This Is Where President-Elect Obama Needs To Go .... Right Now!

[Better Believe It]

The former community organizer can and should help these 239 Chicago workers who are staging a sit-in demonstration at a factory who laid-them off, without notice and without the severance and vacation pay they are due. Obama's solidarity and support could make a big difference for these abused workers.

It's becoming a major local and now national news story.

Read about their plight and action at:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x4599743

[MNDemNY]

No.

[Better Believe It]

2. Do you think he should go have wine and cheese with Bank of American officials instead??

[truedelphi]

1. Good idea.

Once and for all, Obama can prove he is the People's President, or just another one of the Money Party's loyal politicians.

[FrenchieCat]

6. Obama has already proven quite a bit of that.......

and has plenty of time to show it some more.

This once and for all wording is quite ridiculous, but you know that....right?

What about this?
http://cbs4denver.com/local/rage.machine.against.2.804661.html

and this?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/12/05/obama-to-reveal-groups-he_n_148818.html

[truedelphi]

9. I'll rest my case when he starts appointing people like

Former Marine Jeff Key, rather than repugnant people like Geithner, Summers, and Rubin and Daschle. Until then, I have my doubts.

It is nice to have a more pleasant and better spoken figure head. And I appreciate the outreach. But unless that figure head begins to have the cajones to distance himself from those who brought this nation to its knees, I am gonna keep up my banter.

After all, why is it that he choose Rubin over Kucinich? Or over Issa, if he feels the need to be bi-partisan? Why are those who created this economic mess getting the rewards of positions of power??

[FrenchieCat]

11. I believe that Barack Obama will change America.......

and I believe that your skeptism will be proven unworthy....

But he won't necessarily get it done as you dictate.
That's what he did with his campaign;
he didn't run it as everyone attempted to advise him to.
and that is what he will do as President.
I believe that at some point you will consider yourself fortunate
for having had a front row seat as we watch history unfold.

And I know this; and has he has said many, many times throughout the campaign;
It won't be easy....because nothing worth having is ever easy.
And I will add that those who decide that their job is to make it more difficult than it has to be will learn a thing or two about the strength and character of Barack Obama,
A man who ran for the presidency specifically advocating that he would one
who works at uniting this country, and lifting it up as opposed to tearing it down.
He has ran on being post partisan since the day he announced, and that is what he will do,
and that is exactly how it is already starting to form.

Be a skeptic.....because the more who don't believe,
that will mean that many more who will be converted.
However, you will to know then, what you may not know now,
that you were one behind the curve from the start...perhaps with good reason,
or perhaps not.

[Two Americas]

17. supporting striking workers

Supporting striking workers is "uniting this country, and lifting it up as opposed to tearing it down."

History may be unfolding, but it is a little too soon to write the documentary, let alone to ask people to sit back and watch it.

Can any suggestions be made whatsoever without them being taken as a criticism of Obama that requires yet another public relations effort on his behalf?

The success of the new administration depends upon how well crises are managed, and how much input and participation from the people there is. Protecting Obama from any and all even mildly critical remarks, or in this case suggestions, and asking us all to disengage and be observers of the drama, is going to cripple the new administration, it does not support it.

I don't think that calling for us to be "believers" and join "the converted" has any place in politics, rather those concepts belong in the realm of religion. This is not some fad or religious movement that people need to worry about being "one behind the curve from the start" on.

You are describing "post partisan" exactly the way many of us feared it might mean. Transcending partisanship, historically, has always meant eliminating the voices from the Left, eliminating the voices of the workers, those of organized Labor, those of the general public in favor of those who are already powerful and connected. The right wing is not going anywhere.

If supporting striking workers is going to be seen as partisan, and therefore to be avoided, we are in trouble.

It is not as though the "center" is halfway between the interests of 99% of the people, the working people, and 1% of the people - the wealthy and powerful few - or is it? That would be by definition 99% of the way over to the political right, not any sort of "center."

Supporting neither side - and there are two sides, and there will be no escaping that fact in the days to come as the economy collapses - is to tacitly support one side - the wealthy and powerful - and is to support the status quo, not change. If neither side is supported, then those who already have power and wealth, and need no support, will win. This has always been true throughout history.

[FrenchieCat]

23. When folks post orders and commands.....

such as...This Is Where President-Elect Obama Needs To Go .... Right Now!

It means simply that if OBama doesn't do it as prescribed, he's failed.

I already understand Op writer's overiding agenda. Doesn't take an engineer to get it.
So some can continue to shout out orders,
and speculate that if Obama doesn't do it in the way prescribed,
than he ain't shit.

We get it.

[Two Americas]

25. "can and should help"

That is what the OP said. Hardly "posting orders and commands." Besides, the people are the ones entitled to give orders and commands in a representative democracy.

I also cannot see how saying "this is where Obama needs to go right now" is wrong in any way.

"Agenda?" Pro-Labor is an agenda?

[FrenchieCat]

27. Two America.....

I'm not stupid....

I haven't been on these boards all of these years,
without understanding the various approaches and what they signify.

Here, why don't you go to this thread and make a comment? http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x7958475

[Two Americas]

31. FrenchieCat...

I do not think you are stupid - far from it. You have been a ferocious defender of Obama going way back, and have been fair and reasonable in my opinion. You have contributed immensely to DU. I am also sympathetic to your desire to protect Obama.

Could it not be, though, that if we make our tests for people's loyalty a little too strict and confining that it will do more damage than good? Give it some thought is all I ask.

I think we can get carried away with reading agendas and hidden motives into what people say. I am a Leftist - always have been, always will be. Nothing has changed with an election. I am no more an enemy, nor am I trying to tear Democrats down, than conservative people are when they express their opinions and try to influence the discussion and demand that the party move to the right and applaud it when they do. If we can no longer strongly advocate positions that are in alignment with all of the traditional principles and ideals of the party and of organized Labor, then of what value is an electoral win? Conservatives, insiders, moderates, centrists, and representatives of the big money players are under no such restrictions. Why should only the Left be?

I know that you think there are people on the Left who are hoping the administration fails, and there may be a few for whom that is true. But there are many more for whom that is not true, they just have a different idea as to what will make the administration successful.

I will be honest with you - if the new administration tries to finesse their way out of this crisis the country is in rather than face up to it, places success of the politicians above the needs of the people, props Reaganomics back up, sweeps the crimes of the previous administration under the rug, attacks the Left and Labor, and continues modified versions of the policies of the last 8 years, then I do hope they fail in those efforts.

Imagine if in the 30's people had said "hey we have a good guy in there now, so we must stop advocating for organized Labor, we must stop pressuring the administration." Or if we had said in the 60's "we have a president now who supports Civil Rights, and we don't want to interfere with him and we want to give him a chance, so we cannot have any critical remarks about the new administration."

Both FDR and Johnson, and as far as that goes Lincoln, were forced to act by pressure from outside. They welcomed that pressure, thrived in that environment. By being overly protective of Obama, are we not in effect saying that he is weaker, less competent, more fragile?

Would we protect a star athlete by keeping him or her out of the competition so they didn't get hurt?

Obama's commitment to transparency is a good thing. Thank you for bringing it to our attention. What if he had not yet made that announcement, and people here were advocating for more transparency from him? Would you see them then as enemies who were tearing Obama down?

Can we not be supportive and advocate for the direction we want the new administration to go? Powerful insiders and corporate interests are doing just that. They are not giving him a chance, nor waiting, nor trusting or believing, nor being moderate in their demands. Why should we be asked to?

[FrenchieCat]

34. When I find you being supportive in threads dealing with what

Obama is doing that is right, then I will perhaps change my opinion of you and of the OP poster, and a few others in this thread.

I fought like a crazed tiger to get this man elected as President (as did many others).
My life and my outlook changed greatly after Bush stole the election of 2000.
My husband would unhappily testify to this.
As an immigrant, I know that the country I was expecting to live in let me down.
As a Person of Color, I know that this country has more often than not, not done what it preaches; in terms of justice, equality or opportunity.

I did not get involved in politics to turn this country into a eutopia that represents a country perfected, But I am concerned in making sure that this country progresses toward perfection.

I will not put unreasonable demands on this President Elect, when he does become President,
as I do not expect that he would do everything as I would prescribe,
as I do not think so much of myself,
to claim to know how everything is to be done in order for it to work out just right.

I remember how many were providing Obama advise of how he should run his campaign,
and how sincere and concerned they were.
But I also know how Obama ran his own campaign, and came out a winner,
but not because he met the concern's immediate demands and followed their instructions.

That is why I decided long ago to be patient and understanding,
and make sure that I keep a perspective on what I can get versus,
what it is that I have always wanted.

I'm not here to set up myself for disappointment,
I'm here to make sure that we end up with the country that I know we can be....
but it won't be easy. It won't be done in just a few days.

Obama has a very good notion of where he wants to take this country,
and I venture to say, a good notion on how to get there.
Will he do everything exactly right? I doubt it.
Will he need us to provide feedback? He says that he will.
Will he need us to also have his back? You'd better believe it.

When I look at where we have been over the last 8 years,
How much pain many of us have been made to feel, and how much more pain is obviously coming,
I understand that I must manage my expectations, because if I don't, I might go nuts.

But when I read what Obama believes and what are his ideals,
and when I hear how someone like Russ Feingold, who like me,
testifies that Obama has been nothing but consistent in his beliefs,
and when I remember that Obama comes from a world where Worker's rights,
Civil rights and women's rights are to be respected,
then yes, it angers me at times, how others believe that raising doubts about who Obama is,
and questioning his motives is the way to go.

And indeed I do get more than a little bit frustrated with some, because most of the time,
those who show so little faith without even allowing Obama to even taking two steps without breathlessly being on his back about how he should act, and what he should say, and where he should go, and what he should do, aren't the same ones that acknowledge him as ever doing anything right.
In otherwords, the impatience and 2nd guessing and lack of appreciation about any move that he makes is killing me, because it doesn't have to be that way.

Constructive conversation is one thing,
ultimatums and challenges are quite another.

This thread was a challenge, even if thinly veiled,
on what this man, who is not even yet President, should do to prove himself.

Far as I am concerned, he has already proven himself, and the only thing he has to now do
is prove himself unworthy, not the other way around.

Some question whether he might sell out and stay with the status quo....
and although I know that is not the case, the ones that get me, are those
who have already decided he will, and attempt to find evidence of it.
When I point to evidence that he hasn't sold out, and that he won't be status quo,
that evidence is ignored, or pronounced not good enough,
because he should do everything just right, every step of the way, according to everybody's plan.
That is unreasonable and unfair, and I will not hesitate in saying so.

[Two Americas]

36. fair enough

Thanks.

We may not have any common ground on this, then. I appreciate you explaining your perspective.

[butterfly77]

37. Hear,Hear!

My sentiments exactly!

[truedelphi]

24. I applaud every word you have written.

I am on the fence so to speak about Obama.

The election campaign disappointed me - not the events of the actual election night - but the tiresome, nineteen month long process of weeding out the many candidates, most of whom were owned lock and stock and barrel by the Corporate Elite.

If someone made me God, you would have seen Kucinich vs Ron Paul on the ballot, not Obama vs McCain.

At this juncture, we need people who understand the nitty gritty of the 1% elite-sponsored Terror-Economics, which has been a vast Ponzi scheme ever since the days of Reagan.

If supporting Kucinich is silly, then I guess I am silly. But Dennis would have put Geithner, Summers and Rubin in the toilet where they belong.

Now I fear that Geithner, Summers and Rubin will put us into the toilet. (Or put in the toilet what is left of the already ravaged middle incomed and lower incomed.)

Through his appointments, Obama is reassuring the 1% that there is no new game, that their merger and acquisitions and make it up as we go along while stuffing a lot of the BailOut monies in the back pockets' Big Boys are still running the show. And though many of O's statements indicate he understands certain methods such as Public works can be used to restore the economy, the current fiasco of the BailOut realities are depleting the treasury/FDIC Far too much. When Obama goes to put up a fast rail, light rail train, he might well find out that the money for such projects is all gone.

We have been printing money such that over the last three years, the money increase has been at the 800% mark. And except for war and misery, our nation has created nothing. We are now 7.7 Trillion dollars in debt. The 1% is fatter than ever, and the BailOut will only help a few banks become larger. With this largesse will come the ability to buy those commodities that currently are public domain.

Your local water utility might well become a subsidiary of some banking entity that you and I and other taxpayers helped to empower as it takes over the water we drink. And the time for Obama to speak up is now. By Jan 20th, it will be too late.

[Two Americas]

26. "on the fence"

Of course. Being on the fence when it comes to elected officials in a representative democracy is our moral obligation and civic duty.

Some are asking us to be on the fence when it comes to the needs of suffering and desperate people, to the pursuit of justice and to the restoration of the Bill of Rights and to the alleviating the plight of the working people, and to place undying and uncritical loyalty to a politician above loyalty to the people and to the principles and ideals that led us to support certain politicians in the first place. That would be morally indefensible, and I believe politically unwise, as well.

Kucinich is a convenient target for the conservatives among us to mock and ridicule and so to discredit and dismiss any and all dissent or points of view that are even vaguely to the political Left through guilt by association.

[truedelphi]

30. I am on the fence in terms of political outlook

The husband keeps me in line - telling me to "keep a positive thought" and he very much believes Obama can turn the tide.

I would be more encouraged to think that Obama can turn the economic financial Tsunami into a good thing except for these two things
1) the 180 TRILLION dollar loss that the banks need to account for. Their derivatives and other weird speculative measures have lost them that much.
And every day, Paulson makes us taxpayers pay for antoher slice of this foul tasting pie.
2) so far, most of Obama's appointments scare me. And they delight people like Karl Rove!

I have never been on the fence in terms of the needy. Walked my talk as an anti-pesticide, pro average citizen by serving in numerous capacities throughout the nineties. Constantly supporting the needy. And now I is one!!

[Two Americas]

33. I agree

I agree with both you and your husband. I do think that Obama could be an exceptional leader and "turn the tide." But not without the most important ingredient - growing public support for a rejection of Reaganomics and authoritarianism and tyranny, and that can only be achieved by strengthening and unleashing the Left.

The successes of the Lincoln, FDR and Johnson administrations could never have happened without outside pressure from Abolitionists, organized Labor, the political Left, and the Civil Rights movement. That is the way politics works in a representative democracy. We did not anoint a prince, or turn government over to an aristocracy.

[cali]

12. Figure head? bwahahaha. I love DUer idiocy.

Whatever else he may be, Obama is certainly no figure head. Kucinich? lol. god I'm sick of the mindless adulation of Kucinich.

By all means keep up your banter. It's amusing.

[rvablue]

13. Didn't you get the memo that Kucinich is the answer to EVERY problem??

:sarcasm:

[whistler162]

49. Yes and is Douglas Adams pissed.....

he thought it was 42!

[knowledgeispwr]

15. OT, but "cajones" means "drawers"

It's a little pet peeve of mine. I think you mean to say "cojones."

[truedelphi]

20. Clarification is much appreciated. n/t

[stray cat]

3. If they are due the serverance pay isn't this a legal process?

[FrenchieCat]

4. First you post a news story, and then

you post a thread linking to the thread about that newstory?

A one person PR team telling Obama what he "should" do to prove himself.

I guess that if he doesn't do it, that will mean what exactly? :shrug:

[Better Believe It]

10. Sorry .... don't understand your point Frenchie or your unrelated links .... so do you

support the workers or not? You didn't say in your two posts.

[FrenchieCat]

14. Yes, I back the workers.

It is their tax money used to bail out the banks, after all.

The problem labor has these days is how the ideologues via the media has turned the public against them for not good reasons. It will take a reformed media, good government and an informed populace to bring the change that we need. I believe that change is coming....unfortunately, we are not quite there, and won't be seeing any real measurable shift until after January 20th, at least. :(

[maryf]

43. That as a Senator of these people

He should be supporting them (he verbally has, btw, I agree with the OP he should go, as the Illinois senator, not PE). As the people of Illinois voted for him to represent them, his support would be indicative of the support he should be giving us all in the very near future...

[sandnsea]

5. BofA cancelled the company credit

So why are we giving these banks money again? Yep. There's a problem. But George Bush is the President.

[truedelphi]

28. this is just the tip of the iceberg

Wait till most Americans come to understand that the 7.7 Trillion buck Bailout in the works by Paulson and his cornies is not going to be effective against the real
cost of 180 TRILLION. That huge sum represents the amount lost (i.e.sitting on the books) as the failed derivatives' true cost held by financial entities in this nation.

http://tinyurl.com/5w6m5y

At the 7.7 Trillion dollar mark, it is something like $ 25,K for every man woman and child.

But Yikes! Imagine the per capita amount at the 180 Trillion dollar amount... That means we are responsible for over a half million dollars a piece!!

[rug]

7. Fat chance.

[Better Believe It]

8. Here's some videos on the news story:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x247799

and here's another DU'er post on this story you should read:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=3633656&mesg_id=3633656

[firedupdem]

16. You said it in your first sentence....Former community organizer..

while I agree totally with the plight of the people at that company he can't show up there. There are other influential people out there who can help. Can you imagine what would happen if he did and next week another company pulls the same shit? Then you would hear "he went for that company but not for this one". No...I have to disagree on this one.

[FrenchieCat]

19. I think sending in a Rep wouldn't be a bad idea.....

but in the end, it is Obama's agenda for labor and for this economy that will be of the most help.

This is a battle that is being fought.....but it is the war against labor that needs to be won.

[Better Believe It]

21. Just do it! These workers voted for Obama and would appreciate his support

[FrenchieCat]

22. Thank God you are not the Boss!

That is the best news in all of this.

[maryf]

45. Luis Guttierez, the congressman

Has been with the people for days, he was elected by them, he is representing them, Obama was elected by them to be their senator...he's verbally supporting them, but....

[Better Believe It]

51. He made a positive statement in support of these workers.

And that was terrific.

It would be even better if he actually shows at the sit-in with an entourage of supporters armed with some food and other material support urgently needed.

"Can you imagine what would happen if he did and next week another company pulls the same shit?"

If they win their fight, their sit-in could lead to a wave of sit-ins by workers who are being screwed over by the employers. Don't you think that would be just wonderful and powerful demonstration of what working people can accomplish if well organized with a competent leadership?

Perhaps not. It depends upon where you're coming from.

To me it's all about class.

[balantz]

18. Go Obama Go!

Get out there with a bullhorn and stand up for the people!

[mwei924]

29. I think he's busy doing Bush's job for him.

[totodeinhere]

32. If the company simply has no cash left and no credit line and can't pay the workers,

what can Obama do about it? Should he pay them out of his own pocket? The problem here is the credit crunch, not this one company. We will continue to see this sort of thing happening until this economic mess that we are in can be sorted out.

[davidpdx]

35. As Frenchie said, this is ridiculous

Obama can't show up for every little dispute where workers are screwed. He isn't even the president yet. The fact is that he has no reason to go stick his nose into this dispute as President-Elect.

[Better Believe It]

38. Yes. Obama should keep quiet of the bankers & Wall Street interests won't like him

And Obama has much more important stuff to do besides supports workers who need help.

No reason why he should stick his nose into a labor dispute by taking the side of working people.

Those old commnity organizing days are behind him.

Now he gets to hob nob with the rich and famous and represent them!

Thanks for clearing this up for me.

Should we all just shut up now and let Obama dine in peace with his newly found friends on Wall Street?

[davidpdx]

39. It's nice you think Obama can save us from every possible situation

When a cat is stuck in a tree in downtown Metropolis, should we call him?

How about when a gunman holds people hostage at a bank?

Obama is not the president yet and yes he is very busy. People seem to think he has all this free time during the transition (many people complained that he wouldn't go down to campaign for Martin as well).

There are channels in which to deal with such a situation. Having the President-Elect, swoop down out of the sky is not one of them.

Get your head out of the clouds.

[Better Believe It]

40. You're Right .... We shouldn't count on Obama to help working class people in need.

We shouldn't even expect him to deliver even a single message of solidarity in his own backyard when such expressions could be helpful.

We have to rely on ourselves, be realistic, "get our heads out of the clouds" and not act like we now have a friend and supporter in the White House.

Now if the CEO of the Bank of America calls Obama for help, he'll hop right on over to lend assistance.

Your point is well taken.

It's all about class.

[FrenchieCat]

41. Obama clearly stated that he is with the workers on this.

He stated this clearly at a press conference that hundreds of thousands heard. That is as good as it gets....considering that his words currently are all that he has in order to make a difference.

[Better Believe It]

47. He has? Please provide the link

where Obama has expressed his solidarity with these Chicago workers?

If as you say, Obama spoke at a news conference in support of this workers sit-in and demanded that Bank of America, which has been given 25 billion dollars in federal tax money, give a million dollars in a loan to help these worker, that would be terrific.

But, until someone provides that link I have to be somewhat skeptical.

[FrenchieCat]

50. Here.....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3635294

[davidpdx]

52. You are clearly delusional

By insisting that it's a "class" issue. He is the president elect, not god. Sure he can state his support, but he can't trout down there and take up negotiations. The financial crisis left by this administration is going to be devastating if we aren't ready to deal with it once Obama actually takes office. For you and others to insist he has nothing better to do then negotiate an issue between BofA and its employees.

[maryf]

44. But as voted for Senator of Illinois

he does...

[FrenchieCat]

46. He's resigned from his role as Senator a couple of weeks ago.....

But still all in all, as President Elect, he did speak on the issue today.

[maryf]

48. I thought he must have...

But still, as thats where he started I think it would be a good service...

[northernlights]

42. um, maybe you missed it earlier

but Obama already did speak out on this. He supports the workers. They deserve to be paid what they have earned.