April 28 to Labor Day: Jobs, Peace & Justice Caravan from Detroit Through Pittsburgh To Charleston, W VA

Let’s Give Congress

Our Marching Orders

 

By JESSE JACKSON

Rainbow / PUSH

July 21, 2010 – Will the U.S. once more sacrifice economic justice at home for war abroad? Dr. King used to say that the bombs dropped over Vietnam exploded in America’s cities. The war on poverty was lost in those jungles.

And now? The war in Afghanistan is now in its eighth year. Vice President Joe Biden told “This Week” that our policy is “going to work,” but “all of this is just beginning. And we knew it was going to be a tough slog,” so “it’s much too premature to make a judgment” about how we are faring.

Just the beginning after eight years? We are spending $100 billion a year on Afghanistan, with U.S. casualties rising, and with no noticeable progress on the ground. The government that we support is noted for its corruption and ineffectiveness. Our military is trying to do nation-building in a country whose warring tribes unite only to expel outsiders.

Continue reading April 28 to Labor Day: Jobs, Peace & Justice Caravan from Detroit Through Pittsburgh To Charleston, W VA

Getting the Change We Voted For: March on DC Oct. 2 for Jobs and Justice

Unions, Civil Rights Groups

Starting Big Political Push

By Mark Gruenberg

Press Associates, Inc.
The Newspaper Guild

July 16, 2010 – Traditionally, people don’t start paying attention to politics until Labor Day, but that isn’t stopping unions from starting their big political push now.

The push is taking two forms.  One is that unions are sending members out to worksites, with flyers about labor’s positions on key economic issues, such an unemployment benefits and the stimulus law, along with lawmakers’ voting records. That drive will last for at least the next two weeks and continue afterwards.

The other part of the push has been led by the Service Employees, building on a grand coalition that helped win health care reform — and again emphasizing grass-roots efforts.  They’ve been joined by the Teachers, the AFL-CIO and approximately 170 other progressive groups in a grand coalition, “One Nation Working Together,” to push a progressive agenda this fall — even when the Obama administration doesn’t.

Continue reading Getting the Change We Voted For: March on DC Oct. 2 for Jobs and Justice