Forum Post: Union official calls for replacement of Obama
Posted 12 years ago on Aug. 29, 2012, 7:57 p.m. EST by arturo
(3169)
from Shanghai, Shanghai
This content is user submitted and not an official statement
Tuesday, Gregory Lance, Machinist Union official in Charlotte, North Carolina, released the following statement:
"I am calling upon the Democratic Party to immediately replace President Barack Obama as the Democratic nominee for President. There are numbers of other officials, both elected, in the Democratic Party, and from the ranks of Organized Labor, who could fulfill the duties of President far better than Barack Obama. I am calling upon the Party to nominate a team that would campaign for the real needs of organized labor, city and state governments, and the U.S. military and intelligence services, which have been totally dismissed by Mr. Obama.
"Mr. Obama has compiled a record that underscores the need to immediately find a replacement. His health care reform plan, which has rightly earned the ire of the American public, is a brutal assault on Medicare and the need to provide medical services, and will increase the death rate among seniors and the whole population. Likewise, the candidate who was going to immediately close Guantanamo and now has banking lobbyists in the White House, instead championed the dictatorial National Defense Authorization Act, the renewal of the Patriot Act and other nefarious bills. The NDAA provisions would open our jails to American citizens who could be indefinitely detained, under mere suspicion of some 'terrorist' association. Obama's shutdown of the manned space program is not only impeachable, but represents a total reversal of the Kennedy space policy which brought out the best in our citizenry. After the inspiring landing of Curiosity, even the Mars program is going to be sacrificed at the altar of fiscal austerity. For the skilled labor movement, which I represent, we need programs that would move us to ever higher technologies, and higher skill levels. Nothing addresses that need like the space program.
"Overall, the national economy is in even worse shape under Obama than under President Bush, which is something I never thought I would see. Contrary to the false reports, unemployment has been rising not falling. Our cities are filing for bankruptcy protection, as they confront falling tax revenue and rising costs. Union pension plans are being ripped up; medical plans are going by the wayside. President Obama's failure to endorse the Wisconsin labor campaign to reverse the union busting did not go unnoticed. Real unemployment is closer to 20% than the absurd 8.3%! Rather than repeal the Free Trade legislation as promised by Obama in 2008, Obama has accelerated the damage with the Panama, Colombian and Korean Free Trade agreements, and now the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership.
"Restoring our real, productive economy must begin with the restoration of Glass Steagall the separation of commercial banking from investment and insurance banking, the legislation that served the nation well for 66 years, and handcuffed the Wall St banks' worst speculative intentions. There is a bill in Congress, HR 1489, with 80 sponsors, which will re-instate the Glass Steagall Act and begin the breakup of the Too Big To Fail Banks. President Obama is not only on the record in opposition to this bill, but he recently deployed his team to strong-arm members of the Democratic Platform committee to withdraw a proposed plank from the party platform that would restore Glass Steagall!
"Finally, this Nobel Prize winning President, escalated the conflict in Afghanistan, and has personally deployed drones in assassinations of American citizens and others world wide, in direct violation of the UN Charter. He also launched the illegal war in Libya, without Congressional approval, in direct violation of the Constitution, an impeachable offense. Now he is maneuvering the United States to support a suicidal Israeli attack on Iran, and to militarily intervene into the Syria imbroglio. The US military and the relevant military institutions in the Middle East all oppose our entry into this situation. Any US intervention in this region could trigger a general and potential thermonuclear war with both Russia and China. "The United States is now on a path toward imminent economic and military self destruction, which could cause similar consequences world wide.
"It is past time to address this disaster. I hold the same opinion of Governor Romney, and am in no way endorsing the Republican Romney ticket. Unfortunately the fish stinks from the head; hence I am calling upon the President to step down prior to the convention. I am urging sane forces in the Democratic Party to come together in the spirit of John Kennedy, and nominate a team that can reverse our course in time. I will be circulating my call to the relevant people in Organized Labor and the Democratic Party to spur this process."
Gregory Lance is on the Legislative Committee of Local 1725 of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, Charlotte, NC. He has been a delegate to numerous legislative conferences of the North Carolina AFL CIO and the IAMAW in Washington DC. He successfully introduced and passed resolutions at previous conferences of the NC AFL CIO and the NC IAMAW endorsing the restoration of Glass Steagall and HR 1489.
[Removed]
A little too late for that move. Better focus on 2016.
I thought this was a LaRouche based PR move. Of course Hillary Clinton would have been less beholden to wall street, unless they had something on her.
The bottom line is the media is driven to report every major story in the most polarizing manner, the result is moderate candidates can't get their own party's nomination.
You realize she is Bill's wife, right? I mean, really.
Are you defining Hillary Clinton by her husband?
Bill Clinton is the only president over the past 80 years how actually lowered the annual budget president each and every year he was in office.
Bill Clinton is the only president in the past 80 years to leave office more popular than when he went in.
And he is the only president that signed away all of our jobs to do so (GATT and NAFTA).
He's also the only one who repealed Glass Steagall.
He also the only one who watched as the SEC decided that derivatives were a legal option.
Short term gains for long term pain. Just another politician.
GATT and NAFTA were designed to help deleverage the reason for illegal immigration.
Clinton had no choice in Glass Steagall. He vetoed it the first time, it came back to his desk with a 90% approval and would have passed even if he had vetoed it.
As for derivatives, this is more a result of political gridlock after Clinton got out of office. Don't forget that for over two years the Republicans put Clinton in a bear hug over a consensual BJ.
To imply short term gain for long term pain is ridiculous to apply to the one president who actually lowered his annual budget deficit each and every year he was in office, and is the only president to do so in the past 80 years.
It was up to Bush and the democrat congressional majority to move forward in the best way possible, and neither did that.
Derivatives were approved in 93.
Clinton was, and always will be, a Bush guy. How do you think he got the spot?
90% approval over taking teh union factory workers and flushing their lives downt eh toilet. And not a peep. Nothing. That is the defense?
He was a hack, a 1% backer.
I used to look at him favorably until I looked at his real legacy. Not good.
Bush HATED Clinton, had no respect for him. Bush especially hated that he had a 93% approval rating after the three day Iraq War and still managed to lose to one of the "seven dwarves", as Rush Limbaugh called the seven 1992 democrat candidates.
Clinton had to go centrist to get things done. The problem was as he started to build up a decent record, the republicans couldn't stand that he was getting all of the credit, hence the Monica Lewinksy hunt.
Clinton got very little done his final 18 months in office because of the republican witch hunt. Why would republicans impeach Clinton if he was like Bush?
He manged to get Glass Steagall repealed and The Futures Commidity act done, both of which are direct causes of our current situtation. Not the only causes, but two of the giants.
The monica thing was a nothing but a sideshow. The American people love sex scandals. Its entertainment for them. give the people what they want. Plus scandals are great covers for crimes.
Or holidays, like Obama signiing NDAAon New years eve.
the Bush hating clinton thing was nothing but media trumped up crap. Like primaries, with Newt just BLASTING Mitt and now they are buddies. Hence the Bush Clinton friendship.
the money always wins. It won then, its still winning now.
Exactly right. The Lewinsky crap was a smokescreen to cover up the Whitewater investigation, among other crimes. Whitewater was all but forgotten, then quietly brushed away at the end of his term. Then there's the mysterious death of Commerce Secretary Ron Brown, etc.
Anyone that thinks Bush and Clinton were hated enemies should Google the term "clinton bush photos" and then tell me: do these photos look like bitter rivals, or gay lovers?
[Removed]
The Whitewater crime was a Republican attack? Sorry ZD, don't really think so. Regardless of whether the Republicans brought it up, it was a series of crimes that Clinton was, in fact, guilty of. Or was the whole Whitewater thing complete fiction? Don't think so. Clinton got caught, the story went big, and voila, distraction. Whitewater was forgotten. That shit I was paying attention to.
[Removed]
[Removed]
I believe the 'impeachment' was all part of the show. After all, he didn't go anywhere. Finished the rest of his term still in the driver's seat.
But, ah, what a show, eh? An impeachment of an American President!!! Guaranteed all eyes of the world were on that rather than the real shit going on in the world, not only Whitewater but overseas as well. Smokescreen this time my friend. No Republican attack under this rock.
[Removed]
I guess she'd rather believe a "vast right-wing conspiracy" than the fact her hubby got his doors blown by that cow. And all the high school boys are thanking Clinton for bullshitting the young girls of America that a head job isn't sex.
The lucky bastards.
Edit: The lucky bastards.
[Removed]
We certainly have two completely different worldviews, my friend. What makes no sense to you makes perfect sense to me. Ah well, I will say I've enjoyed the lively debate with you. It's actually be kinda fun, since it allowed me to vent some of my pent-up hatred for the Clintons. The major difference between the two of us, that I can see, is I don't consider you "dense," "delusional," "high," or whatever other insults you called me (didn't feel like scrolling through to list them all). But I don't take it personal, I know how you are.
I didn't say the Lewinsky thing was "manufactured," although it easily could have been. I said it was "used."
Hillary: "What's this I hear you let that slut Lewinsky slop your pee-pee, William? Huh? Huh?"
Slick Willie: "Bitch, are you crazy? I did not have sex with that woman! Must be a vast right-wing conspiracy!"
Thanks, Zen. Second good laugh of the day.
[Removed]
How was the Lewinsky 'scandal' cutting your foot off? The press loved it, the soap opera crowd loved it, the rubes loved it. Hell, I saw some clown on TV not too long ago say the bj incident was the thing he respected most about the man! That's how fucked up this country is. Everybody I mentioned above, plus the politicians in question and the aforementioned "bj's aren't really sex" which every young boy gets the benefit of till the end of time, WON. The whole thing has become part of our culture. By and large, there was no downside. But it sure drew attention away from the real issues, didn't it?
[Removed]
I'll give you Ron Brown, 'cause it certainly sounds like textbook C-T. Not that it didn't actually happen, mind you. Nothing in your comment says he and Hillary didn't commit fraud back Arkansas, it doesn't say he didn't get the infamous bj, it doesn't say the whole incident wasn't used to distract the public from all the shit going on. In fact, it was the Clinton years that finally convinced me both sides are in bed together.
Notice, though, that I did not say, both parties are the same, so let's not go there. I also am not alluding that the Repubs aren't some evil bastards. They certainly are.
I agree, very few people recall that anything Bill Clinton did while they were inhaling the blue dress in their jam jams was simply a diversionary tactic, according to the republicans.
I know right!!
the FED loans money o an elite people
that turn around and loan that money at a hire interest rate to the population
most money is created through debt
and interest makes the economy a negative some game
They became friends after both were out of office. Clinton did not inititate Glass Steagall, he first veto'd it, changes were made, then became veto proof when 90% of congress voted for it.
Why is that on Clinton? Congress has loved insider tips on IPO's, its where many of them make the most money.
And together over 16 years Clinton and Bush killed over 2 million civilians in Iraq with sanctions, bombs and an invasion over WMD's they both claimed existed.
The price was worth it they said.
Why didn't democrats impeach Bush when they had a majority congress? Why didn't they stand behind Kucinich when he brought up articles of impeachment?
The first Bush only had one term, the second Bush had two terms, in the middle was Bill Clinton. I don't think anyone confuses the Bush's with Bill Clinton.
And Bill Clinton's administration created more jobs than any other administration in he history of the U.S.
When Madeline Albright was asked about the 500,000 plus children that have died in Iraq under sanctions Bill Clinton supported.... she said the price was worth it.
You should look into facts about how many innocent civilians have been killed under these people.
Yeah Clinton had a pretty good track record in other areas. That's no excuse to support sanctions and bombs that kill so many.
Bush invasions killed over a million civilians too. All 3 of these men are murderers in my book.
You could just support people with the same ideals but want peace instead of bombs and sanctions.
Doesn't this always come back to energy? "It's the economy stupid", was the slogan that got Bill Clinton untracked when he was one of seven running against George Bush.
The economy runs off of petroleum, coal, and then wood, steel and cement that are powered by petroleum and coal. Probably most military acts are designed to protect one of those interests.
The republicans chose to impeach Bill Clinton over a consensual BJ, how could he possibly get them to take alternative energy more seriously?
should have vetoed
[Removed]
Stopped using the deodorant, eh? That would scare anybody.