Those cursed to remember great campaign slogans of yesteryear might recall that as the theme of Richard Gephardt's successful drive to win the 1988 Democratic caucuses in Iowa. Now, as some of today's Democrats wail over the damage a divided labor movement could cause the party, it is time to remind them that they have a personal responsibility to help build a stronger labor movement: that this is their fight, too.

   Of course, I'm not suggesting that Democratic politicians weigh in to back one side of labor's Great Divide over the other. God forbid. In any case, most of them have too fine an instinct for self-preservation to do that. But that doesn't mean they shouldn't be held accountable for their part in labor's decline and, even more importantly, enlisted to help in its renewal.
  
   No doubt, many of them will say they are doing their part. The attitude toward unions of many Democratic elected officials, even progressives, is that they "gave at the office."  In other words, they'll quietly cast their votes as unions would like or, if in an executive position, they'll discreetly do deals with public sector unions and steer business to union contractors. But get in front of their constituents and advocate for worker rights? Forget about it.

   Last year, for example, I was driving home listening to a John Kerry speech C-SPAN radio was broadcasting. Alright, call me weird. But I heard Sen. Kerry take a bold stand in favor of the right to organize. He even spoke out for "check card certification" (okay, maybe he was tired that day). Not suprisingly, the candidate was speaking before a union audience. However, it is difficult -- if not impossible -- to find any references to worker rights Sen. Kerry made before non-union audiences. Union leaders have come to accept the idea that it's okay for their friends to support labor when no one's looking, but they shouldn't.

  What Democrats today are advocating is something my friend Harold Meyerson once described as "social democracy without unions." Health care reform, job training, an affordable college education, pension guarantees -- and dozens of other social protections -- are now basic to their lexicon, but what isn't is the most vital protection of all: the right to organize. The upshot is that as fewer Democratic leaders talk about the value of unions fewer Americans think they matter -- and some of them begin to buy into the hysterical anti-labor rants of the right.

  With Democratic leaders obsessing over the future of labor's political operation, this would be a fine opportunity for both the AFL-CIO and the Change to Win Coalition to put them on notice that it's not enough for them to give at the office -- or to stand up for labor when no one's looking -- they have to speak out and put the cause of unions on America's political agenda.

  After all, it's their fight, too.