Tough Race for Noriega

I have done some research on the latest polls for the US Senate Race in Texas. Rick Noriega is starting to fall behind John Cornyn by about 13 points in the latest Rasmussen Poll. Now, this was taken on Jume 25th out of a cample of 500 people. It is not clear if this was likely or registered voters. The prospect of unseating a sitting US Senator is a tough prospect in any state but in Texas it is even tougher. There is a glimmer of hope for the Democratic challenger. He has the overwhelming support of Labor and the Texas AFL-CIO. His opponent has voted against many of the items that would help Texas families and working families. Noriega also has the good fortune that George Bush is not at the top of the ticket. We will see if Cornyn can win a race without the help of a Bush being at the top of a ticket. It will be the first time he has run for state wide public office with out Bush on the ballot.

Wal Mart and The Election

People often ask me why I do not shop in Wal Mart and some even give me a hard time because one happened to be partially Union built. I always tell them the same thing, "I will not do business with people that want to act like the "landlord" over their employees and violate their rights." Now, the Wall Street Journal has given me more evidence of the absolute tyrannical way Wal Mart will operate with regards to its' employees. I read that Wal Mart and SEIU were working "together" to push congress for a a national health care plan. I wonder if Wal Mart knows that the person they are fearful of getting president might actually be the one to get them a national health care plan? I would imagine they do which brings me to may next point. Why would anyone want to do business with a company that is willing to destroy itself in order to keep a Union out? I have wonder if the leadership of that company is either sane or has any moral fiber in its collective body. Now the article said that the company did not completely break the law but witnesses state that it was clear to get the interpretation. I wonder what Wal Mart will do next? They have already had tapes of top executives acting out to prove their repeated thoughts on the disparagement of women employees, they are repeatedly being called down for violating child labor laws and it was proven they were and continuing to do business with sweat shops in South Pacific Territories of the United States. I hear a number of people that say they can not shop any where else. I say that is wrong. In my own house hold we decided to test it out and after a month it was cheaper to by groceries at a local grocery store (United) than Wal Mart by about 50-60 dollars over that month. I feel that some form of action is needed against Wal Mart other than just picketing or e-mailing their corporate office. I think a large amount of Union Members from Locals of different Unions should all show up at a Wal Mart wearing their Unions t-shirt or shirt of some kind and enter the Wal Mart and spread out. Walk around for 10-15 minutes and all meet back outside with out buying one thing. This should continue for about the next month. Then the letter campaigns could start showing how really stupid Wal Mart executives really can be. I do not say stupid to cause some issue with name calling. Stupid is having the knowledge and not doing better with it.
The Moral of this-Union Members need to REALLY boycott Wal Mart and cause them as much grief as possible. They do not have the right to tell their employees how to vote.

100 Days Out-What are the Numbers?!?!?!?!

We have been hearing a lot about the numbers and then see McCain camp go completely negative. I believe the race card was actually played by McCain because he brought a meaning, or their meaning, to what Obama said. I started to wonder why the "straight talk" express the guy who was going to run a campaign that discussed the issue was starting this so early. I looked around and found some polls and I can see why now. I have reviewed the four pols that normally report. They are the combination of the state-by state polls, Survey USA, Rasmussen and Quinnipiac. The purpose of the poll was to determine the electoral college on November 4th. Obama leads McCain 352-186. Lest we forget, that is the only number that matters in presidential races on November 4th. I have put the link below for your own review. While this would not be the 480 to 57 margin FDR received in 1932 it is substantial considering the last 2 election cycles. Obama confirmed last week with Union Activists on a conference call that it will be his goal to get the Employee Free Choice Act passed. That lead Wal Mart to make sure there employees knew the "dangers" of Obama becoming president. I will have more on that later. I am nervous personally about the election because I can see a great deal of the things that the labor movement has fought to get on the horizon; so I can see what we can lose-FOREVER. Please get out and vote and take a friend with you. While you are at it, with such high gas prices, as them to get a friend and so on and car pool.

http://www.usaelectionpolls.com/2008/general-election/electoral-college-results.html

The passing of Tim Russert

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.

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.

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.

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.