Obama pkg
- 4. TOP LINE MESSAGE POINTS: PRESIDENT OBAMA 2012 Jobs President Obama has made jobs his number one priority. His Recovery Act put millions of people back to work rebuilding our roads and bridges, teaching our children, and protecting our neighborhoods. He saved the jobs of countless auto workers when his opponents were saying we should let Detroit go bankrupt. And just recently, he put forth a broad proposal—the American Jobs Act—to get even more people working again. Workers’ Rights President Obama took George Bush’s Department of Big Business and made it the Department of Labor again. His administration has protected and promoted the right of every American to join together and form a union, receive fair pay and benefits, and have a safe workplace. Main Street vs. Wall Street President Obama has put the needs of Main Street above the greed of Wall Street. He passed the most sweeping financial reform legislation since the Great Depression. He created an agency to protect consumers, reined in credit card companies, and provided mortgage relief to struggling homeowners. Meanwhile, he formed a middle-class task force so working families have a voice at the White House. Health Care After generations of talk about health care reform, President Obama got the job done. The new law expands coverage to 32 million additional Americans, ends the worst practices of insurance companies, and ensures health care is a right, not a privilege. Immigration President Obama is fighting for a sensible and fair immigration policy where those who work hard and play by the rules can become American citizens. He has opposed extreme efforts in the states to punish those who simply want a better life for themselves and their families. And he has stopped the cruel and unnecessary deportation of immigrants that are not criminals.
- 5. Local Union President’s Sample Speech Brothers and Sisters- The 2012 presidential election will soon be upon us. It is time once again to make the important choice of who will lead our nation. Four years ago, we endorsed President Obama because he shares our vision for America. An America where Main Street matters more than Wall Street. Where good-paying jobs are the rule, not the exception. Where work is rewarded over wealth. Where no American dies because they can’t afford health care. And where the right to stick together and join a union is encouraged and protected, not threatened and undermined. There is no question that the last four years have been tough. There aren’t enough jobs. The cost of everything from health care to college tuition to groceries continues to rise. And too many families are struggling to grab their share of the American Dream. But President Obama has been fighting for us every day—despite virtually no cooperation from Republicans. The President has created jobs. His Recovery Act put millions of people back to work rebuilding our roads and bridges, teaching our children, and protecting our neighborhoods. He saved the jobs of countless auto workers when his opponents were saying we should let Detroit go bankrupt. And just recently, he put forth a broad proposal—the American Jobs Act—to get even more people working again. President Obama has stood up for workers. He took George Bush’s Department of Big Business and made it the Department of Labor again. You might be asking—how does a government agency in Washington affect me? It’s simple—your right to a safe workplace is being enforced instead of ignored. Your right to fair pay free of discrimination is being protected, not trampled on. And your right to stick together and join a union like ours is being promoted, not destroyed. That’s the difference when someone like President Obama is in the White House. The President has accomplished even more. After generations of talk about health care reform, it was President Obama who got the job done. Now insurance companies can’t drop your policy because you get sick. They can’t deny you coverage because you have a preexisting condition. And the premiums they collect must go toward patient care, not corporate profits. The President stopped the party on Wall Street, where millionaires and billionaires acted like they were spending Monopoly money, as our pensions and savings took a major hit. He signed the most sweeping financial reform legislation since the Great Depression, so never again would Main Street fall victim to Wall Street. And he has insisted that the giant tab America owes as a result of Wall Street greed should be paid by those who caused it, not workers or seniors.
- 6. The President nominated worker advocates to the Supreme Court, the Department of Labor, and USDA. He created a middle-class task force, so working families have a voice at the White House. And he’s fighting for a sensible and fair immigration policy where those who work hard and play by the rules can become American citizens, just like many of our parents and grandparents did. Meanwhile, what have Republicans been doing? Nothing. Republicans in Congress have made it their mission to block anything the President supports. The Republican leader in the Senate went so far as to say and I quote: “The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president.” So at a time when there are so many great challenges facing our nation, Congressional Republicans decided to put politics over patriotism. The Republicans running for President are no better. One says blame yourself if you can’t find a job. Another wants to get rid of child labor laws. And all have supported attempts to weaken collective bargaining rights in Wisconsin, Ohio, and across America. So we are faced with a choice. Give President Obama another four years to build on his record of standing up for workers or go back to the way it was before he took office. The choice is clear—we must re-elect Barack Obama. We need your help. Four years ago, you were a major force in getting President Obama elected by participating in phone banks, speaking with neighbors, attending rallies in your UFCW gold, and helping turn out the vote. This time around, our challenge is even greater. Big corporations and anti-worker special interests will spend boatloads of money to defeat President Obama. We must fight back. For every bit of effort you gave in 2008, we need even more in 2012. Together, we will win.
- 7. Sample Newsletter for Local Unions Dear Member: The 2012 presidential election will soon be upon us. It is time once again to make the important choice of who will lead our nation. Four years ago, we endorsed President Obama because he shares our vision for America. A vision where good jobs, affordable health care, and economic justice are a reality, not just a dream. There is no question that the last four years have been tough. But President Obama has been fighting for us every day—despite virtually no cooperation from Republicans. The President has created jobs. His Recovery Act put millions of people back to work rebuilding our roads and bridges, teaching our children, and protecting our neighborhoods. And just recently, he put forth a broad proposal—the American Jobs Act—to get even more people working again. President Obama has stood up for workers. He took George Bush’s Department of Big Business and made it the Department of Labor again. His administration has protected and promoted the right of every American to join together and form a union, receive fair pay and benefits, and have a safe workplace. After generations of talk about health care reform, President Obama got the job done. The new law expands coverage to 32 million additional Americans, ends the worst practices of insurance companies, and ensures health care is a right, not a privilege. President Obama has put the needs of Main Street above the greed of Wall Street. He passed the most sweeping financial reform legislation since the Great Depression and formed a middle-class task force so working families have a voice at the White House. Finally, President Obama is fighting for a sensible and fair immigration policy where those who work hard and play by the rules can become American citizens. Meanwhile, Republicans in Congress have made it their mission to block anything the President supports. At a time when there are so many great challenges facing our nation, Congressional Republicans decided to put politics over patriotism. The Republicans running for President are no better. One says blame yourself if you can’t find a job. Another wants to get rid of child labor laws. And all have supported attempts to weaken collective bargaining rights in Wisconsin, Ohio, and across America. So we are faced with a choice. Give the President another four years to build on his record of standing up for workers or go back to the way it was before he took office. The choice is clear—we must re-elect Barack Obama. Four years ago, you were a major force in getting President Obama elected by participating in phone banks, speaking with neighbors, attending rallies in your UFCW gold, and helping turn out the vote. This time around, our challenge is even greater. Big corporations and anti-worker special interests will spend boatloads of money to defeat President Obama. We must fight back. For every bit of effort you gave in 2008, we need even more in 2012. Together, we will win.