By Tim Wheeler
Eleven days before the Nov. 7 election, polls show Democrat Al Gore and Republican George W. Bush in a dead heat, with the outcome resting on a handful of "battleground states."
But in truth, every state is a battleground. Gore's hope for victory over Bush rests on a massive voter turnout mobilized by organized labor, the African American and Latino communities, the women's equality movement and environmentalists. The gains of the past decade - in fact, the past century - will be endangered if Bush and Cheney capture the White House and the Republicans preserve majority control of Congress.
A victory Nov. 7 will block corporate America's drive to push the nation to the right. It will open the way for the broad democratic people's coalition to win major new victories. Lives are in the balance. Vote Nov. 7!
A look at G.W. Bush's Texas Labor record
The following is an abridged version of remarks made to the Town Hall Forum by Texas AFL-CIO President Joe D. Gunn in Philadelphia, June 29, at the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) national convention.
By Joe D. Gunn
It's a pleasure to address Brothers and Sisters in a great union city and great union state, a place where freedom in America got its start. As you might guess, I have been in the union movement a while. For our purposes, I'll admit to more than 40 years. I've been asked to tell you the truth about Gov. George W. Bush, and here it is: The Bush candidacy is the most dangerous to labor unions of any I have seen.
In the 2000 elections, we can trot down Memory Lane, toward an even meaner version of the Reagan-Bush Era, and spend the next four years fighting Paycheck Deception, Right-to-Work, privatization of Social Security, the TEAM Act, softening of overtime laws, an anti-labor U.S. Supreme Court and an anti-labor NLRB. Or we can move forward on our issues: Better education, better health care and laws that allow working people to organize free of one-sided rules and intimidation.
I never thought I'd say this: I want George W. Bush in office. But I want him to stay in the Texas governor's office. Most Texans are not going to help us, so I appeal to you, Brothers and Sisters of Pennsylvania: Don't let George W. Bush do to working people in America what he has done to working people in Texas. Thank you.
The Communist Party USA is a pro working class revolutionary Party. Unlike the dominant parties we are totally free of corporate money and control. We are not tied to any other candidates or parties. We are an independent voice of the left.
In 2000 and in general we do not endorse candidates of other parties. We are deeply concerned however, about the outcome on November 7th. While we have major differences with the Gore /Leiberman ticket we think the Bush/Cheney ticket represents a new threat to democracy and the well being of working families. Their election will set back labor's rights, civil rights and women's right to choose. If they win, Social Security, our public schools, the environment and all government programs aimed to help the poor will be in great jeopardy.
That is why, like most of the labor movement, civil rights and women's, environmental, gay and lesbians organizations we are calling for an all out effort to defeat the Republican right at the polls on November 7th. We also call for the elections to be followed-up by a new advance of labor and people movements against globalization, for peace, jobs and equality no matter who wins.
Our approach is not "love Gore/Leiberman" but rather "No Son of a Bush" in the White House. This is a good defensive tactic against the greater evil to prepare for a strong offense for the greater good.
Let the Will of the People Prevail
The majority of the American people - 72 percent - favor fairness over speed in the Florida vote count. They are tired of polls with a plus- or minus-3 percent margin. They want accuracy in the decision on our next president. It's funny how everyday people can see things in such a truthful way.
The process unfolding in Florida has incredible implications for democracy, the constitution and voting rights. Regardless of who you voted for on Nov. 7, the rush to certify an election fraught with problems is, at the very least, unnerving. Seeing George Bush prepare to take power when the results are still unclear gives us shades of "a very American coup."
All sorts of pundits are calling for Al Gore to concede for "the good of the country." But what's better for the country, a rush job or an accurate count and guaranteeing no one's voting rights were violated?
Any analogies with previous elections are moot. Nixon was not magnanimous, only realistic, when he conceded to Kennedy in 1960. It was not this close with these many questions swirling around. Many argue that Nixon didn't fight because he knew his own dirty tricks would have come to light.
The Election Crisis in Florida - A Call to Action
The future of democratic rights in our country hangs in the balance in this presidential election. The thousands of Floridians demonstrating in the streets and in the courts for a re-vote are taking a stand on behalf of the rights of every voter in our country.
The right to be counted for those whose ballots were not initially included are at stake. George W. Bush has no right to declare himself the President-elect at this time.
This is not an issue of partisan politics. The historic, hard-fought struggles of the American people to win the right to vote hangs in the balance. This is a fight for the rights of the working people, for people of color, for the women of our nation. It is a fight for fairness, honesty and justice. It is a fight to uphold the Constitutional right to vote. No smooth transition can take place until the will of the people is known. There could be nothing more unstable than to have this election decided over massive denial of voter rights.
The irregularities that have surfaced in Florida expose the tip of a large iceberg of obstacles placed in the way of working class voters. Complaints in St. Louis, Missouri and other states are part of this pattern. The Electoral College is also an obstacle. This case can be won if it is fought in the courts, in the streets, in union halls, and in the halls of the legislature. The voice of the people must be heard.
Issued by: Communist Party, USA
235 W 23rd Street, New York, NY 10011
212-989-4994 cpusa@rednet.org
http://www.cpusa.org
Editor's commentary: Now you fully understand Gore's rhetoric and who is behind it.