Democratic nominee Barack Obama in Milwaukee
Bonding with working folks
Bonding with working folks
Throughout his remarks, Obama stressed the need to be concerned about the plight of others and the benefit of coming to each other’s aide, qualities he
finds in the labor movement. “That guy who loses his job today, that might be me tomorrow,” Obama said. “That person who gets hurt on the job today, that
might be me getting hurt tomorrow. That person without healthcare, that widow who has lost her husband, that might be my family someday. That African
American who doesn’t have a job now because of discrimination, maybe I will be discriminated against for some other reason in the future. That woman who isn’
t getting paid equally for the job that she is doing, maybe that will my daughters some day, not getting paid equally. And so people joined forces and came
together. Alone we are weak, but united we are strong. Thank God for the union movement.”
And it is this value “that says I am my brother’s keeper, I am my sister’s keeper,” Obama said that makes America strong. “There are people out there who see
their jobs shipped overseas,” Obama said. “There are people out there who don’t have health care. Maybe they are going to pay for it on credit cards, but mostly,
they’ve just been putting off seeing a doctor. There are seniors out there who don’t know how they are going to pay their home heating bill this winter. There are
folks out there who don’t know how they are going to fill up their gas tanks. There are young people right now in this audience who have graduated from high
school, have the grades and want to go to college, but don’t have the money. There are young people being born in our inner-cities right here in Milwaukee who
don’t see any prospects for the future, who think the only path available to them is a casket or a jail cell. All across America, there are quiet storms taking place;
there are lives of quiet desperation. People are in need of just a little bit of help. Now Americans are self-reliant people. We are independent people. We don’t
like asking somebody else for something we can do ourselves. But we understand that every once in a while, somebody is going to go through hard times. When
we least expect it, tragedy may strike. And what has always made this country great is the understanding that we rise and fall as one nation.”
Obama ended his speech by noting that it is that national value of looking out after each other that he wants to restore to America. “If there is a woman out
there who doesn’t have health care, that’s my sister,” Obama stressed. “Those are the values that built this country. Those are the values we are fighting for. And if
you will stand with me and work with me, then I will promise you, we will not just win this election, but we will change this country and save the world. God bless
you all. I love you. God bless America.”
A Milwaukee labor activist, when asked how Obama did on a scale of 1-10 said ‘He scored a 50.’ With the ovation Obama received, it wasn’t an
exaggeration.
finds in the labor movement. “That guy who loses his job today, that might be me tomorrow,” Obama said. “That person who gets hurt on the job today, that
might be me getting hurt tomorrow. That person without healthcare, that widow who has lost her husband, that might be my family someday. That African
American who doesn’t have a job now because of discrimination, maybe I will be discriminated against for some other reason in the future. That woman who isn’
t getting paid equally for the job that she is doing, maybe that will my daughters some day, not getting paid equally. And so people joined forces and came
together. Alone we are weak, but united we are strong. Thank God for the union movement.”
And it is this value “that says I am my brother’s keeper, I am my sister’s keeper,” Obama said that makes America strong. “There are people out there who see
their jobs shipped overseas,” Obama said. “There are people out there who don’t have health care. Maybe they are going to pay for it on credit cards, but mostly,
they’ve just been putting off seeing a doctor. There are seniors out there who don’t know how they are going to pay their home heating bill this winter. There are
folks out there who don’t know how they are going to fill up their gas tanks. There are young people right now in this audience who have graduated from high
school, have the grades and want to go to college, but don’t have the money. There are young people being born in our inner-cities right here in Milwaukee who
don’t see any prospects for the future, who think the only path available to them is a casket or a jail cell. All across America, there are quiet storms taking place;
there are lives of quiet desperation. People are in need of just a little bit of help. Now Americans are self-reliant people. We are independent people. We don’t
like asking somebody else for something we can do ourselves. But we understand that every once in a while, somebody is going to go through hard times. When
we least expect it, tragedy may strike. And what has always made this country great is the understanding that we rise and fall as one nation.”
Obama ended his speech by noting that it is that national value of looking out after each other that he wants to restore to America. “If there is a woman out
there who doesn’t have health care, that’s my sister,” Obama stressed. “Those are the values that built this country. Those are the values we are fighting for. And if
you will stand with me and work with me, then I will promise you, we will not just win this election, but we will change this country and save the world. God bless
you all. I love you. God bless America.”
A Milwaukee labor activist, when asked how Obama did on a scale of 1-10 said ‘He scored a 50.’ With the ovation Obama received, it wasn’t an
exaggeration.
Democratic presidential nominee appeared at
a Labor Day rally in Milwaukee on Sept. 1
a Labor Day rally in Milwaukee on Sept. 1
By Jonathan Gramling
While some political pundits have talked endlessly about Sen. Barack Obama’s soft support among blue-
collar workers, the softness wasn’t evident on September 1 when Obama addressed a crowd of approximately
23,000 mostly labor enthusiast at the Marcus Amphitheater in Milwaukee at a Labor Day Rally. As Hurricane
Gustav bore down on New Orleans, Obama softened his speech and toned down his rhetoric. “I think all of us
believe — I think John McCain believes it, I think George Bush believes, I think all of us believes — that in
times of need, there’s no red states and there are no blue states,” Obama emphasized. “In times of need, there is
the United States of America.”
Obama did recognize the importance of labor to the American Dream. “People ask me why I support
unions so strongly and I have to ask them ‘Why don’t you,’” Obama said to hearty applause. “It was because of
the unions that we got a 40 hour work week. It is because of the union movement that we got the minimum
wage. It’s because of the union movement that we got benefits like welfare and pensions. It is because of union
movement that we have worker safety laws. Even if you aren’t a member of a union, you benefited from a union.”
While some political pundits have talked endlessly about Sen. Barack Obama’s soft support among blue-
collar workers, the softness wasn’t evident on September 1 when Obama addressed a crowd of approximately
23,000 mostly labor enthusiast at the Marcus Amphitheater in Milwaukee at a Labor Day Rally. As Hurricane
Gustav bore down on New Orleans, Obama softened his speech and toned down his rhetoric. “I think all of us
believe — I think John McCain believes it, I think George Bush believes, I think all of us believes — that in
times of need, there’s no red states and there are no blue states,” Obama emphasized. “In times of need, there is
the United States of America.”
Obama did recognize the importance of labor to the American Dream. “People ask me why I support
unions so strongly and I have to ask them ‘Why don’t you,’” Obama said to hearty applause. “It was because of
the unions that we got a 40 hour work week. It is because of the union movement that we got the minimum
wage. It’s because of the union movement that we got benefits like welfare and pensions. It is because of union
movement that we have worker safety laws. Even if you aren’t a member of a union, you benefited from a union.”