DATE: 21 Jan. 2010
TO: My Political E-Mail List
SUBJECT: FW: A Wake-Up Call
As usual, the Labor Movement “gets it” (See below).
By the way, if push comes to shove in the Senate — and you know it will — how could any jobs bill not have an impact on the federal budget? In other words, any employment legislation passed by the House should be able to satisfy “The Byrd Rule” and pass the Senate by simple majority vote in “budget reconciliation,” without filibuster. Let the GOP call such majority rule “undemocratic” (even though they used reconciliation plenty of times, as to pass Bush tax cuts for the wealthy) and let them try to kill jobs for American working families. Just let them. Voter anger can cut both ways.
And if deficits are a concern — as they are, bigtime, for independents — then raise the taxes on the rich. They can afford it; it won’t hurt the economy, at least as much as a jobs bill will help the economy; and guess what? Most people will support a surtax on the wealthy, particularly if it means there will be more jobs for people like them, who don’t happen to be fat cats (who aren’t exactly the most popular people these days, especially if they made their money on Wall Street).
If the tables were turned and the Republicans lost their 60-vote “supermajority” would they just lay down and die? Of course not! And neither should we. Like the e-mail below says, we Democrats have to earn the respect — and votes — of the American people; it’s not an entitlement (a fact that seems to have been lost on our candidate in Massachusetts).
Power. Use it or lose it.
Doug
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[An e-mail from the AFL-CIO, with online petition to sign]
What happened Tuesday in Massachusetts was a wake-up call to all of us.
It was a working class revolt — a signal that in this economic crisis, the American people demand jobs, health care and an economy that works for them now — not political business as usual.
It was a loud and clear message that our elected leaders — and our labor movement — must do more for working people, do it fast and do it smarter.
An AFL-CIO poll taken Tuesday night shows without doubt:
Voters are fed up that elected leaders have done too little to help working families.
They said Democrats have NOT overreached on jobs, the economy and health care — they have underreached.
Voters have seen too much help for Wall Street and not nearly enough help for Main Street.
Unless Democrats demonstrate that fixing the economy is their overriding priority, and begin to create more jobs for working Americans NOW, we’re going to see more results this November like the Massachusetts election.
For the union movement and activists, the message was also clear: It’s not time to leave it to any political party to take care of us once we put them in office. It’s time to organize and mobilize as never before to make every elected or aspiring leader PROVE he or she will create the jobs we need in an economy we need with the health care we need.
I am not discouraged by Tuesday’s election results. Actually, I’m energized and I want you to be, too. Working America is demanding major change NOW — not timid, go-slow, partial solutions.
I know we are the people who can mobilize a massive army to force elected leaders to deliver.
Let’s do it — starting NOW.
P.S. I’m sending this same message in a YouTube video. Please take a look and share it with other fighters for working families.
In solidarity,
Richard L. Trumka
President, AFL-CIO
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