« previous | TPM CAFÉ READER POSTS HOME | next »
Must See! Union President Takes On Racism and Stands Tall for Obama!
I haven't seen anyone pick this up yet, so I decided to share it and hope you'll check it out. This is the president of the AFL/CIO giving an amazing speech against racism and in absolute, passionate support of Barack Obama at the United Steel Workers Union. Um... That seems to be blue collar working class folks cheering for Obama. Works for me. Works real good...
Advertisement
Comments (12)
Nice to see you around again, Raider. Hope you had a good vacation or whatever.
Somebody did post the Trumka link a few days ago, but I'm glad you posted it again. That guy is all class.
October 5, 2008 1:56 AM | Reply | Permalink
Hey Orlando. Nice to be back.
I guess I haven't been paying close enough attention to TPM. My apologies for reprinting this, but if anyone hadn't seen it (as I hadn't), it was inspiring, and when people say, "Obama can't connect with white working class blue collar folks," send them this link.
I'm cycling in and out of the discussion here, doing some canvassing this weekend and getting back together after a week in Georgia.
October 5, 2008 2:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
Andrew Sullivan had this video in one of posts a few days ago. Powerful speech. Loved it.
http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2008/10/confronting-rac.html
October 5, 2008 3:48 AM | Reply | Permalink
Ripper, thank you for posting that. It was really powerful and wonderful to hear that speech. I don't know what I liked part I liked best. He really nailed it. Seeing the workers stand up and clap when he started was great. He is right - "the times they are a' changin'".
October 5, 2008 6:51 AM | Reply | Permalink
But but but, white working class folk won't vote for Obama!?!?!?!?
Damn I hate the MSM
October 5, 2008 4:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
I hadn't seen it. It sent chills down my spine and I clapped my heart out at the end. Thank you for posting it.
And welcome back. You were missed.
October 5, 2008 6:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
That guy is very energetic.
October 5, 2008 8:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
Beautiful speech.
As a woman married to a Union Member, this made me proud. Our Union lifestyle has allowed us to claw our way into the middle class.
It should be noted that Todd Palin is a member of the United Steel Workers.
My husband made a number of calls to local Union officials here in Alaska about the absolute hypocrisy of Sarah Palin's acceptance of the VP nomination in spite of her husbands union membership. Each one was completely flabbergasted, and notably fearful about speaking out too sharply against her or McCain.
Mr. Trumka's speech needs to be replayed in every hiring hall in America - here in Wasilla, Alaska (where large numbers of residents are Union members) the dichotomy between blatant racism and the Labor movement saddens me.
Any effort to divide working people is an effort to undermine the American way of life.
John McCain has a long and distinguished record of voting for and passing anti-Union legislation. Something he brags about to his neo-con friends and pretends to no nothing about on the stump. Palin is the biggest hypocrite for accepting the nomination considering her lifestyle was provided with Union wages, not to mention the Union healthcare coverage for all those kids, (including the pregnant teenager).
October 5, 2008 8:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's about time, and that is exactly what MUST be done concerning not only the racism against Obama, but racism itself:
SPEAK UP PUBLICLY ABOUT IT!
Don't wait for SOMEONE ELSE to "begin" the "dialogue about race" this country needs.
For too damned long, the far-right white racists have dominated on the issue, working to divide (also) by race. It is time they were bodily thrown back into the America-hater's cesspool from whence they slithered.
October 5, 2008 10:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hope this link stays up on the Aggregate Posts for a while, so more folks see it. There can't be too many seeing it and passing it along.
October 5, 2008 10:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
Liz...I put it up on the Sun/Mon Aggregate Post, which now has a new name (2nd Chance Clearing House)Please give it a rec if you have the time. I'd sure like everyone to get in the habit of rec'ing it everyday. It's disappointing when the post hasn't made it to reader rec and people have gone to the trouble of linking posts...BUT, we're getting better. It's made it 3 or 4 days in a row!
October 5, 2008 11:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
Everyone should see this speech. One of the best of this campaign season.
October 5, 2008 10:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
Post a Comment