I was not around when "Meet the Press" first aired 61 years ago I am not as familiar with the previous hosts as some of my older friends. However, when I was starting to pay attention to politics I would see Tim Russert every Sunday morning. He was, in my opinion, a class act. I remember the interview with David Duke, the reputed leader of the Klu Klux Klan in Louisiana, and how Tim Russert put him on the spot. That was a great interview because he cut through all of the stuff and got to the meat of the matter. I think he asked the question every one, except maybe the Klan, want to ask and that to me was the Tim Russert I saw every Sunday after that. He asked hard yet fair questions of those he interviewed and gave them time to answer the questions. His ability of looking at the political landscape was remarkable. I sometimes felt he must have been reading my mind when he asked questions.
With his passing I feel there is a void because I feel I lost the person that asked my questions. I, like many of his peers, feel somewhat cheated that he will not be here to see this generations Kennedy/Nixon election. I will miss his insightful musings of the election and his ability to keep me tuned in to the process. While I might not need the latter I did need the former.
I, along with the rest of the country, send my most heartfelt condolences to his family. I was especially impressed with the way his son, Luke, came out on the Today show and showed such poise. Luke is an oak to steal a line from Tombstone. Tim Russert and his wife have raised a remarkable son which I only hope to copy. Regardless of the accolades bestowed on Tim Russert for his work, I seem to think he must be the most proud of the son he helped raise. I know if I were him and either of my boys had shown such poise I would be proud. God speed Tim Russert and may you rest in peace. We will miss you.
Monday, June 16, 2008
The Election and Unity
As we have been hearing since Saturday June 6, 2008 when Hilary Clinton dropped out of the race for the Democratic Nomination for President, there is a major push to unify the Democratic Party. While I certainly understand the concern since I saw it first hand at the Texas Democratic Convention in Austin, are we not being somewhat too concerned. The Democratic Party has had big fights in the past and they have been able to elect a President. I personally think that the primary season was what the doctor ordered for the Democratic Party. There were so many people that ran for President on both sides and with those different approaches there will be as many different opinions on what should be done. While I do not personally subscribe to the way the Republican Party wishes to govern (or rule in many cases) there were some real differences between the individuals on that side. On the Democratic side there were many people with basically the same ideas on governing but with different ways of getting to same end.
Now there are two. They are vastly different in their approaches to governing and what needs to be remembered is that the Republicans do not offer anything but more of the same in respect to Labor. The Republicans want a consumer-driven health care system which has been proven not to work. The Republicans also do not want the workers of this country to be able to fairly organize at the work place so that they may actually have rights on the job. Their idea of employee free choice is for every state to be a "right to work for less" state where you are completely at will like here in Texas.
The Democrats are 180 degrees the opposite. They want to have a real health care solution where it is not on the bargaining table. They want workers to be able to exercise their rights under the National Labor Relations Act, which would be further augmented by the Employee Free Choice Act, and be able to organize without the fear of losing their jobs.
The Democratic Party and the Labor Movement must, and I mean must, unify if the Labor movement in this country has any chance of being here in the next 10 or 20 years. If you are in the Labor movement you must know the effects of what bargaining health care are and will continue to be if we do not get a solution to the current failure. Regardless of who you supported during the primary season on either side, you must vote your own interest. If your interest is being able to work on a job with safe conditions, good wages to support you and your family, good and sustainable health care for you and your family and justice on the job then you must vote in the Democratic column this fall. If you do not care about those things and/or enjoy having your eyes taken off the prize then I am sure the Republicans will appreciate your vote. They will be so appreciative that they will be more than happy to show you the razor that they will use to slit your throat. While that may sound extreme that it is what the current administration has been doing for the last seven-plus years. If you do not believe me ask the Teamsters. I am sure they will be more than happy to explain what an endorsement of a Republican for President really means.
Now there are two. They are vastly different in their approaches to governing and what needs to be remembered is that the Republicans do not offer anything but more of the same in respect to Labor. The Republicans want a consumer-driven health care system which has been proven not to work. The Republicans also do not want the workers of this country to be able to fairly organize at the work place so that they may actually have rights on the job. Their idea of employee free choice is for every state to be a "right to work for less" state where you are completely at will like here in Texas.
The Democrats are 180 degrees the opposite. They want to have a real health care solution where it is not on the bargaining table. They want workers to be able to exercise their rights under the National Labor Relations Act, which would be further augmented by the Employee Free Choice Act, and be able to organize without the fear of losing their jobs.
The Democratic Party and the Labor Movement must, and I mean must, unify if the Labor movement in this country has any chance of being here in the next 10 or 20 years. If you are in the Labor movement you must know the effects of what bargaining health care are and will continue to be if we do not get a solution to the current failure. Regardless of who you supported during the primary season on either side, you must vote your own interest. If your interest is being able to work on a job with safe conditions, good wages to support you and your family, good and sustainable health care for you and your family and justice on the job then you must vote in the Democratic column this fall. If you do not care about those things and/or enjoy having your eyes taken off the prize then I am sure the Republicans will appreciate your vote. They will be so appreciative that they will be more than happy to show you the razor that they will use to slit your throat. While that may sound extreme that it is what the current administration has been doing for the last seven-plus years. If you do not believe me ask the Teamsters. I am sure they will be more than happy to explain what an endorsement of a Republican for President really means.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Labor gets some help...for now.
The U.S. House today approved a three-month extension of unemployment insurance benefits with exactly the margin needed to override a presidential veto, but AP reports the outlook in the Senate is not as good.
The 274-137 vote was exactly two-thirds, a milestone the House could not reach in an earlier vote. Although some Republican crossover occurred in the vote, in the Texas delegation, every Democrat who voted was in support of the measure and every Republican opposed it.
AP notes that George W. Bush has threatened to veto the bill. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, said he won't force the issue when Republicans object, but will try to include the measure in a war spending bill.
The 274-137 vote was exactly two-thirds, a milestone the House could not reach in an earlier vote. Although some Republican crossover occurred in the vote, in the Texas delegation, every Democrat who voted was in support of the measure and every Republican opposed it.
AP notes that George W. Bush has threatened to veto the bill. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, said he won't force the issue when Republicans object, but will try to include the measure in a war spending bill.
Texas State Democratic Convention
I am recently back from the Austin, Texas where history was made. We saw the largest crowd of delegates and alternates ever assembled. I was under the impression it was the most since the 1960's but was later told that it was the largest ever. When Chairman Boyd Richie asked how many were making their first convention more than half of the room raised their hand. It was really and impressive sight.
We saw Hillary Clinton, the first viable woman candidate concede her bid and put her support behind the first viable African-American candidate in our history. It was an inspiring moment because through the struggles of this country in recent and past history we were on the the threshold of making America the real "land of opportunity". We saw people of all ilks come together to elect not only delegates to the Democratic National Convention but elect party officers that will lead the Texas Democratic Party into the end of the 2008 election cycle and into the 2010 election cycle.
You may not realize the history of electing party officers but there is true history. With the current and recently past party administration Texas may finally be back in play in down ballot races for the first time since Ann Richards was elected Governor. The state may actually be in play, to a point, in the national election for President for the first time since Lyndon Johnson.
Now, you might be asking what this has to do with Labor and the answer is simple. If we can elect a Democratic President and he has coat tails we can elect more Democratic Members to congress and the first Democratic Senator from Texas since Lloyd Benson. If this happens the efforts of the Employee Free Choice Act and a real health care solution are only a pen stroke away. Here in Texas we could have a Democratic majority in the State House of Representatives for the first time since the late 1990's. That means we could actually get some real employer reform and true Workman's compensation for injured workers. It could also mean we might start putting balance in the two high courts of Texas; the Texas Supreme Court which handles all civil litigation and the Court of Criminal Appeals which handles all Criminal Appeals.
Things are looking up for the working man and woman in Texas with this turn of events. The newly re-elected Chairman of the Texas Democratic Party, Boyd Richie, is a friend of labor and is seeking individuals to run for office that are of the same mind. He realized long ago the power labor has and what it stands for to the working man and woman. He wants the State Party and those who run under its' brand to know labor, feel our struggle and fight to the bitter end for labor. We congratulate Chairman Richie on his re-election and look forward to our strong friendship to continue.
We saw Hillary Clinton, the first viable woman candidate concede her bid and put her support behind the first viable African-American candidate in our history. It was an inspiring moment because through the struggles of this country in recent and past history we were on the the threshold of making America the real "land of opportunity". We saw people of all ilks come together to elect not only delegates to the Democratic National Convention but elect party officers that will lead the Texas Democratic Party into the end of the 2008 election cycle and into the 2010 election cycle.
You may not realize the history of electing party officers but there is true history. With the current and recently past party administration Texas may finally be back in play in down ballot races for the first time since Ann Richards was elected Governor. The state may actually be in play, to a point, in the national election for President for the first time since Lyndon Johnson.
Now, you might be asking what this has to do with Labor and the answer is simple. If we can elect a Democratic President and he has coat tails we can elect more Democratic Members to congress and the first Democratic Senator from Texas since Lloyd Benson. If this happens the efforts of the Employee Free Choice Act and a real health care solution are only a pen stroke away. Here in Texas we could have a Democratic majority in the State House of Representatives for the first time since the late 1990's. That means we could actually get some real employer reform and true Workman's compensation for injured workers. It could also mean we might start putting balance in the two high courts of Texas; the Texas Supreme Court which handles all civil litigation and the Court of Criminal Appeals which handles all Criminal Appeals.
Things are looking up for the working man and woman in Texas with this turn of events. The newly re-elected Chairman of the Texas Democratic Party, Boyd Richie, is a friend of labor and is seeking individuals to run for office that are of the same mind. He realized long ago the power labor has and what it stands for to the working man and woman. He wants the State Party and those who run under its' brand to know labor, feel our struggle and fight to the bitter end for labor. We congratulate Chairman Richie on his re-election and look forward to our strong friendship to continue.
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