ST. LOUIS, Mo.: Bush dogged on campaign trail
Despite the 100-degree weather, about 400 protesters rallied and demanded that President Bush “Stop the Lies” while he held a fundraiser for Republican Sen. Kit Bond at the Renaissance Grand Hotel here Aug. 26.
The protest organizers, the Missouri Progressive Vote Coalition, Service Employees International Union Local 2000, ACORN and the Instead of War Coalition, challenged Bush on the many lies he has told the U.S. people by asking questions like the following: Where are the jobs? Where’s the funding for education? Where are the weapons of mass destruction?
John Hickey, director of Missouri Pro-Vote, told the World, “President Bush claimed that his tax cuts for the wealthy would create jobs. The fact that unemployment continues to grow shows that the tax cuts were about paying-back his wealthy donors.” He added: “We’re going to build off of this protest. We’re going to grow larger next time Bush is in town. And we’re going to defeat Bush in 2004.”
There are currently over 165,000 unemployed people in Missouri, not including those who have given up trying to find a job. When Bush took office the state’s unemployment rate was 3.6 percent. Today it is 5.8 percent.
RICHFIELD, Ohio: Bush gets Midwest heat on Labor Day
If the pictures on C-SPAN are to be believed, more workers protested President Bush’s Labor Day speech before the Operating Engineers Union than attended the official rally. A union spokesman said that union apprentices were required to be there.
Rep. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), who represents Richfield, and AFL-CIO Ohio President William Burga led the anti-Bush demonstration, which united workers with peace activists, environmentalists and civil rights leaders.
“My job has been Bushwacked,” “Bush Leaves No Millionaire Behind,” and “Hail to the Thief” dotted the hundreds of hand made signs.
“Union members and workers in general are upset that this country is loosing jobs every day,” Burga said. “We are here because we are worried about the future.”
WASHINGTON, D.C.: Braun for President, says NOW
Aug. 26 was the 83rd anniversary of U.S. women achieving the right to vote and the National Organization for Women (NOW) took the opportunity to announce their endorsement of former Ambassador (to New Zealand) and former U.S. Sen. Carol Moseley Braun for president of the United States.
“After considering the positions and past records of all the candidates lined up to challenge George W. Bush, one candidate stood above the rest for her lifetime commitment to feminist ideals and 25-year record fighting for the rights of women at the local, state, national and international levels,” said Kim Gandy, president of NOW. “Carol Moseley Braun has never wavered nor bowed to political pressure in her commitment to social and economic justice for all. As the first African American woman in the Senate, and the only African American senator during her tenure, she stood up for civil rights and women’s equity time and time again.”
NOW views the Braun campaign as helping to register, educate and mobilize voters, “particularly women, who were not inspired to get out and vote in 2004.”
CHARLESTON, S.C.: Union labor alive in Deep South
Only 4.9 percent of South Carolina’s workforce belongs to unions. That’s 81,000 workers in this right-to-work (for less) state. But on Labor Day, 3,000 attended a picnic hosted by the International Longshore Association (ILA) Local 1422. The Longshoremen won a nasty strike and freedom for their imprisoned leaders about two years ago.
Erin McKee, president the Greater Charleston Central Labor Council, said that for the first time 468 churches said yes to the unions’ invitation for a speaker in their pulpit from organized labor on Labor Day. McKee said that the AFL-CIO had to appeal to rank and file members to meet the demand.
PITTSBURGH, Pa.: Labor Day – 40,000 say ‘Save city jobs’
Campaign T-shirts, banners and street theater spiced up the country’s third largest Labor Day parade as local elections and city layoffs fueled working family anger at the Bush economy.
This Rust Bowl city faces a deepening economic crisis: 700 workers have received pink slips, and swimming pools and senior centers have been closed. City workers demonstrated in front of the reviewing stand.
Throughout the parade, dripping from a constant downpour, workers stopped and spoke to the crowds lining downtown streets. The most popular demands were for jobs, health care and to “bring our kids home from Iraq.” The slogans were spontaneous and warmly received by onlookers.
National Clips are compiled by Denise Winebrenner Edwards (dwinebr696@aol.com).
Tony Pecinovsky contributed to this week’s clips.
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