Dear Mr. President.... We need you now, sir.

[AmBlue]

Dear Mr. President,

I am eagerly awaiting your strong voice in support of the teachers and public servants in Madison, Wisconsin who are fighting in the freezing cold against an upstart, corporate bought-and-sold governor who would take away their rights to bargain collectively.

I still remember like it was yesterday when you were campaigning for the office of the Presidency you saying: "I believe in unions." You are such a strong supporter of unions! We need your voice, Mr. President. This battle is coming on hard and strong and we will fight it in all our states before too long.

But we need you Mr. President-- our President who believes strongly in the rights of workers and their unions-- to stand with us. To use that bully pulpit. We need you now, sir.

[undeterred]

1. If thats what he actually believed in

wild horses couldn't have kept him away.

[AmBlue]

2. We should flood the White House...

...with INCESSANT reminders of his promise to the American people, like the people of Wisconsin are flooding their capitol. It's the least we can do.

[ewagner]

3. I'm afraid

Mr President doesn't want to appear to be "partisan".

Why the HELL isn't he speaking out?????

[DJ13]

4. You are such a strong supporter of unions!

You used to be such a strong supporter of unions!
(When you needed their support to win office.....)

[AmBlue]

9. Barack Obama: "I Believe In Unions"

Watch him say the words: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJ3ibE6LtEE

[DJ13]

14. EFCA? ........ Anyone.......?

"We're ready to take the offense for organized labor. It's time we have a President who didn't choke saying the word 'union.' We need to strengthen our unions by letting them do what they do best --- organize our workers. If a majority of workers want a union, they should get a union. It's that simple. We need to stand up to the business lobby that's been getting their friends in Congress and in the White House to block card check. That's why I was one of the leaders fighting to pass the Employee Free Choice Act. That's why I'm fighting for it in the Senate. And that's why we'll make it the law of the land when I'm President."

Barack Obama, Dubuque, IA, November 13, 2007

[somone]

20. "We need to stand up to the business lobby"

Yeah, right. LOL.

[roguevalley]

24. he's like a lot of people who 'make it'. they suck up to the class they

want to fit into and run from what they were before. His mom and grandparents can't be too proud right now, I will hazard a guess,.

[somone]

29. Yes. Very common syndrome

Happens all the time in the corporate world. People get promoted and before you know it, they're taking golf lessons and they stop returning your calls. Psychologists should give this syndrome a name.

[Modern_Matthew]

33. They did. It's called: "Bait and Switch" n/t

[tridim]

5. Obama joins Wisconsin's budget battle, opposing Republican anti-union bill

Friday, February 18, 2011; 1:01 PM

MADISON, WIS. - President Obama thrust himself and his political operation this week into Wisconsin's broiling budget battle, mobilizing opposition Thursday to a Republican bill that would curb public-worker benefits and planning similar protests in other state capitals.

Obama accused Scott Walker, the state's new Republican governor, of unleashing an "assault" on unions in pushing emergency legislation that would change future collective-bargaining agreements that affect most public employees, including teachers.

The president's political machine worked in close coordination Thursday with state and national union officials to get thousands of protesters to gather in Madison and to plan similar demonstrations in other state capitals.

More: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/17/AR2011021705494.html

[HereSince1628]

7. If you listened to his comments, it wasn't a great oratorical moment

He said it apologetically and very quietly.

I would have preferred some vintage populist Obamaspeak at that time.

[sharp_stick]

11. Not the way I heard it

Maybe he could have called Walker some names or something?

[HereSince1628]

19. We heard it differently. I'm fine with that. n/t

[tridim]

12. Obama joins Wisconsin's budget battle, opposing Republican anti-union bill

Friday, February 18, 2011; 1:01 PM

MADISON, WIS. - President Obama thrust himself and his political operation this week into Wisconsin's broiling budget battle, mobilizing opposition Thursday to a Republican bill that would curb public-worker benefits and planning similar protests in other state capitals.

Obama accused Scott Walker, the state's new Republican governor, of unleashing an "assault" on unions in pushing emergency legislation that would change future collective-bargaining agreements that affect most public employees, including teachers.

The president's political machine worked in close coordination Thursday with state and national union officials to get thousands of protesters to gather in Madison and to plan similar demonstrations in other state capitals.

More: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/17/AR2011021705494.html

[blondeatlast]

22. He forgot to say "fuck the GOP." For many, nothing less will do.

I favor statesmanship; I'm funny that way.

[HereSince1628]

23. You too are entitled to your opinion.

[sharp_stick]

13. Funny how

the fact that Wisconsin voters were stupid enough to elect pukes across the board is now going to be seen by "some" as Obama's fault too.

[FredStembottom]

15. Thnx, tridim.

I am often on the negative side of the "Obama Divide" but he did speak up already - and that needs to be pointed out.

At this point, I prefer to encourage him (root of encourage? Courage.)

Let's give him our strength as we go.

No Big Business PAC can vote. Millions and millions of disgruntled workers and Democrats in general can.

:dem:

[blondeatlast]

25. Very sane statement. I've been seriously criticizing Obama lately, but

He's approaching this wisely--I think he's trying very hard NOT to make this a political issue--and he's right to approach it that way.

[FredStembottom]

42. You echo the other reply I just read.

..and find both comments kind of light-bulb-moment-y.

American citizens might be better tenders of this "crop" of rebellion right now.

Better for it to grow into the president's purview?

[socialist_n_TN]

30. Yes he did speak up. As a critic of Obama............

I'm not going to slight what he's already done. It wouldn't hurt of course, for him to speak out again and again on this subject.

But as I've said in other posts, if he REALLY puts himself in the middle of this, he risks politicizing it as a Rep/Dem thing. As in, "politics as usual". At the present time, it's a have/have not dynamic or power/dispossessed dynamic. As soon as he gets deeper involved (physical presence), it takes away from that dynamic.

[FredStembottom]

41. Usefull... well stated.

Worth thinking over, what you just said there.

I hadn't seen a trap for O in becoming involved- but you give me pause.

[Blue Owl]

6. What -- the GOP is not being bipartisan?

Unheard of.

[jaxx]

8. He has voiced his support.

[Name removed]

10. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[sufrommich]

16. There were a lot of DUers strongly against Obama bailing out

the big three auto makers too, thus saving hundreds of thousands on union workers from losing their jobs. I guess it depends on who's ox is being gored.

[Name removed]

34. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[RegieRocker]

37. That is a indirect presumption. Bailing out any company would

help people retain their jobs union or not. It wasn't about saving jobs, it was about loaning corps money. This is what some on DU didn't like.

[FredStembottom]

18. Hopefully not.

There are many of us out here that are falling into desperate condition.

Loud, angry things may get said as we watch our family members fall.

If Obama should now choose to make his words and actions commensurate to the emergencies at hand, he will receive praise commensurate to his words and actions. We are skidding down Maslow's hierarchy real fast now.

Many of us are just getting too beat up to even notice if we have liked Obama enough today.

[AmBlue]

31. "Many of us are just getting too beat up,,,

...to even notice if we have liked Obama enough today."

Amen, Fred. And well said.

[Ignis]

35. ...And his fierce advocacy.

[Bake]

17. Don't hold your breath ...

I'm certainly not. He's too busy with his "listening tour of business," AKA, kissing the Chamber's butt.

Bake

[JoseGaspar]

21. Barack Obama is President of the United States?

No shit.

I must have missed that...

Which Party Line did he run on?

[ProSense]

26. How is it that

so many people, including the unions, heard the President, but others missed it?

Obama voices strong support for Wisconsin public employees

The union leaders and workers heard.

[AmBlue]

32. I didn't miss it.

I found that statement to be mealy-mouthed-- more like a psychologist trying to soft-pedal some bad news for ears that are unwilling to hear. In my letter I asked for our President's "strong voice" in support of the unions. I asked for him to be the passionate advocate of our nation's labor force and the people who-- it just happens-- got him elected, just like when he was courting the unions for their support of his candidacy. Go listen to that youtube link above and then tell me there's not a difference.

[Better Believe It]

27. So one perfunctory statement by President Obama isn't good enough?

Do you want President Obama to get in trouble with Wall Street, corporate America and Republicans by pushing the issue?

[Ganja Ninja]

28. Maybe we'd be better off without him.

This is a spontaneous grass roots movement. He's been more part of the problem than the solution since he's took office.

[gratuitous]

39. I'd say it's going to happen without him anyway

So folks might as well go ahead and fight for themselves. Sooner or later, a "leader" might decide to run around the group and pretend he's been leading it all along, but until then . . . ?

[RegieRocker]

36. Self delete

[robcon]

38. Looks like Obama just threw the unions and the DNC under the bus

Ben Smith: DNC, under the bus
February 22, 2011

The DNC was, earlier this week, eager to tout its role in the Wisconsin protests -- though it never claimed to have inspired or run them. But when conservatives seized on the report, the party quickly clarified its role. Now, the White House, er, clarifies further to Jackie Calmes:

Administration officials said Sunday that the White House had done nothing to encourage the demonstrations in Wisconsin — nor was it doing so in Ohio, Florida and other states where new Republican governors are trying to make deep cuts to balance their budgets....


...More broadly, one Democrat who doesn't work for the White House or DNC suggested to me a few days ago that Obama's and the DNC's intervention made sense as a free way to please organized labor -- without spending political capital on the Hill or actual dollars in the budget to do it, and one that seemed unlikely to be a voting issue in 2012. The walkback makes that judgment seem a bit less clear.
http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0211/DNC_under_the_bus.html

[socialist_n_TN]

40. As I've said, this is probably the stand he SHOULD........

take under these circumstances. This does NOT need to be able to be spun as "politics as usual". And that's the way it will go if Obama gets involved any deeper.

HOWEVER, it STILL wouldn't hurt if he came out stongly in favor of collective bargaining in a general philosophic sense.