AFL-CIO Rips McCain as ‘Bush 3′
EmailABC News’ Teddy Davis and Talal Al-Khatib Report: With the Democratic race still unsettled, the AFL-CIO launched its campaign to tarnish John McCain on the economy on Wednesday, pledging to make it a key component of the more than $50 million it plans to spend on the 2008 campaign.
"On trade, health care, jobs, Social Security privatization, and tax giveaways for the rich, McCain and Bush are in lockstep," said Karen Ackerman, the political director of the AFL-CIO. "McCain is Bush No. 3."
The labor federation says that working families in key battleground states know "very little" about where McCain stands on "pocketbook concerns" but promises to change that by communicating with union voters at the workplace, doorstep, by phone, online, and through direct mail.
While its overall political program will reach 13 million voters in 23 states, Ackerman said that the AFL-CIO has identified five battleground states with high union density which will receive the lion’s share of attention.
"We’ve identified five priority states for this campaign where our effort will be the most intense. Those states are Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota," said Ackerman. "These are areas where Sen. McCain may have national appeal to voters who have not yet heard about his economic record."
Ackerman painted McCain’s Senate voting record as being "out of touch with what really matters to working families."
In particular, the AFL-CIO is targeting McCain for consistently backing free-trade agreements while voting against reauthorization of the children’s health insurance program. The Arizona senator is also being targeted for not making it clear how he would differ from Bush on the mortgage crisis and for offering a health-care overhaul which stops short of promising universal coverage.
Alex Conant, a spokesman for the Republican National Committee, responded to the attacks on McCain by accusing the AFL-CIO of peddling "left-wing dogma".
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This is nothing, look into USS Liberty, or the doc “missing presumed dead”; is treason still against the law these days???
Posted by: cba | March 12, 2008, 5:02 pm 5:02 pm
The AFL-CIO is absolutely correct: George W. Cain IS a carbon copy of John McBush.
Actually, on matters of war, invasion, occupation and violent international confrontation, McCain is even MORE militaristic and aggressive than Bush! Gee, now THAT sounds like a winning “strategery”….
Posted by: Mark | March 12, 2008, 5:33 pm 5:33 pm
Well If Clinton is not on the Democratic ticket for the General Election. Almost all are going to switch votes to McCain.
At least the Industrial side and business, and union workers.
The lack of faith and risk in voting for Obama is to high.
Obama went out of his way to get minority vote here.
Posted by: seah | March 12, 2008, 5:37 pm 5:37 pm
He is certainly Bush 3, he has made this bvery clear that he will stay the course and follow every Bush policy. Including waterboarding. That’s right, John McCain – the pro-torture candidate. Who knew?
Posted by: Louis | March 12, 2008, 5:45 pm 5:45 pm
Big Unions are terrified that large numbers of older white blue-collar men, “McCain Democrats,” will split their ticket and vote for Big Mac over Hillary–and especially over Obama. Barry definitely won’t get the NASCAR vote.
Michigan and Pennsylvania could easily go for McCain in November.
Posted by: carl | March 12, 2008, 5:47 pm 5:47 pm
Please tell me, seah, how any sorehead union member voting for McCain because Obama’s the nominee is going to help union households in ANY way!
Like all recent GOP presidents, McCain will resort to every trick in the book to DESTROY unions! You KNOW that!
And yet you’d STILL vote for him because you didn’t get your way in the Dem primaries?
REALLY?
That’s profoundly illogical at best, economically suicidal at worst.
They have a phrase for such behavior. It’s called “cutting off your nose to spite your face.”
Posted by: adam | March 12, 2008, 5:48 pm 5:48 pm
Any union member who’d vote for John McCain over either potential Democratic nominee has a fool for an adviser.
Why would someone intentionally vote for the candidate who’s intent on trying to destroy him and his livelihood, and to send his job overseas?
Patently ABSURD, and remarkably shortsighted!
Posted by: chickaboom | March 12, 2008, 5:52 pm 5:52 pm
From what I have been reading, the reasoning behind unions against Obama is simple: They feel the risk of Obama in the WH is less than the risk of McCain in the WH. Things cant get worse under McCain but they can definitely get worse under Obama. I agree with their reasoning. However, I think it is still entirely possible that Obama will not be the nominee for the dems when all is said and done. A lot depends on the outcome of the Rezko trials and the remaining voting contests. There is a lot of time between now and August and with 500+ pledged delegates still not allocated who can vote for either candidate in Aug combined with the SDs who dont vote till Aug, anything can happen. Both candidates know this or they would not be continuing the race for the nomination. Come Nov, no matter who is the nominee, if the dems cannot unite the party (which I doubt without a combined ticket), McCain will walk away with the win. The swing vote are a large part of the dem core that do not support Obama. Clinton on the other hand can beat McCain without the Obama supporters which are not really prt of the dem core anyway. Would it be better to have the party grow with all the Obama supporters? Yes. Is it likely? No. As Reagan said years ago “I didnt leave the Democratic Party, the party left me.”
Posted by: DCVoter | March 12, 2008, 8:53 pm 8:53 pm
I’m glad the unions are damning McCain… that can only add to his conservative credentials. It will also dispose McCain favorably to those who are squeezed by Unions = small and mid-sized businesses; middle-income unionized jobs that must pony up part of their pay to bloated union big-wigs whose only job is to increase their base of dues; auto-workers whose avaricious unions have exacerbated the loss of car manufacture in the US; etc.
I feel that unions have their place in helping the least protected, but after they have achieved their goals of safety and fair wages – they have gone way too far in an attempt to justify their existence. I have seen too many times the teamster, strong-arm mentality that have intimidated groups into unionizing and threatening all dissent (nurses, flight attendants, managers, etc.).
Posted by: smartprimate | March 12, 2008, 9:20 pm 9:20 pm
So smartprimate, it appears you would be in favor of regulations that ensure fair wages and job safety so that Unions would not be needed or have a bargaining chip. Let’s see… arent regulations anti-Republican? LOL
Posted by: DCVoter | March 12, 2008, 10:21 pm 10:21 pm
Not all regulations are anthma to Republicans … just like all tax hikes are not favored by democrats… yes?
We all live with regulations… like the speed limit, but you can over-regulate something… shall we regulate a passing speed? the number of times to signal befor turning? … mandate digital speed read-outs at all streets? etc. etc. ;-)
Posted by: smartprimate | March 12, 2008, 10:34 pm 10:34 pm
The Bush-3 argument doesn’t hold water!
McCain wants to extend the Bush tax
cuts but also cut spending and
eliminate “earmarks”.
Also McCain was a critic of the way the
war was being handled until the administration finally listened to him
and instituted the “Surge” which has been very successful!
He’s also right on the war on terror!
Obama and the Dems call it “fear mongering”.
The relatives of those 3 thousand
people who lost their lives on 9/11
know better and so does John McCain!
Posted by: reaganfan | March 12, 2008, 11:55 pm 11:55 pm
LOL smartprimate – I know you are a republican so i had to razz ya… i think a new party should emerge called the moderates or something… the majority of Americans are moderates anyway… wouldnt it be great to actually have “smart” change (Clinton) instead of “preached” change (Obama) or “promised” change (McCain)?
McCain is a moderate trying to pretend he is conservative… his brain got confused and it sent out the “im a conservative liberal Republican” phrase to compensate… LOL that as pretty funny!
Posted by: DCVoter | March 13, 2008, 12:13 am 12:13 am
These actions say more about the AFL-CIO than they do about Senator John McCain. The AFL-CIO is sinking to the sleazy level of character assassination, while Senator McCain is maintaining his dignity, as a respected leader and war hero.
Posted by: Lee | July 10, 2008, 12:34 pm 12:34 pm