Labor 2008 - John McCain's Record
Gov. Mitt Romney has dropped out of the race for the Republican nomination, leaving Sen. John McCain as the only candidate with a reasonable path to the nomination. That means we have an opponent, and one we'll have to define early if we want to win this race for working people across It's up to all of us to make sure union members know that Sen. McCain is not the A quick look at his record makes that all too clear. Download attachments at the bottom of the page ############################################################################## April 28 - Senator McCain is announcing his health care policy today - and it's bad news for working families. He would like to tax people's employer-provided health care benefits, and would ultimately drive people into the private market to deal with insurance companies on their own. Attached are some talking points and a flyer on McCain and health care that you can use in talking with the media and other audiences. ############################################################################### Statement by AFL-CIO President John Sweeney on Sen. John McCain's Economic Proposals Unveiled Today in Pittsburgh April 15, 2008 Sen. John McCain's economic proposals today badly missed the mark, offering little more than a repackaging of President Bush's failed economic agenda. For months, Sen. McCain has ignored the economic crisis facing working families, opting instead to join President Bush in burying his head in the sand while hoping our economy magically improves. Today he finally offered some recognition that our economy is in trouble but instead of offering long-term solutions, he focused on shortsighted proposals that would do more to pad the profit margins of large corporations than help struggling working families. The centerpiece of Sen. McCain's economic package is his ill-conceived plan to extend the Bush tax breaks for the wealthy. McCain's plan to shower the wealthy with more tax giveaways at a time when families are struggling just to make ends meet shows just how out of touch with working people's kitchen-table concerns he is. McCain's tax breaks for the rich would cost more than $2 trillion over the next 10 years, draining vital resources that pay for education and health care. McCain also favors billions in cuts to programs like Medicare and Medicaid, which are a lifeline for working families. McCain offered no measures that would give working families equal footing in this economy or rein in out-of-control corporations. In fact, he proposed a massive tax break for corporations at a time when many are avoiding their tax responsibilities through loopholes created by the Bush Administration. In today's speech, Sen. McCain didn't even mention the economic impact of the war in Iraq, which is costing America's taxpayers trillions of dollars and creating a massive drag on the economy. McCain's 100-year Iraq plan would mortgage our children's future for a war the majority of Americans oppose. Sen. McCain's proposal to suspend the federal gasoline tax is nothing but a stopgap measure that ignores the underlying cause of the spike. With gas prices hovering near $4 a gallon, families need our leaders to put forth responsible energy and foreign policies that lead to a dramatic reduction in costs, not just a few pennies for a few months. McCain's other recycled Bush proposals - billions in tax breaks for the health insurance industry and Big Oil, promoting unbalanced trade deals and privatizing Social Security -- would take us further down the wrong economic road. His new proposal to address the housing crisis offers far too little help to working families in crisis while doing nothing to address the root causes of the collapse. We need leaders who understand the economic needs and concerns of working families. America's workers deserve a plan that will deliver good jobs, a secure retirement and health care for all. Today's proposals glossed over those needs in favor of policies skewed to the privileged few. Working people across the country call on Sen. McCain to reject the failed policies of the past that put corporate profits and the interests of the wealthy few above our families' needs. ################################################################
From MoveOn.org
For all the coverage this week of Senator John McCain's background, there are some important things you won't learn about him from the TV networks. His carefully crafted positive image relies on people not knowing this stuff-and you might be surprised by some of it. Please check out the list below, and then forward it to your friends, family, and coworkers. We can't rely on the media to tell folks about the real John McCain-but if we all pass this along, we can reach as many people as CNN Headline News does on a good night. Click here to tell us how many people you can pass it on to-and to see our progress nationally: http://pol.moveon.org/mccain10/?id=12407-7774355-yJFeY1&t=231 10 things you should know about John McCain (but probably don't): 1. John McCain voted against establishing a national holiday in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Now he says his position has "evolved," yet he's continued to oppose key civil rights laws.1 2. According to Bloomberg News, McCain is more hawkish than Bush on Iraq, Russia and China. Conservative columnist Pat Buchanan says McCain "will make Cheney look like Gandhi."2 3. His reputation is built on his opposition to torture, but McCain voted against a bill to ban waterboarding, and then applauded President Bush for vetoing that ban.3 4. McCain opposes a woman's right to choose. He said, "I do not support Roe versus Wade. It should be overturned."4 5. The Children's Defense Fund rated McCain as the worst senator in Congress for children. He voted against the children's health care bill last year, then defended Bush's veto of the bill.5 6. He's one of the richest people in a Senate filled with millionaires. The Associated Press reports he and his wife own at least eight homes! Yet McCain says the solution to the housing crisis is for people facing foreclosure to get a "second job" and skip their vacations.6 7. Many of McCain's fellow Republican senators say he's too reckless to be commander in chief. One Republican senator said: "The thought of his being president sends a cold chill down my spine. He's erratic. He's hotheaded. He loses his temper and he worries me."7 8. McCain talks a lot about taking on special interests, but his campaign manager and top advisers are actually lobbyists. The government watchdog group Public Citizen says McCain has 59 lobbyists raising money for his campaign, more than any of the other presidential candidates.8 9. McCain has sought closer ties to the extreme religious right in recent years. The pastor McCain calls his "spiritual guide," Rod Parsley, believes America's founding mission is to destroy Islam, which he calls a "false religion." McCain sought the political support of right-wing preacher John Hagee, who believes Hurricane Katrina was God's punishment for gay rights and called the Catholic Church "the Antichrist" and a "false cult."9 10. He positions himself as pro-environment, but he scored a 0-yes, zero-from the League of Conservation Voters last year.10 John McCain is not who the Washington press corps make him out to be. Please help get the word out-forward this email to your personal network. And if you want us to keep you posted on MoveOn's work to get the truth out about John McCain, sign up here: http://pol.moveon.org/mccaintruth/?id=12407-7774355-yJFeY1&t=232 Thank you for all you do.
-Eli, Justin, Noah, Laura, and the MoveOn.org Political Action Team
Sources:
"McCain Facts," ColorOfChange.org, April 4, 2008
2. "McCain More Hawkish Than Bush on Russia, China, Iraq," Bloomberg News, March 12, 2008
"Buchanan: John McCain 'Will Make Cheney Look Like Gandhi,'" ThinkProgress, February 6, 2008
3. "McCain Sides With Bush On Torture Again, Supports Veto Of Anti-Waterboarding Bill," ThinkProgress, February 20, 2008
4. "McCain says Roe v. Wade should be overturned," MSNBC, February 18, 2007
5. "2007 Children's Defense Fund Action Council® Nonpartisan Congressional Scorecard," February 2008
"McCain: Bush right to veto kids health insurance expansion," CNN, October 3, 2007
6. "Beer Executive Could Be Next First Lady," Associated Press, April 3, 2008
"McCain Says Bank Bailout Should End `Systemic Risk,'" Bloomberg News, March 25, 2008
7. "Will McCain's Temper Be a Liability?," Associated Press, February 16, 2008
"Famed McCain temper is tamed," Boston Globe, January 27, 2008
8. "Black Claims McCain's Campaign Is Above Lobbyist Influence: 'I Don't Know What The Criticism Is,'" ThinkProgress, April 2, 2008
"McCain's Lobbyist Friends Rally 'Round Their Man," ABC News, January 29, 2008
9. "McCain's Spiritual Guide: Destroy Islam," Mother Jones Magazine, March 12, 2008
"Will McCain Specifically 'Repudiate' Hagee's Anti-Gay Comments?," ThinkProgress, March 12, 2008
"McCain 'Very Honored' By Support Of Pastor Preaching 'End-Time Confrontation With Iran,'" ThinkProgress, February 28, 2008
10. "John McCain Gets a Zero Rating for His Environmental Record," Sierra Club, February 28, 2008 Support our member-driven organization: MoveOn.org Political Action is entirely funded by our 3.2 million members. We have no corporate contributors, no foundation grants, no money from unions. Our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. If you'd like to support our work, you can give now at: http://political.moveon.org/donate/email.html?id=12407-7774355-yJFeY1&t=241
PAID FOR BY MOVEON.ORG POLITICAL ACTION, http://pol.moveon.org/ For Immediate Release Contact: Steve Smith & Alison Omens 202-637-5018 Sen. McCain Refuses to Meet with Workers Struggling with the Healthcare Crisis McCain Invited to Sit Down With Workers, Chooses Fundraiser (Jacksonville, FL, Apr. 3) Sen. John McCain today declined to participate in a roundtable with Jacksonville workers dealing with the healthcare crisis and instead chose to host a $2,300 a plate fundraiser. The roundtable participants took their message on health care to his fundraiser, and called on him to meet with working families struggling in Jacksonville instead of the wealthy few. Participants also detailed what healthcare $2,300 could provide for a family. In general, it would cover 33-57 percent of what a family pays-on top of any premium-for the most common type of employer provided plan. According to participants, this is a type of plan that workers would be at risk of losing under Sen. McCain's healthcare proposal. At the roundtable, participants planned to discuss how the healthcare crisis is impacting their families and communities and ask Sen. McCain what specific steps he would take to remedy it. Fran Benso planned to ask about retiree benefits and Sen. McCain's votes to decrease Medicare and Medicaid spending. She said, "Retired workers are often confused and unable to deal with the intricacies of healthcare today. When policies change and premiums go up, retirees can't afford to pay the increase and are left in the cold. Sen. McCain needs to hear how much retired workers need help now." Ken Carter, a union worker, struggles with healthcare costs. "Every year, our healthcare benefits are chipped away more. We need healthcare for all, and nothing less. Sen. McCain's plan doesn't deliver." The roundtable was to take place immediately after Sen. McCain's campaign event as part of his "Service to America" tour. AFL-CIO working families issued invitations to Sen. McCain in the cities where he is visiting this week. The purpose of the roundtables is to further the dialogue about how to help families struggling in the economy and to give Sen. McCain an opportunity to hear how the economic crisis is impacting the real lives of America's workers. "McCain Revealed," is an AFL-CIO national campaign to expose Sen. John McCain's economic record and plans to continue the failed Bush economic agenda and to generate public pressure on him to support policies that advance their interests. To learn more, go to http://www.mccainrevealed.org/. ### ###################################################################
John McCain is in California this week and working people will be there to greet And this is the same candidate who has made it a point to tell audiences that March 24th 2:30 p.m. - San Diego - La Jolla Marriot
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#################################################################### There is a stark contrast between who the general public and union members believe John McCain is and what he actually represents. The facts are that McCain has voted against economic and social programs for working and middle income families, voted against S-CHIP, voted for every free trade bill and has stood consistently with Bush administration policies. McCain's carefully crafted straight-talking image has only given cover for policies that have been disastrous to our members and their families. Our job is to get this information out. NEW!!! - Attached is the PowerPoint presentation titled EC Presentation that outlines the challenges ahead and the intense campaign plan for the next three months. We encourage you to distribute this information widely among your co-workers, your families, your local unions' members and the labor movement at large. ======================================================================= The current mortgage crisis in America is a leading concern on the minds of voters and has become a flash point for Americans' anxieties about the economy. The extent to which Presidential candidates plan to tackle this problem head-on will say much about their sensitivity to these anxieties. In the case of Sen. John McCain, we find that yet again he is out of touch with working Americans but well in sync with corporate interests and the Bush policies that got us here in the first place. Sen. McCain has shared few details over what he would do as President to ease the wave of foreclosures impacting people throughout the country. McCain has hinted that government should consider intervening, but only if President Bush's current efforts to help banks do not succeed. Like Bush, McCain is forgetting that it's people who are losing their homes, not the banks who created this crisis in the first place. But if it seems like John McCain is just borrowing a page out of the Bush playbook instead of coming up with real solutions for working people, it's easy to see why -- he's too busy raising money from the very people that these pro-corporate policies are designed to bail out. According to our research, McCain leads among all presidential candidates in campaign "bundlers" from Real Estate and Commercial Banking industries. Labor is leading the charge to get the word out. In Cleveland, a city that ranked sixth highest in 2007 foreclosure rates nationally with 49,000 foreclosures, union activists gathered outside of a McCain campaign event to expose his indifference to this mounting crisis. You can read more about that event on the AFL-CIO blog: ################################################################### John McCain on NAFTA
McCain on Workers McCain on Jobs McCain on Social Security McCain on Health Care As you can see, we'll have a real fight on our hands. Take a look at the
To watch, visit the following https://www.focusvision.com/default.asp?u=FVS114428&p=794K48 ================================================================
Here are links to a few recent opinion pieces ones by local and national R. Floyd Suggs, Pres. West Central FL CLC and John Sweeney:
Vince Beltrami, Alaska State Fed President
Mark Gaffney, Pres. MI AFL-CIO, Millionaire Leaders Stiff Working Class, Detroit
Rich Trumka, AFL-CIO Sec-Treas., Economy's Long Been Weak, Charleston Gazette:
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