopes and aspirations that are at the core of the American dream of fairness, opportunity, growth and prosperity for the entire nation and not just a privileged few,” President Grogan stressed.

I know you all join me in welcoming these building tradesmen and tradeswomen to the campaign for change that works for you. We're looking forward to canvassing with you and getting out the vote this summer and fall.

Obama on the ADA Restoration Act

Seth H. from New Jersey — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 13:35:10 EDT

I am a little late posting this news, but here's a statement that Senator Obama issued on Wednesday after the historic and overwhelming vote in the U.S. House of Representatives in favor of the ADA Amendments Act --- a revised version of the ADA Restoration Act:

Statement of Senator Barack Obama on the House Passage of the Americans with Disabilities Restoration Act
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Barack Obama today released the following statement after the House of Representatives passed the Americans with Disabilities Restoration Act, H.R. 3195.
"We have a collective responsibility to ensure that every American has access to the opportunity to fulfill their dreams and live independent lives. With nearly fifty-four million Americans living with disabilities today, it must be a priority for our government to do everything it can to protect and respect the needs of these Americans.
"The House of Representatives took an important step today by passing this legislation, and I applaud Leader Hoyer and Congressmen Conyers, George Miller, and Sensenbrenner for their efforts. I look forward to working with a true leader on this issue, Senator Harkin, to reaffirm our nation's commitment to giving every American an equal chance."

The ADA Restoration Act is critical legislation that will overturn several Supreme Court decisions that dramatically narrowed the ADA's coverage. These ill-conceived decisions left potentially millions of Americans with disabilities unprotected from discrimination in the workplace, the job market, public services, and other aspects of their lives. The ADA Restoration Act will expand coverage to protect all of those Congress originally intended to protect.

Barack has been a long-time supporter of the ADA Restoration Act. Take a look at his Plan to Empower Americans with Disabilities and his video endorsing the bill at www.barackobama.com/issues/disabilities. But Barack understands the critical connection between restoring the ADA and making sure that it is interpreted fairly by judges. Here's what his Plan says about the judges he will appoint:

Appointing Judges and Justices Who Respect Laws Designed to Protect People with Disabilities: Barack Obama will appoint judges and justices who respect Congress’ role as a co-equal, democratically elected branch of government and who exhibit empathy with what it means to be an American with a disability. The Supreme Court’s interpretations of the ADA have shown disrespect for Congress’ intent and frustrated the law’s goals of fully integrating people with disabilities into society.

That's the kind of President that Americans with disabilities need. That's the kind of President all Americans need.

AFL-CIO Endorses Barack Obama

Seth H. from New Jersey — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 13:33:54 EDT

This gigantic endorsement news comes from the AFL-CIO's web site:

AFL-CIO Votes to Endorse Senator Barack Obama for President
Endorsement Triggers Largest Ever Mobilization of Working Families AFL-CIO Program to Reach Union Voters Nationwide, 13 Million in 24 Priority States
Calling Sen. Barack Obama a champion for working families, the top leaders of AFL-CIO unions today voted without opposition to endorse him for president of the United States, thrusting the labor federation’s largest ever grassroots mobilization effort into high gear.
“In so many ways―on jobs, health care, gas prices and the war in Iraq―our country is headed in the wrong direction,” AFL-CIO President John Sweeney said. “Barack Obama has proven from his days as an organizer, to his time in the Senate and his historic run for the presidency, that he’s leading the fight to turn around America. He’s a champion for working families who knows what it’s going to take to create an economy that works for everyone, not just Big Oil, Big Pharma, the insurance companies, the giant mortgage lenders, speculators and the very wealthy. We’re proud to stand with Sen. Obama to help our nation chart a course that will improve life for generations of working people and our children.”
In its endorsement statement, the AFL-CIO General Board cited Obama’s strong support of working families on issues such as health care reform, fair trade that will lift up workers here and around the world, retirement security and the freedom to form unions and bargain for middle-class living standards. Obama has a 98 percent voting record on working families’ issues, compared to just 16 percent for Sen. John McCain.
“Senator Barack Obama has secured the nomination of his party in a campaign that has energized millions of Americans and spoken to the hopes and dreams of people from every corner of our nation,” read the AFL-CIO General Board’s statement to endorse Obama. “His leadership can re-engage disenfranchised Americans and bring our country together.” The General Board, which includes presidents of all 56 unions in the federation as well as Executive Council members and representatives of state and local federations, trade departments and constituency groups, votes by per capita membership.
“Senator Obama has advocated a change of direction for our nation that mirrors the priorities of the labor movement,” the statement continued.
The endorsement is not only a stamp of approval; it marks the beginning of a huge, united political mobilization among working class voters. The AFL-CIO will focus on mobilizing more than 13 million union voters―including union members, families of members, retirees and members of the AFL-CIO community affiliate Working America―in 24 priority states, working to elect U.S. senators and representatives, as well as state and local candidates.
“We’ll work our hearts out for Barack Obama,” said AFSCME President and AFL-CIO Political Committee Chair Gerald McEntee. “Our program is going to be worker to worker and neighbor to neighbor. We’re ready to mobilize. We’re ready to rock and roll. This country and our people are ready for change.”

Needless to say, this is an important development in the campaign. The AFL-CIO's press release hints at what this endorsement will mean to the campaign: hundreds of thousands of volunteers making hundreds of thousands of phone calls, distributing millions of fliers, and engaging in countless shop floor and office suite discussions about why Barack Obama is the best choice for working families. As part of its endorsement, the AFL-CIO las also launched a new web site to help union members learn about Barack's positions on issue and to give them a place to sign up to help the campaign for change. As I've said before, tested organizing tactics and new technologies all being harnessed to elect Barack Obama.

Of course, you can also learn about Barack's positions by clicking on "Learn Where Barack Stands" on this page.

But the AFL-CIO endorsement, and the earlier endorsement by the Change to Win Federation, mean more than the mobilization of new activists to supplement the grass-roots organizers who have fueled this campaign to date. It means that we are unified. We are fired up. And we are ready to go. This isn't the end. This is the beginning of a long and hard fight to take out country back. So, don't just sit there. Organize!

Teachers Ready to Endorse

Seth H. from New Jersey — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 19:03:00 EDT

Here's some news about a likely forthcoming endorsement from the American Federation of Teachers that can be found on the AFT web site, http://www.aft.org/presscenter/releases/2008/062408.htm:

AFT Executive Council Recommends Endorsement of Barack Obama
1.4 million-member union to vote on mobilizing around candidacy of Illinois senator
Citing his commitment to take on the key challenges facing AFT members and our nation as a whole, the 42-member executive council of the American Federation of Teachers Monday voted unanimously to approve a motion recommending that delegates to the 2008 AFT national convention endorse the candidacy of Illinois Sen. Barack Obama for president of the United States.
The 3,000-plus delegates are scheduled to convene July 11-14 at Navy Pier in Chicago.
“The executive council agreed that Sen. Obama offers the best solutions to the important issues facing the country today,” said AFT President Edward J. McElroy. “When the AFT’s delegates meet in convention in July, we will ask that they accept the council’s recommendation and place the AFT’s full support behind electing Sen. Obama the next president of the United States.”
During the primary process, the AFT turned out a record number of members in 14 key states with an unprecedented political and mobilization program on behalf of Sen. Hillary Clinton that involved door-to-door contact, mail, and personal member-to-member telephone outreach. These efforts will now be continued and increased during the general election campaign in support of Sen. Obama, McElroy said.
“We’re proud of our member-driven, grass-roots campaign efforts during the primary, and we look forward to mobilizing an expanded effort on behalf of Sen. Obama,” McElroy said. “AFT members are an electoral force to be reckoned with, and we will prove it again by helping elect Barack Obama the 44th president of the United States.”

The AFT is another of the AFL-CIO's largest affiliates. The unions endorsing Barack Obama for President this week --- just today and yesterday --- represent more than 2 million workers. That's an army for change. Welcome!

Obama Wins CWA Endorsement

Seth H. from New Jersey — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 18:32:12 EDT

This news of an important endorsement comes from www.cwa-union.org, the Communications Workers of America web site,

CWA Endorses Barack Obama for President
The Communications Workers of America overwhelmingly endorsed Senator Barack Obama and pledged to work harder than ever to elect him President of the United States.
The 2,000 delegates to the union's 70th convention voted by acclamation to support Senator Obama's bid, citing the values that he shares with working families and his support for the critical issues of Employee Free Choice, health care, fair trade and jobs and retirement security.
Senator Obama addressed the CWA convention by satellite. He stressed that families across the country want real change: "an economy that rewards not just wealth but the work and workers who create it."
"Change is having a President who's been an organizer…and who lets unions do what they do best and organize our workers. That's what change is and that's the choice in this election," he said.
CWA President Larry Cohen said CWA had committed to the 2008 elections like never before, "in ways we never dreamed of," to bring about the election of Barack Obama as president of the United States.
Cohen pointed out that CWA and its Alliance partners – the Steel Workers, Auto Workers, and International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers – has more than 1 million active and retired members in the critical election states of Ohio, Pennsylvania and Michigan. "In these states, we will unite working families and take our message to members in the workplace like never before. With President Obama, we can reform health care, we can win the Employee Free Choice Act and bring about real, positive change for working families in our country," he said.
Senator Obama has declared that "we are ready to play offense for America's workers" and CWA is ready to work to make that happen," Cohen said.
Delegates noted that Senator McCain is in lockstep with President Bush, voting with the administration 89 percent of the time overall and 95 percent in 2007.
Senator Obama's message of hope and real change has invigorated a new generation of voters and touched Americans of all ages – Democrats, Republicans and Independents, CWA delegates said.
"He is determined to change the culture in Washington, to dispel the current tone of bitter partisan rhetoric and to work to address our nation's many challenges. If anyone can inspire our leaders and all Americans to make this vision a reality, we believe it is Senator Obama," they declared. "His historic presidency will be a victory for every American."

Unions representing every kind of worker --- construction workers, high-tech workers, auto workers, and government employees --- are rallying behind Barack Obama and his campaign for change. It's been a big day and an important few weeks in laborland.

Iron Workers Join the Obama Campaign

Seth H. from New Jersey — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 17:33:30 EDT

In an announcement issued today, the International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental & Reinforcing Iron Workers announced their endorsement of Barack Obama for President of the United States. Here are a few excerpts from the Iron Workers' announcement, beginning with a statement from General President Joe Hunt:

Hunt said it was Obama's "universal appeal" that won over the Iron Workers. "He can unite the country. With his extraordinary vision of how great this country can be, he has created a firestorm of excitement that has been embraced by all segments of our society. He will make a great Commander in Chief."
"Barack Obama is a strong friend of labor," said Hunt. In Congress he was one of the leaders fighting to pass the Employee Free Choice Act. On the campaign trail, Obama declared "we need to strengthen our unions by letting them do what they do best --- organize our workers."
The Illinois senator is a strong supporter of job creation, proposing long-term investments in education, training and workforce development "so that Americans can leverage our strengths to create new high-wage jobs and prosper in a world economy."
Senator Obama said, "I'm honored to receive the endorsement of the Iron Workers. Their leaders and members are committed to hardworking Americans, and I look forward to fighting with them for the causes that unite us: worker protections and the right to organize, affordable health care for all who want it, an economy that works for all, and a 21st century infrastructure that creates jobs and makes America more competitive. I thank them for standing with me, and I will stand with them when I am President."

Obama Endorses Paid Leave for Federal Employees

Seth H. from New Jersey — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 16:54:30 EDT

Today, Senator Obama released this statement:

U.S. Senator Barack Obama today announced his cosponsorship of the Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act of 2008 (S. 3140), which would allow federal employees to use four weeks of paid leave, as well as any annual or sick leave, for the birth or adoption of a child under the Family and Medical Leave Act. This bill was introduced by Senator Jim Webb.
"We must do everything we can to ensure the best and the brightest Americans are recruited to serve in our federal agencies and programs, and that means providing them with quality work environments as well as competitive benefits packages. Our government should reflect our nation's values and aspirations, and we cannot ask federal employees to choose between caring for their children and serving their country. I believe strong families are the foundation for a strong community and nation, and that is why I am cosponsoring the Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act of 2008.
By making four weeks of paid leave available to employees for the birth or adoption of a child, we are showing our public servants that we value them and their families, and we are making government service a viable option for young people entering the workforce.
I commend Senator Webb for his leadership in introducing this legislation, and I urge my colleagues in the Senator to pass it as soon as possible."

Barack's support for paid leave for federal employees fits perfectly with his willingness to launch a new program that encourages states to create paid leave systems for workers in the private sector. You can read more about it by clicking on http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/stateupdates/gG5hq4.

In an Obama Administration, the federal government will be a model employer --- a nice change from an administration that vilifies and blames federal employees for its own missteps.

Obama and Working Women

Seth H. from New Jersey — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 16:38:19 EDT

Today, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Barack met with working women to discuss the state of the economy and how it is affecting working women, as well as critical issues like his middle tax cut, equal pay, and paid leave. He also highlighted his differences with Senator McCain on issues of concern to working women.

You can read the full text of his remarks, and look at some pictures from the event, at http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/stateupdates/gG5hq4. It's worth a look.

UPDATE: Here's another link where you can find the full text of the speech along with the latest fact sheet: http://www.barackobama.com/2008/06/23/obama_remarks_for_discussion_w.php.

An Organizer for President

Seth H. from New Jersey — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 14:00:52 EDT

In order to know where someone is going, it is instructive to consider where they have been. What choices have they made in their lives? Did they make choices you might have made?

When Barack Obama graduated from college, he could have followed the path chosen by some of his classmates and taken a high-paying job or gone directly to law school. But he didn’t. Instead, in 1985, he accepted a job working as a community organizer for a church-based group on Chicago’s South Side in neighborhoods that had been devastated by steel mill closings. He worked with local unions to build coalitions of residents, workers, and churches to bring job training and economic development to the residents of these neighborhoods.

That choice says a lot. Barack learned from his organizing experience. Organizing workers and communities is how we can hold government and employers accountable and assure that they fulfill their obligations. Organizing gives working people the power to check the wealthy and powerful interests that have too much influence in Washington. Organizing gives workers a voice in the workplace, our political process, and our public policy debates. And unions raise wages and assure health insurance and pensions. In the process, they strengthen and expand our middle class.

The lesson was learned. Barack Obama is FOR organizing. Because he has been an organizer. And because he understands the important role that organizing plays in bringing change.

You can see that lesson being played out in this campaign. The Obama campaign has out-organized everyone. It has used traditional tools like door-to-door canvassing and phone banking. Take a look at this story --- http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/stateupdates/gG5hZQ --- about the Obama Organizing Fellows to get a sense of the campaign's traditional organizing on a massive scale. But the campaign has also used high-tech tools like social networking and, well, this blog. While the strategy has been implemented by millions at the grass roots, it came from the very top. From our organizer-in-chief.

So, when you hear that Barack Obama has supported and advocated for the Employee Free Choice Act to make it possible for workers to organize without fear of intimidation, coercion, or threats to their livelihoods, it’s not a politician’s promise designed to win endorsements. Obama is FOR organizing, because he has been an organizer, and he wants workers, not employers or anti-union consultants, to decide if they want a union.

The same is true for local, state, and federal employees. Barack Obama wants more public-sector workers to have the choice to organize and bargain collectively. He supports the Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act, which would give first responders in states without collective bargaining the right to bargain collectively. He will restore the collective bargaining rights of federal employees who have had them taken away by the Bush Administration. That’s only part of his agenda. You can learn more about where Barack stands on worker organizing by clicking on http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/laborissues, or the "Learn Where Barack Stands" link on this page.

So, yes, we can have an organizer as President. But only if we organize. Take this opportunity to tell us your stories about organizing in your community for Obama, for your union, for change, for yourselves.

What Unity Looks Like - AFSCME Joins the Obama Campaign

Seth H. from New Jersey — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 18:06:48 EDT

Here's our second endorsement of the day, and it's a big one. From the AFSCME web site, www.afscme.org:

AFSCME Endorses Senator Barack Obama for President

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.
“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,” said AFSCME President Gerald W. McEntee. “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 access to quality, affordable health care they can count on,” McEntee said.
“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,” McEntee said. “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.”
“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,” said McEntee.
“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,” McEntee said. “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. Those include 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,” McEntee said. “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,” McEntee said.

Just one editorial comment on this big week for endorsements. Both IUPAT and AFSCME were important pillars of the Clinton campaign, as were other unions. Their strong statements of support, and their pledges of substantial investments to help bring change that works for working families, show that the Democratic Party and the labor movement are unifying in support of Barack Obama.

Don't believe the doubters and the naysayers. We are coming together. Yes. We. Can.

Painters Endorse Obama

Seth H. from New Jersey — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 17:30:19 EDT

Hot on the heels of the Building and Construction Trades Department's endorsement yesterday comes news of this endorsement from the Painters and Allied Trades from their web site, www.iupat.org/news/subnews/061908-2.htm:

International Union of Painters and Allied Trades Endorses Obama for President
The International Union of Painters and Allied Trades today endorsed Barack Obama for President of the United States. The union, which represents more than 140,000 skilled construction and design workers, cited Obama's leadership on labor issues, workers' rights and strengthening the economy for hardworking Americans.
"Barack Obama is a champion for working Americans, and his economic plan has the vision and strength to secure American prosperity for the future," said James Williams, President of IUPAT. "The IUPAT and our members are proud to stand with Senator Obama for real change."
"I'm honored to receive the IUPAT's endorsement. Their leaders and their members are committed to hardworking Americans, and I look forward to working with them to strengthen our economy and protect workers' rights and their right to organize," said Senator Obama.

And this important union joining the Obama campaign is just the first endorsement to announce today! Stand by . . . there's more news on the way.

Fact Check on Fortune and NAFTA

Seth H. from New Jersey — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 21:26:45 EDT

Just a quick post to encourage everyone to get the facts about the recent Fortune magazine article suggesting that Obama believe that "NAFTA is not so bad after all." Go to the Fact Checking Page: http://factcheck.barackobama.com/.

I won't repeat the whole post here, but it is well worth reading.

Obama Scores Building & Construction Trades Endorsement

Seth H. from New Jersey — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 17:27:05 EDT

This hugely important news flash comes courtesy of the AFL-CIO Building and Construction Trades Department's web site, www.bctd.org:

Building and Construction Trades Department Endorses Senator Barack Obama for President
Vote by Governing Board of Presidents is Unanimous…All 13 Affiliated Unions Vow Unprecedented Political Education and Mobilization Effort
The Building and Construction Trades Department today announced its endorsement of Senator Barack Obama for President of the United States. The endorsement was made official after the Department’s Governing Board of Presidents approved the endorsement by unanimous vote.“Our endorsement today of Senator Obama marks the beginning of the fight to return the reins of power to a presidential administration that places high value on the interests of America’s working families,” said Building Trades President Mark H. Ayers. “We have pledged to Senator Obama our determination to engage our members in detailed conversations concerning the stark differences between his view of America and that of Senator John McCain – whose candidacy, in our minds, is simply a warmed-over version of the anti-worker, anti-union tenure of George W. Bush.”In response to today’s endorsement, Senator Obama stated, “"I'm honored to receive the endorsement of the Building & Construction Trades Department. Their leaders and members are committed to hardworking Americans, and I look forward to fighting with them for the causes that unite us: worker protections, the right to organize, an economy that works for all, and a 21st century infrastructure that creates jobs and makes America more competitive. I thank them for standing with me, and I will stand with them when I am President.”This endorsement of Senator Obama is offered with compelling reason. Through both word and deed, Senator Obama has made it unmistakably clear that he is the right candidate to represent the interests of building trades members and their families. “But, perhaps most importantly,” said Ayers, “our unions believe in the promise of the future…and the promise of what this country can be. We accept as true Senator Obama’s belief that in the face of war, we believe there can be peace. In the face of despair, we believe there can be hope. And in the face of a politics that's shut us out, that's told us to settle, that's divided us for too long, we believe we can be one people, reaching for what's possible, building a more perfect union.’”

They are all important. But this is a huge endorsement. The BCTD is an alliance of 13 national and international unions collectively representing 2.5 million workers in the U.S. and Canada. These unions and their members are saying loud and clear: "Yes. We. Can."

An Endorsement from the Amalgamated Transit Union

Seth H. from New Jersey — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 11:18:03 EDT

News of this endorsement comes from the ATU's web site, www.atu.org/agenda/atu-endorses-barack-obama.html:

ATU Endorses Barack Obama

WASHINGTON, June 17 - The Amalgamated Transit Union Executive Board Has Unanimously Voted to Endorse Sen. Barack Obama for President, the Union Announced.

"While the ATU originally supported Hillary Clinton, we recognize how important this election year is. John McCain represents more of the same anti-worker, anti-union policies that we have suffered under for eight years.

"Senator Obama has shown through this historic campaign that he has a vision for a better America; a stronger, safer, more secure nation, where all will prosper and none will be left behind," said ATU President Warren S. George.

"On issues near and dear to transit employees nationwide, Barack Obama has pledged to provide tax relief to millions of working class Americans, to support continued transit employee protections and transit funding, while working with Congress to eliminate poverty, reduce unemployment and restore economic prosperity. His plan for a better America includes assurances that each citizen will be treated with dignity and respect.

"Senator Obama has shown more than any other candidate in recent history the ability to unite and inspire Americans, and has mobilized and energized millions of citizens new to the political process.

"As a community organizer in the blue-collar streets of Chicago, Obama fought to train community leaders; and emerged as a strong leader, eminently qualified to lead our nation forward and to restore our status in the international community.

"We are proud to endorse Senator Barack Obama for president. He will work to improve the quality of life of transit employees across the nation, as well as all Americans from all backgrounds. Our great nation will surely prosper under his guidance and leadership, and the ATU is eager to work with him to advance and improve America."

"I'm honored to receive the ATU's endorsement," said Senator Obama. "Their leaders and members are committed to hardworking Americans, and I look forward to fighting with them for the causes that unite us: a 21st century infrastructure, worker protections, the right to organize, affordable health care for all who want it, and an economy that works for all. I thank them for standing with me, and I will stand with them when I am President."

This is Barack Obama's 25th endorsement from a labor union. So, keep watching this space for more news and opinions.

Farm Workers and Railroad Signalmen Endorse Obama

Seth H. from New Jersey — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 10:57:31 EDT

The United Farm Workers have announced their endorsement of Barack Obama:

On Saturday, June 14, the United Farm Workers, its executive board and worker leadership from throughout the United States wholeheartedly threw its support behind Sen/ Barack Obama in his question to be the country's next President.
"Throughout his career, beginning as a community organizer to his present position as Senator, Barack Obama has shared the values of the United Farm Workers. He understands the tremendous role played by our country's farm workers in helping to feed our nation. Sen. Obama stands firm in his conviction for comprehensive immigration reform. He has been a strong support of the UFW-sponsored AgJOBS --- legislation that would help stabilize our nation's agricultural workforce.
As President, he will continue to hold fast to his convictions by signing comprehensive immigration reform, increasing the minimum wage and making sure every American has affordable and quality health care. The United Farm Workers will do everything in our power to make sure Barack Obama reaches the White House this fall, because we know he will be a voice to all working Americans," said UFW President Arturo Rodriguez.

And here's an important endorsement from the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen from their web site, www.brs.org

Railroad Signalmen Endorse Obama
June 13, 2008, Front Royal, Virginia — The Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen (BRS) Grand Executive Council voted unanimously today to endorse Democratic Presidential Candidate, Barack Obama. The Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen joins numerous other rail and labor organizations that have overwhelmingly placed their support behind the Illinois Senator since the field narrowed to a single Democratic candidate.
Founded in 1901, the BRS is a craft union that represents about 9,500 railroad signalmen across the nation. Signalmen are responsible for the installation, repair, and maintenance of railroad signal systems and highway-rail grade crossing warning systems.
"For eight years rail labor, unions, and America’s working families have witnessed the Bush Administration placing the well-being of corporations and the nation’s elite before working-class America," stated BRS International President W. Dan Pickett. "The time has come to bring respect and greatness back to our nation and return the jobs that corporations have sent to low-wage parts of the world. I, along with the senior officers, believe that electing Barack Obama as Commander-in-Chief is a critical first step to reach these goals."
Obama has committed to bring parity back to our economy. His 21st-century economic agenda will help ensure that America can compete in a global economy and ensure the middle class thrives and grows. He understands that America needs a President who will commit to correcting our nation’s health care, energy, and educational problems.
Barack Obama supports working families and has promised to use his power as President to protect workers’ rights and implement trade policies that benefit American workers.

These two endorsements bring the total number of unions supporting Barack Obama to twenty-four. Keep watching this page for more news about working families and their unions rallying in support of change that works for you!

Nurses Join the Campaign for Change

Seth H. from New Jersey — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 11:25:16 EDT

From the United American Nurses, AFL-CIO, web site, http://www.uannurse.org:

National Staff Nurses Union Endorses Obama for President
UAN Leaders Cite Obama’s Commitment to Working Families, Health Care Solutions
Silver Spring, MD – Leaders of the United American Nurses, AFL-CIO, announced today that the union of staff nurses endorsed Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) for president of the United States and will be working to ensure that Obama is elected.

“After a long and careful look at the candidates and listening to our staff nurse members and activists, it is clear that Sen. Obama is the best choice to make sure that the needs of staff nurses, their families and all America’s working families come first, not as an afterthought or an empty campaign promise. We look forward to working hard on his election.” said UAN President Ann Converso, RN.

UAN’s Executive Council voted unanimously to endorse Obama, acting on input from the UAN RN PAC Board and results of a straw poll of delegates to UAN’s National Labor Assembly. Last fall, UAN asked presidential candidates to begin a dialogue on patient care and nursing issues that would address concerns of staff nurses. Through this exchange, Sen. Obama outlined a platform that includes key priorities for staff nurses, from enactment of federal RN staffing standards to safe patient handling legislation.

“Sen. Obama has demonstrated a larger understanding of the problems in our health care system and a vision for how we can fix them,” added Converso. “For nurses fighting for our patients and ourselves day-in and day-out, our next president must make health care a priority. I believe Sen. Obama will do that.

“Our country has endured eight long years of an administration that puts the corporate bottom line ahead of working families. As nurses, we know all too well what happens when profits take precedence over people—whether in a hospital or in the White House. It is time for a president who advocates strongly and unwaveringly for working families. We will be working alongside our sisters and brothers across the labor and progressive communities to make sure we elect Sen. Obama as our next president.”

The UAN is the twenty-second union to endorse Barack Obama for President.

And Another Union Joins the Campaign!

Seth H. from New Jersey — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 10:58:59 EDT

From the United Transportation Union's web site, http://www.utu.org:

Obama promised full UTU support
When John McCain seeks advice on transportation issues, he consults with railroad management.
When Barack Obama seeks advice on transportation issues, he consults with UTU Illinois State Legislative Director Joe Szabo.
Thus, as long-time UTU friend Hillary Rodham Clinton exited the race for Democratic presidential nominee June 7, the UTU assured Sen. Obama -- another long-time UTU friend -- that he could depend on the extensive resources of America’s largest railroad union and its 125,000 active and retired rail, transit, bus and airline worker members in his fight to claim the White House.
"Sen. Obama can count of our using every resource at our disposal to elect a labor-friendly administration this Election Day," said UTU International President Mike Futhey. "We will work with Sen. Obama at every opportunity to get out the vote in support of his campaign to bring the change we all can believe in."
Szabo was in touch with the Obama campaign Saturday afternoon after Sen. Clinton ended her bid for the Democratic nomination. The Obama campaign expressed to Szabo, for circulation to UTU members and their families, Obama's gratitude for UTU support.
Obama indicated he understood the reasons for the UTU’s previous support for Clinton, who had worked with the UTU on Capitol Hill in support of Railroad Retirement, the Federal Employers' Liability Act (FELA), Amtrak and a revision in commercial driver-license standards that threaten the livelihood of bus operators.
"Sen. Obama similarly and fully understands these issues from the perspective of working families and UTU members, and has been and will continue to be in our corner," said Szabo, who serves on the Obama campaign’s Transportation Policy Committee, with approval of President Futhey. In that role, Szabo helps to define for Obama various rail, transit and bus public policy issues and the transportation public policy approaches an Obama administration might pursue.
Obama recently was quoted as supporting a policy favoring "significant investment" in the nation’s transportation infrastructure, including connecting the Midwest with a fuel-efficient high-speed rail-passenger system that would provide immediate jobs.
Szabo’s close professional relationship with Obama extends back more than a decade to Obama’s first run for public office in Illinois, where Obama served in the state senate. "There is a strong history of Sen. Obama never failing to support UTU's legislative agenda in the Illinois State Senate," Szabo said. "That track record has continued in the U.S. Senate."
In bowing out of the presidential race, Clinton sent to President Futhey on Saturday a letter hand-delivered by one of her staff members expressing appreciation "for the tremendous support that you have given me and my campaign," and a promise to continue her "fight for the issues and causes that are important" to UTU members and their families.
"We agree wholeheartedly with Sen. Clinton," Futhey said, "that the way to continue our fight now, to accomplish the goals for which we stand, is to take our energy, our passion and our strength and do all we can to help elect Barack Obama the next president of the United States."
UTU National Legislative Director James Brunkenhoefer said, "The UTU is looking forward to working with the Obama administration and I am certain his policies will improve the lives of all UTU members and their families."

The UTU's endorsement is the twenty-first from a labor union joining the campaign to elect Barack Obama and bring change to America.

"Impressive Access" at Obama's North Carolina Speech

Seth H. from New Jersey — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 09:28:02 EDT

From the Raleigh News & Observer web site, http://www.newsobserver.com/opinion/letters/story/1103588.html, comes this letter to the editor about supporters with disabilities participating in the economic policy speech in North Carolina on Monday, June 9:

Impressive access
I was privileged to have been a guest at Sen. Barack Obama's economic policy speech at the N.C. State Fairgrounds. The Obama campaign has reached out to citizens with disabilities in an earnest effort to include all Americans in the political process.
Many thanks to Obama's advance team, which worked with representatives from the disability community to ensure access and promote inclusion. The N.C. State Fair Police worked hard to solve problems: providing both a secure environment for Obama and an accessible environment for participants. We appreciate everyone's sensitivity and graciousness.
Obama is the only presidential candidate ever to have a comprehensive plan to empower Americans with disabilities. One of the central tenants of his plan is to end discrimination and promote equal opportunity. His campaign staff has demonstrated that these are not just words but core beliefs that they put into specific actions.
It is refreshing to see a political candidate who has a real commitment to this often-marginalized group of citizens.
Cindy E. Block, Ph.D.
Raleigh

Of course, when she talks about a comprehensive plan, Dr. Block is referring to the Plan to Empower Americans with Disabilities --- www.barackobama.com/issues/disabilities. This is what Barack means when he talks about "change that works for you."

Union Endorsement Round Up

Seth H. from New Jersey — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 17:38:36 EDT

Who do workers and their unions support for President? Barack Obama. With today's announcement that the UAW's executive board voted unanimously to endorse Barack Obama for President, his total number of individual union endorsements has now reached twenty. Obama has also been endorsed by the Change to Win Federation.

This is the list of unions that have endorsed as of today:

American Federation of Government Employees

American Postal Workers Union

International Brotherhood of Boilermakers

International Brotherhood of Teamsters

International Federation of Professional and Technical Employees

International Longshore & Warehouse Union

Laborers International Union of North America

National Air Traffic Controllers Union

National Treasury Employees Union

National Weather Service Employees Organization

Service Employees International Union

Transport Workers Union

United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters

United Food and Commercial Workers Union

United Mine Workers of America

United Steelworkers of America

United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers and Allied Workers

UNITE HERE

United Auto Workers

Utility Workers Union of America

These unions represent millions of hard working men and women from across the country who are a critical part of the coalition for change. And we are looking forward to gaining more support from organized labor as the general election campaign accelerates and the choice becomes even clearer.

We can have four more years of failed Bush-McCain economic policies and anti-union attacks, or we can elect a President who is committed to working families and stands with the labor movement in the fight for labor law reform, universal health care, more jobs, and rising wages. The choice is ours.

Can we take back our country? These unions have said "Yes We Can." What do you say?

United Auto Workers Join the Campaign

Seth H. from New Jersey — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 15:22:20 EDT

From the UAW web site, http://www.uaw.org/news/newsarticle.cfm?ArtID=499:

UAW endorses Barack Obama for president
The UAW International Executive Board has unanimously voted to endorse Sen. Barack Obama for president, the union announced today.
"After a historic primary campaign which activated and mobilized millions of voters, our union is proud to endorse Sen. Barack Obama," said UAW President Ron Gettelfinger. "He has inspired our country with a positive vision for a better America -- and with concrete plans to turn that vision into reality.
"From the streets of Chicago to the state legislature in Springfield, Ill., to the halls of the U.S. Senate, Barack Obama has been a voice for dignity and justice for working people. He has a strong program for a safe and secure America, which will protect our citizens and help our country prosper in a new century.
"On every issue that counts, we can count on Barack Obama to stand with our members, our families and our communities. He has pledged to rebuild America's manufacturing base and to assist the auto industry as we re-tool toward a cleaner, more modern transportation system. "Sen. Obama supports free choice in the workplace; he will fight to deliver quality, affordable health care to every American; and he understands the need to change our trade policies so that U.S. workers and U.S. companies can compete fairly in the global economy.
"As president, Barack Obama will unite our country -- and the active and retired members of the United Auto Workers will be proud to work with him to change our country for the better."

Later tonight I'll give you a complete report on Barack Obama's union endorsements to date.

You Did It!

Seth H. from New Jersey — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 08:21:00 EDT

Congratulations to all of you who have been working for weeks and months to elect Barack Obama. This has been an inclusive, people-powered movement that overcame the received wisdom and seemingly unpassable obstacles to claim the Democratic nomination for President of the United States for Barack Obama.

There's an important lesson here. Working together, struggling together, we can overcome obstacles, including the barriers that exclude American citizens from full participation in the life of our society. YES WE CAN!

So, enjoy your victory! But not for too long. The stakes are high. We need to get back to work.

Winning One Vote At A Time

Seth H. from New Jersey — Thu, 29 May 2008 06:58:19 EDT

Kathy Hoell, a supporter in Nebraska, asked me to share her story with you:

The Saturday after Super Tuesday was Nebraska’s Democratic Caucus and I still had not decided on a candidate. I had 3 days to make up my mind. I had researched the candidates and both candidates seemed vaguely similar. I did not know what would tip the scale. Then the announcement that Barack Obama was coming to town. I figured this would help me make up my mind. I use a power wheelchair and a friend who uses a cane decided to go to the Obama rally with me. So, I drove to the auditorium and dropped my friend at the door and went to park the car. When I came to the door where the Obama rally was to be held, a volunteer was at the door, opened the door, then helped me to the front of line to go through security. The volunteer then helped me through the crowd to where the seating for people with disabilities was located and made sure I was alright. My friend was already there waiting for me. We compared notes and found out we both had the same treatment, but from different volunteers. I was impressed! This was the event I needed to tip the scale to Barack Obama. I have attended rallies for political candidates before and never had this kind of treatment. My mind was made up to support Obama from that day on.

Fill Out the Survey!

Seth H. from New Jersey — Tue, 27 May 2008 09:03:35 EDT

Late last week, campaign manager David Plouffe and deputy campaign manager Steve Hildebrand circulated an email survey to most everyone who has joined My.BarackObama.com or otherwise identified themselves to the campaign. The goal of this survey is to learn more about Barack Obama's supporters, to give us an opportunity to express our identities and declare our concern about particular issues, and to suggest how we will support the campaign in the coming days and weeks.

I want to encourage everyone to fill out the survey and return it to the campaign.

In particular, the survey gives you a chance to express your solidarity with other Obama supporters in the disability community. It asks: "Do you identify with any of the following groups?" And it offers "People with Disabilities" as one option among several.

This is another opportunity to let Barack Obama know that people with disabilities support him. It will let him know that you agree with his Plan to Empower Americans with Disabilities (www.barackobama.com/issues/disabilities). And it will let everyone know that people with disabilities want change --- fundamental change --- and are ready to fight for it.

Of course, after you fill out the survey, make sure that you also join "Americans with Disabilities for Obama." Just click on the button on the Americans with Disabilities for Obama page (http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/dahome/) and sign up.

More About This "Americans with Disabilities" People Page

Seth H. from New Jersey — Sun, 18 May 2008 21:11:57 EDT

I wanted to provide some more information about this "Americans with Disabilities" people page to answer some of the questions and concerns that have been raised in the comments section.

Like all of the "people pages," this page --- including this blog --- is run by the campaign. If you review some of the other people pages, you will see that the blog posts are all written by campaign staff or close advisors (including Obama family members in a few cases). The people-page blogs are not "open" or "community" blogs like those associated with the user-generated groups found in MyBarackObama.com. This "Americans with Disabilities for Obama" page is just the same. Community members are welcome to post comments here, as long as they are respectful and avoid objectionable content, but blogging is and will be the campaign's responsibility.

This page's purpose is to help elect Barack Obama. Making his case to the disability community will take a substantial effort in this space and elsewhere, but the case will be stark. There are real differences between Barack Obama and John McCain that matter immensely to the disability community. Among other things, we will use this page to provide information and tell pertinent stories to lay out that case. We will also contribute to organizing the disability community to support Barack Obama. This page does not exist to promote any individual's or group's private agenda. Again, we are here to help elect Barack Obama. Now, there may be honest disagreements about how we can best contribute to that cause. You are welcome to offer your constructive suggestions and other positive contributions in the comments section. But we should always keep our goal in mind: electing a President who will work to break down the barriers that exclude Americans with disabilities from achieving to the limits of their abilities. Barack Obama will be that President.

Of course, some members of our community are eager to share their views beyond the small spaces available in this blog's comments section. That's great. You can share your ideas and experiences on the blogs of any of the more than one dozen disability-related user-generated groups that have formed in MyBarackObama.com Most of the groups, like the Obama Disability Policy Discussion (http://my.barackobama.com/page/group/ObamaDisabilityPolicyDiscussion), provide open access to their blogs. Still others have open-access listervs. So, join one or more of those groups and connect with other members of the Obama community who share your interests and commitment to change we can believe in.

A few of these groups are:

- Americans with Disabilities for Obama (http://my.barackobama.com/page/group/AmericanswDisabilitiesforObama)

- Blind Americans for Barack Obama (http://my.barackobama.com/page/group/BlindAmericansforBarackObama)

- DeafAmericans (http://my.barackobama.com/page/group/DeafAmericans)

- Disability Community for Obama (http://my.barackobama.com/page/group/DisabilityCommunityforObama)

- Disabled Americans for Barack Obama (http://my.barackobama.com/page/group/DisabledAmericansforBarackObama

- Disabled Teens for Obama (http://my.barackobama.com/page/group/DisabledTeensforObama)

- Disabled Veterans for Obama (http://my.barackobama.com/page/group/DisabledVeteransforObama)

- Parents with Autistic Children for Obama (http://my.barackobama.com/page/group/Parentswithautisticchildren)

This isn't intended to be a complete list. There are many more groups you might consider joining. I encourage you to tell the community in the comments section about the groups in which you are participating, but be sure to provide links so they will be easy to find.

In a future post, we will talk about other ways you can help to organize the disability community for Barack Obama. And we certainly would like to learn about your organizing efforts in your community. We can learn from your successes. This is going to take a lot of work. But, if there is any question in your mind about whether we can get it done, our favorite candidate has an answer: "Yes We Can!"

Thanks again for joining Americans with Disabilities for Obama.

Americans with Disabilities "People Page"

Seth H. from New Jersey — Fri, 09 May 2008 13:25:10 EDT

I am delighted to announce that the campaign's web site now boasts an "Americans with Disabilities" page under the "People" tab. To view the page, go to www.BarackObama.com, click on "People," and then click on "Americans with Disabilities" on the drop-down menu.

We hope to keep this page active and lively. So, please check it often. I'll see you there.

Welcome to Americans with Disabilities

Seth H. from New Jersey — Fri, 09 May 2008 10:25:12 EDT

And welcome to the Americans with Disabilities for Obama blog.

For Americans with disabilities, "hope" is an important idea. People with disabilities face barriers every day of their lives. Some barriers are physical. Others are built on unwarranted fears and stereotypes. And there are institutional barriers at work and school and when dealing with health insurers, government, and other organizations.

When you face stubborn barriers day in and day out, hope is the only antidote to despair. Hope keeps us going. Hope is a beacon in an unwelcoming world. And hope keeps us fighting for the full integration of people with disabilities into American society.

That’s why so many Americans with disabilities support Barack Obama for President of the United States. He is the candidate of hope for Americans with disabilities and so many others.

Barack understands that we must build a world free of unnecessary barriers, stereotypes, and discrimination. Listen to him talk about it in the video posted at www.BarackObama.com/issues/disabilities. He embodies the change our country so desperately needs. And, perhaps most important, Barack wants to bring us together -- all of us -- to build a society in which each person can achieve to the limits of his or her abilities.

Barack has a Plan to Empower Americans with Disabilities. It’s available at www.BarackObama.com/issues/disabilities. He's also got a plan for Americans with Autism Spectrum Disorder that’s available at www.BarackObama.com/issues/disabilities.

Please read these materials, review the rest of this People page and, if you want to discuss the Plan or just get to know other Obama supporters from the disability community, go to http://My.BarackObama.com and join one of the many groups of people with disabilities who have organized themselves to help elect Barack Obama.

Thanks for joining the Americans with Disabilities for Obama!

Help Us Organize the ADA Generation/Generation Obama

Seth H. from New Jersey — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 13:37:49 EDT

A group of young Obama supporters is working to organize the ADA Generation --- that is, 18-to-35-year-olds with disabilities --- to support Barack Obama. They created the letter below, along with a link to a petition, that the Disability Policy Committee is working hard to distribute as widely as possible. We want thousands of people in the ADA Generation --- or even more --- to sign this petition. Please help us collect signatures by sending a link to this blog post, or your own email message based on the sample letter below, to everyone you know in the disability community:

Dear Friend:

It is March of 2008. Less than 8 months from the election. And a lot can happen in 8 months. It took less 8 months to get the first disability bill passed. A movement can change the world in 8 months, and we need your support to make it happen! Join the ADA Generation's movement to make Barack Obama the President of the United States.

It is 18 years after the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Younger voters from 18-to-35 are the first generation to grow up with the right to inclusion and with their civil rights protected by the ADA, IDEA, and Section 504. They are the ADA Generation/Generation Obama. And it's time for them to lead the fight for the protection of our rights. The promise of employment and the ability to make the American Dream a reality have never been stronger for any other generation of people with diabilities. That is why we need your support of Barack Obama's candidacy. We need your help to collect signatures on our petition at http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/ADAGeneration-GenerationObama.

The election is just around the corner and it's time that we select a leader to bring us into the next generation of disability public policy. This is not our parent's generation of disability leadership. It's not even the generation of the special education classes that segregated us physically and emotionally with their low expectations. This is the ADA Generation and its candidate is Barack Obama. But we need your support.

A number of ADA Generation leaders have gone public to show their support for Barack Obama, but they're not enough. We need members of the ADA Generation from all over the country to come together at this life-changing, history-making time.

Now, the responsibility is yours. Click on the link and add your name. Forward this note and the link to the petition to the members of the ADA Generation/Generation Obama in your organization and your networks and encourage them to sign on to show their support. http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/ADAGeneration-GenerationObama.

Let's live the mantras of the ADA: "Full Participation, Equality of Opportunity, Independent Living, Economic Self-Sufficiency." We need the ADA Generation to sign on to show its support for Barak Obama!

We know you hear it said a lot, but the future is now, and it ours. Help mobilize the ADA Generation for Barack Obama.

Thank you.

Join the Disability Community's Fundraising Effort

Seth H. from New Jersey — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 17:52:22 EST

The Disability Policy Committee has launched a fundraising drive with a $5,000 target. We want to invite everyone in the Obama for America community, and particularly our friends from the disability community, to join us.

You can contribute by clicking on http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/Disability08. We welcome any gift from $5 to $2,300. We are just as interested in the number of donors as we are in the size of the donations.

This is another important way the disability community can show its support for Barack Obama. Please contribute today!

Seth Harris

Former Clinton Labor Officials Endorse Barack Obama

Seth H. from New Jersey — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 18:48:33 EST

Please help us spread the word about this letter to your friends, union leaders, union brothers and sisters, other co-workers, and family members:

FORMER CLINTON ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS ENDORSE BARACK OBAMA

“Barack Obama is the best choice to restore the American Dream for working families.”

February 21, 2008

Dear Friends:

We were privileged to work for President Bill Clinton in senior appointed positions in the U.S. Department of Labor, the National Labor Relations Board, and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission during the 1990s. We have great respect for President Clinton and Senator Clinton.

In 2008, however, we believe that Barack Obama is the best choice to restore the American Dream for working families. We support Barack Obama for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States. We urge you to join us in voting or caucusing for Barack Obama.

Hope has been a rare commodity for America’s working families in recent years. The American Dream seems less and less achievable as more and more families face the threat of slipping out of the middle class. Job growth has been anemic throughout George W. Bush’s seven years in office, and it has ground to a halt in recent months. Real wages have stagnated. Forty-seven million people have no health insurance. Reliable, adequate pensions are increasingly rare. The stress of meeting the demands of work and family has grown for many adults who face the challenge of caring for their children and their parents at the same time.

Rather than shoring up the middle class’ crumbling foundations, the Bush Administration has weakened them further. Unions --- critical contributors to a strong and growing middle class --- have faced an unprecedented attack from the White House, the National Labor Relations Board, and the Labor Department. The Bush Administration has presided over irresponsible trade deals and massive tax giveaways that accelerate the export of American jobs. The Bush Labor Department launched an assault on overtime pay and continues to search for ways to weaken the Family and Medical Leave Act. Protections against workplace discrimination have been undermined by shrinking enforcement resources at the EEOC and the Labor Department, as well as anti-worker decisions by Bush’s appointees to the Supreme Court, lower federal courts, and the EEOC. Safety and health protections in workplaces and mines across the country are an afterthought.

In the face of difficult economic times and a hostile federal government, working families have been struggling to secure their place in the middle class and sustain their hope in the face of despair. Barack Obama has a plan to secure and expand the middle class and, perhaps more important, give working families reason to hope again. He plans to:

appoint leaders to the Labor Department, the National Labor Relations Board, and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission who understand the struggles of working families and are fully committed to defending their rights, including the right to organize;
sign a universal health care bill into law by the end of his first term in office that lowers costs by up to $2,500 per family;
stand with workers fighting to organize unions;
create jobs by ending tax breaks for shipping jobs overseas, support new tax incentives for companies to create jobs in the United States, establish a National Infrastructure Reinvestment Bank to create two million jobs fixing road and bridges, invest billions to create a green energy sector with millions of new jobs, and bring additional high-skilled manufacturing jobs to regions with workers and community that have past experience with manufacturing;
fight for fair trade that opens markets for American goods to create high-wage American jobs and negotiate trade agreements that spread progressive labor and environmental standards around the world;
fight to raise the minimum wage and index it to increase every year with the cost of living;
combat employment discrimination by working to overturn Supreme Court rulings that narrowed the Americans with Disabilities Act and curtailed workers’ ability to challenge pay discrimination, passing the Fair Pay Act to assure equal pay for equal work, passing the Genetics Information Nondiscrimination Act, and increasing funding for anti-discrimination enforcement at the EEOC and the Labor Department;
make college affordable for working families with a refundable tax credit up to $4,000 to cover tuition costs in return for a commitment to public service;
invest in workforce development and lifelong learning for workers, including expanding transition assistance for workers who lose their jobs through no fault of their own;
strengthen Social Security and expand retirement security by automatically enrolling workers in portable retirement accounts and matching half of contributions up to $1,000 by families earning $75,000 or less per year;
help workers navigate work and family by expanding the Family and Medical Leave Act, supporting paid leave plans in every state, requiring employers to provide seven paid sick days to their workers, and protecting family caregivers against discrimination; and
reinvigorate the federal government’s role in ensuring that workplaces are safe and healthy by increasing funding for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Mine Safety and Health Administration.

We urge you to go to www.BarackObama.com, click on the “Issues” tab, and then click on “Economy” and “Family” to learn more about Barack Obama’s specific plans to strengthen and expand the middle class.

Barack Obama understands the hopes and dreams of working families fighting to secure a better future for themselves and their children. Barack Obama was raised in modest circumstances by a single mother and his grandparents. As he has said many times, all he had growing up was love, hope, and education. He knows what it means to be denied health insurance: his own mother worried about whether her new health insurance policy would deny her coverage as she lay dying from cancer. We are firmly convinced that Barack Obama wants every child in the United States to have the same opportunity to succeed he had. We are equally convinced that Barack Obama’s example will give every child in America reason to hope that they can achieve their dreams.

Barack Obama understands that change will not be easy. He recognizes that we will not be able to improve the lot of working families unless we change our politics in Washington. Lobbyists will not set the agenda and buy up every chair at the table. For the first time in a long time, working families will have a voice in our nation’s policies. As a community organizer, a civil rights attorney, a state legislator, and a U.S. Senator, he has constantly reached beyond what divides us to forge a working majority for hope. He believes our nation’s best days lay ahead of us --- not behind us. He helps us believe in the American Dream. Barack Obama has the experience we must have in the next President of the United States of America.

We hope you will join us in supporting Barack Obama for President of the United States. Thank you very much.

Joseph Dear, Former Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health,U.S. Department of Labor

John Donahue, Former Counselor to the U.S. Secretary of Labor, and Former Assistant Secretary of Labor for Policy, U.S. Department of Labor

Fred Feinstein, Former General Counsel, National Labor Relations Board

Sarah Fox, Former Member, National Labor Relations Board

William Gould, Former Chairman, National Labor Relations Board

Seth Harris, Former Counselor to the U.S. Secretary of Labor, and Former Acting Assistant Secretary of Labor for Policy, U.S. Department of Labor

Harry Holzer, Former Chief Economist, U.S. Department of Labor

Paul Igasaki, Former Vice-Chair and Commissioner, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

Charles Jeffress, Former Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health, U.S. Department of Labor

Paul Steven Miller, Former Commissioner, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and Former White House Liaison to the Disability Community

Edward Montgomery, Former Deputy Secretary of Labor, U.S. Department of Labor

Betsy Myers, Former Deputy Assistant to the President, and Former Director of Women’s Initiatives and Outreach, The White House

Shirley J. Wilcher, Former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Federal Contract Compliance (OFCCP), Employment Standards Administration, U.S. Department of Labor

Former Clinton Administration Officials Endorse Barack Obama

Seth H. from New Jersey — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 09:46:39 EST

FORMER CLINTON ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS ENDORSE BARACK OBAMA

“Barack Obama is the disability community’s best choice for change.”

February 6, 2008

Dear Friends:

We were privileged to work for President Bill Clinton in senior appointed positions related to disability policy and programs. We are proud of the progress made during the 1990s on behalf of the disability community and all Americans.

Yet, in 2008, we believe that Barack Obama is the disability community’s best choice for change. We support Barack Obama for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States. We urge you to join us in voting or caucusing for Barack Obama.

Every day, people with disabilities face unimaginable barriers and blatant prejudice that most Americans never encounter. As a result, people with disabilities are employed at a much lower rate than other Americans. They have a higher poverty rate and a lower home ownership rate. Students with disabilities are less likely to earn a high school diploma and even less likely to get a four-year college degree. The number of people with disabilities who depend on Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income is rising while fewer and fewer are able to live independently and support themselves.

These challenges did not arise for the first time when George W. Bush entered the White House. The problems are stubborn and long-lasting. Certainly, the empty rhetoric and lackluster policies of the past seven years have made a difficult road more difficult for Americans with disabilities. We believe change --- dramatic change --- is necessary and possible. We deeply believe that Barack Obama is the best candidate to lead our nation and to help us change our world.

Barack Obama’s goal is our goal --- a world free of barriers, stereotypes, and discrimination. He has proposed a Plan to Empower Americans with Disabilities that sets the right agenda for achieving that goal. We urge you to read his Plan by going to www.BarackObama.com, clicking on the “Issues” tab, and then clicking on “Disabilities,” or going directly to http://www.BarackObama.com/issues/disabilities. Even more important than the specific details of the plan is the fact that he has a plan. He has focus.

Barack Obama’s understanding of the hopes and dreams of Americans with disabilities and their families, and his knowledge of the barriers they face, run deep. He knows what it means to be denied health insurance because of one’s pre-existing condition: his own mother worried about whether her new health insurance policy would deny her coverage as she lay dying from cancer. He learned about the every-day barriers people with disabilities face from his father-in-law, Frasier Robinson, who lived with multiple sclerosis. From his wife Michelle, he learned what families must overcome when supporting a loved one with a disability. Barack Obama has faced down and helped others topple bigotry all of his life. As a community organizer, a civil rights attorney, a state legislator, and a U.S. Senator, he has constantly reached beyond what divides us to forge a working majority for hope. He believes our nation’s best days lay ahead of us --- not behind us. He helps us believe in the most powerful American dream --- that together we can build a more just and perfect union, that together we can change the world. For Americans with disabilities, this is the kind of leader we need. Barack Obama has the experience we must have in the next President of the United States of America.

As President, he will bring us together --- all of us --- to build a society in which every person can feel that they belong, each person can achieve to the limits of his or her abilities, and all people can make a difference. We hope you will join us in supporting Barack Obama for President of the United States. Thank you very much.

Sincerely yours,

Seth Harris, Former Counselor to the U.S. Secretary of Labor, andFormer Acting Assistant Secretary of Labor for Policy

Paul Steven Miller, Former Commissioner, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and Former White House Liaison to the Disability Community

Sue Swenson, Former Commissioner, Administration on Developmental Disabilities, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services

Robert R. Williams, Former Deputy Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services

New Rules for Obama Disability Policy Discussion

Seth H. from New Jersey — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 08:47:56 EST

As I just wrote in an email to our listserv, I have changed the rules governing this group's discussion in order to focus our efforts more tightly on electing Barack Obama and improving his Plan to Empower Americans with Disabilities.

1. Blog posts and listserv emails will be moderated. Only blog submissions relating to how we can help elect Barack Obama and how to improve his Plan will be posted. You can comment all you would like about these posts, but we don't want to stray from our assigned task.

2. The listserv will play a reduced role in this group. I have received more than a few complaints about overstuffed email inboxes. Rather than sending email, please post comments to others' blog posts. Again, let's try to stay focused on public policy.

3. We welcome your comments, questions, suggestions, insights, personal stories, and descriptions of programs you know about that demonstrate that a program works (give us as much information as you can). Please try to limit your blog posts to one policy issue so that the comments will remain focused on that one issue. Of course, that's not always possible.

4. We will always welcome your suggestions about how we can elect Barack Obama. Post them on the blog. I circulated an email yesterday with a specific plan about how you can help.

5. Of course, we want you to refer to Barack Obama's Plan to Empower Americans with Disabilities when you post about policy. What could be improved? What is missing? What more should be said? You can find the Plan at www.BarackObama.com/issues/disabilities.

The discussion on the listserv so far has been energetic and illuminating. The goal now is to focus the discussion so that we have specific ideas we can use in the campaign. Thanks everyone.

Obama Disability Conference Call Transcript Now Available!

Seth H. from New Jersey — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 15:24:00 EST

I want to take a second shot at thanking everyone who participated in yesterday's Obama Disability Policy Conference Call and to apologize to those of you who were unable to join the call because of technology difficulties. So many people participated and attempted to dial in at the same time that our conference call service was not able to accommodate everyone. Again, I apologize.

A transcript of the conference call has been posted at www.BarackObama.com/issues/disabilities. If you were not able to participate in the call, I encourage you to read it and then go to the Obama Disability Policy Discussion's blog http://my.barackobama.com/page/group/ObamaDisabilityPolicyDiscussion to discuss it. Post your ideas, stories, thoughts, and comments. Let's get a conversation going about how we can elect Barack Obama and improve the lot of people with disabilities and their families at the same time.

Also, what were your reactions to the call? What did you think about the substance? What policy issues should we have addressed that we did not address?

Conference Call Follow-Up and Feedback

Seth H. from New Jersey — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 23:14:53 EST

Thank you to everyone who participated in today's Disability Policy Conference Call. And I want to apologize to those of you who were unable to join the call because of technology difficulties. So many people participated and attempted to dial in at the same time that our conference call service was not able to accommodate everyone. Again, I apologize.

But we're not done. We have a transcript of the conference call and we are working with the campaign to get it posted on the web site as soon as possible. And we want to continue the discussion with you on this blog.

So, what were your reactions to the call? What did you think about the substance? What policy issues should we have addressed that we did not address?

Live Captioning of National Disability Policy Conference Call

Seth H. from New Jersey — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 07:21:05 EST

Live captioning of the Obama for America Disability Policy Conference Call on January 29th at 5PM will be available on the campaign web site's disabilities issues page: www.BarackObama.com/issues/disabilities. Please check there for details.

The Obama Disability Policy Discussion - What We're Doing

Seth H. from New Jersey — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 10:34:36 EST

The goal of the Obama Disability Policy Discussion --- a new group on My.BarackObama.com --- is for the campaign's Disability Policy Committee to engage in an ongoing discussion with other members of the Obama for America community about Barack Obama's Plan to Empower Americans with Disabilities and other issues relevant to the disabiity community. We believe, and the campaign believes, that wisdom comes from community engagement. So, join the group and dive into the discussion!

What do we hope you will post at the Obama Disability Policy Discussion?

Obviously, we want your policy suggestions, comments, insights, and ideas. We want your reactions to Senator Obama's Plan and his video explaining the Plan (www.BarackObama.com/Issues/disabilities).

But we also want to hear your stories. What has your life been like as an American experiencing disability, or a parent of a child with a disability, or an advocate or caregiver? How will Barack Obama's Plan affect your life? And how can we make it a better Plan based on your life's experiences?

Thanks for joining. We're looking forward to the discussion.