April 30, 2008
AFL-CIO Mailer Hits McCain, Drops In PA Today, Targets Reagan Dems
The AFL-CIO is dropping a tough mailer in PA today noting that while John McCain's war service is admirable, his political views -- on the Bush tax cuts, NAFTA and overtime pay, in particular -- are out of sync with the needs and values of working Americans.
"John McCain? War hero? Absolutely," the mailer reads. "Voice for working families? No way."
The piece has been sent so far this cycle to more than 400,000 swing voters, notably those much-courted Reagan Democrats living in OH, WI, MI and MN. The mailer features a photo of Jim Wasser, a Navy vet who served with John Kerry in Vietnam and was active in 2004 in countering efforts to muddy the Democratic nominee's war record.
Wasser, a resident of Saint Anne, IL, has been a member of IBEW 176 since 1970. He's an IBEW contractor with Ruder Electric Inc. in Kankakee.
"That's me, and I'm telling the truth," said Wasser, 61, who is retiring this year. "I'm concerned about what is happening to my brothers and sisters that I'm leaving behind, and I mean all working people, not just union people."
McCain, Wasser said, is "not for working men and women. No ma'am, I can't take another eight years."
Wasser said he's not worried that other vets will see his vocal opposition to McCain as traitorous. "That war was 40 years ago," he said. "You'll never forget where you've been, but we have to go on and look at the issues of today. This is about his views on working men and women. It's certainly not about his service. I would never go after a man's service."
Wasser did a lot of press for Kerry in 2004. He was also a delegate to the Democratic National Convention, where he read his state's roll call votes for Kerry. Wasser was in the Navy for four years, completing three tours in Vietnam. He was the first leading petty officer on Kerry's swift boat.
"We broke Kerry in," he said.
Karen Ackerman, the AFL-CIO's political director, said Wasser's views of McCain are shared by many in the union community.
"Jim Wasser is echoing a sentiment we're hearing more often from working people -- we respect Sen. McCain's service to our country but on the issues that really matter to our families, he's not standing with us," Ackerman said. "Sen. McCain has chosen to side with lobbyists and corporate interests and against working families on important issues like health care, jobs and trade. That's just not the kind of leadership America's workers are looking for to turn around our failing economy."
(JENNIFER SKALKA)
Posted at 11:07 AM
Comments
McCain is a Bush-Cheney league super rich pro-war, anti-middleclass republican who is "same old". He is for NAFTA, for tax cuts to super rich, for big oil, against universal health care, pro outsourcing. He is Bush in steroids.
McSame | 04.30.08 11:59 AM
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McCain is a Bush-Cheney league super rich
pro-war, anti-middleclass republican who is "same old". He is for NAFTA, for tax cuts to super rich, for big oil, against universal health care, pro outsourcing. He is Bush in steroids.
So in short he's not a Socialist?
Thanks for clearing that up,now I can vote McCain!
Former Obama Voter | 04.30.08 12:37 PM
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Thank you Jim Wasser for serving in the United States Navy. I will help you elect Barack Obama to seven of our 57 states and John McCain to the other 50!
Sarah | 05.14.08 09:50 PM
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