Obama Calls for Cesar Chavez National Holiday

[tekisui]

(PressMediaWire) Chicago, IL March 31, 2008 - Senator Barack Obama today released the following statement to commemorate Cesar Chavez's birthday and express his support for a national holiday to honor Chavez's success in "making America a stronger, more just, and more prosperous nation."

"Today is Cesar Chavez's birthday, and his life and legacy are important for us all to remember. From his beginnings as a farmworker picking lettuce and beets in the American Southwest, Cesar Chavez rose to help found the United Farm Workers, providing hundreds of thousands of people with better working conditions and the chance to live a better life. He proved what I have long believed - that together, ordinary people can do extraordinary things. When some said he could not organize farmworkers and take on the growers, he said, "Sí Se Puede" - "Yes We Can." It's a philosophy of hope and aspiration that inspires us today."

"Chavez left a legacy as an educator, environmentalist, and a civil rights leader. And his cause lives on. As farmworkers and laborers across America continue to struggle for fair treatment and fair wages, we find strength in what Cesar Chavez accomplished so many years ago. And we should honor him for what he's taught us about making America a stronger, more just, and more prosperous nation. That's why I support the call to make Cesar Chavez's birthday a national holiday. It's time to recognize the contributions of this American icon to the ongoing efforts to perfect our union."

link: http://pressmediawire.com/article.cfm?articleID=18567

[Scurrilous]

1. K & R

:thumbsup:

[polichick]

2. Love the idea - SI, SE PUEDE!

[Barack_America]

3. And, somewhere in Washington, Lou Dobb's head has just exploded.

Well done, Barack. I agree. This is a fantastic idea on many levels. Not only to honor Chavez's contributions, but those of Hispanics throughout this country.

How long before our first "Obama panders to Hispanics" post? Anyone like to place a bet?

[tekisui]

4. It should be along shortly.

[Barack_America]

8. Lol. Look at post #5.

That didn't take long at all!

By the way, glad to be your fifth rec!

[sandnsea]

7. One minute

Two posts below you. lol.

[doc03]

5. That's a new one now he is going to

make Holidays for every ethnic group he is pandering to at the moment. We need a Walter Reuther Day, Jimmy Hoffa Day, Richard Trumka Day, lets just make everyday a holiday.

[slick8790]

12. Yeah, he's just out and out pandering to all those Pennsylvania latinos.

Persons of Hispanic or Latino origin, percent, 2006 (b) 4.2%

http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/42000.html

Try to think before you speak.

[FatDave]

18. Damn it, you beat me to it

Silly politician, trying to charm hispanics when there's so few of the where he's campaigning.

Hey, maybe this is proof that the Obama campaign has derailed!

[doc03]

20. Many think he should take Bill Richardson on as

VP for the Hispanic vote, I don't think he's pandering to PA voters. But you know many states do have a large percentage of Hispanic voters and they will factor in the GE. Of course St. Obama wouldn't make such a political move only the Clintons do such things.

[EmilyAnne]

40. I'm one latina who doesn't feel pandered to. Neither does my Obama supporting Mexican family. Thank

you for your concern.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

6. Rush Limbaugh just "reported" that Obama wants to start an Hugo Chavez national holiday.

:evilgrin:

[Cant trust em]

14. Some commie with brown skin is all Limbaugh knows. NT

[uponit7771]

9. Word!!!!

[redqueen]

10. Yes! I love it!

:bounce:

[autorank]

11. Interesting, to say the least..... K*R

It will cost him marginally in the central valley of California among those who view Chavez so
negatively but those are not his voters anyway. It is a sign of real respect for the Latino
community and also unions!

[Garbo 2004]

22. Cesar Chavez's birthday is already a state holiday in California. n/t

[Cant trust em]

13. Awesome. NT

[Selatius]

15. I SUPPORT MAKING THIS DAY A NATIONAL HOLIDAY! n/t

[anonymous171]

16. Good idea! GOBAMA!

[Raine]

17. Thumbs Up!

I love the idea! :thumbsup:

[Thepricebreaker]

19. An American holiday for Chavez? WHAT?

[izzybeans]

42. Chavez is an American.. Just because his name isn't anglo-european doesn't mean

he is from somewhere else.

Where did you think he was from? I could take a predictable guess.

[file83]

21. This had better be an April Fools joke that got out early.

Or is Obama already trying to lose the primary election?

He isn't the President yet, he needs to win the election and saying controversial shit like this BEFORE the election is just downright a bad move. I want Obama to win, but it's gonna be kind of hard to do that with all this ammunition he's providing the right wing punditry.

[Thepricebreaker]

23. Primary? The GE! This HAS to be a joke..

[anonymous171]

24. You know who Caesar Chavez is right?

You know, the labor organizer?

[TheDonkey]

27. I don't think they do. LOL

to be honest I did not until I moved to California where CC day is a state mandated holiday.

[WolverineDG]

36. UVAS NO!

:hi:

dg

[ima_sinnic]

30. you don't even know who cesar chavez is. go educate yourself.

-- it's no more controversial than Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

[file83]

37. OMG - I am embarrassed. It was late last night when I posted!!!

Sleepy, I totally misunderstood it for Hugo Chavez.

Cesar Chavez. Got it, now. Good idea.

*walks away with head down in shame*

[Forkboy]

25. Cool...he was a great boxer!

:evilgrin:

:hide:

[Hope And Change]

26. K&R!

:kick:

[LulaMay]

28. Nice, but transparent.

[Skittles]

29. has to be an April Fool's joke

this is pure silliness

[Garbo 2004]

31. Dems have legislation pending to make it a national holiday.

It's already a holiday in several states.

http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_8758448

Lawmakers renew push for federal Cesar Chavez holiday
The Associated Press
Article Launched: 03/31/2008 10:55:19 AM PDT

WASHINGTON—Congressional Democrats are renewing their call for a federal holiday honoring the late farmworkers' rights activist Cesar Chavez.

Chavez was born March 31, 1927, and in 2000 California became the first state to create an official state holiday in his honor. Other states including Texas and Arizona also observe the day.

In Washington, D.C., members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and others have pushed for a federal holiday since Chavez's death in 1993.

Legislation by Hispanic Caucus Chairman Joe Baca of California has about three dozen co-sponsors and Baca plans to call for its passage at a news conference Tuesday.

He's getting support from Democratic presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama who issued a statement backing the holiday.

[DemVet]

32. Shit, what's next...a Harlem Globetrotters holiday?

Let's cheapen all holidays with Obama's worthless crap.

[tekisui]

33. You are not a fan of Cesar Chavez?

[DemVet]

35. It's not that...I just don't think it warrants a holiday.

Like I said, too many holiday cheapen the mix.

edit...typo

[apocalypsehow]

38. Uh-huh.

:eyes:

[EmilyAnne]

41. Harlem Globetrotters = Cesar Chavez? You have flipped your lid, seriously.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

43. Hey, don't underestimate all the good the Globetrotters did. Didn't they help Scooby Doo solve some

crimes?

[JTFrog]

34. Wow,. I just can't believe some of the responses to this thread.

Fuck those civil rights leaders :eyes:

This forum seriously needs an enema.

[Algorem]

39. McCain (says he's) for it too.

..."Si Se Puede," which means "Yes We Can," was the catchphrase Chavez used in organizing the United Farm Workers of America. Baca, Kucinich, and other backers of the Chavez holiday movement used it copiously at the press conference.

Baca observed that it took 14 years for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday to be adopted, and noted that Chavez' birthday is already a holiday in 10 states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah and Wisconsin.

"It is not a lost cause," said Baca, whose measure has support from 60 members of Congress, as well as presidential candidates

John McCain

and

Barack Obama. Celebrity backers of the holiday effort include rock star Carlos Santana and actors Martin Sheen and Edward James Olmos.

Organizers of the nationwide effort said rallies were held throughout the country on Monday to support the idea of establishing the new holiday. Rally sites included Cincinnati, Maui and Atlanta.

http://blog.cleveland.com/openers/2008/04/kucinich_kaptur_want_cesar_cha.html