A Special Request by John J. Sweeney AFL-CIO President

[Omaha Steve]

Contribute: http://www.actblue.com/page/aflcio60?refcode=1010jjs

Brothers and Sisters,

Thank you for everything you are doing to turn around America. I know how hard you have been working. But today I have an additional—very important—request.

Every legislative priority of working families during the past two years has been blocked by the minority in the U.S. Senate, which has broken records in its use of the filibuster to halt pro-worker legislation.

Even with Barack Obama and Joe Biden in the White House, we will need 60 friends in the Senate who can overrule minority-led filibusters to make real gains for working families. To get there, we need to pick up nine Senate seats this November.

We are all knocking on doors, leafleting at worksites, making phone calls and much, much more. My request today is something I've never done before by e-mail. I need you to dig deep in your pocket, in what I know is a troubled economic time, and make a donation directly to one or more of the Senate candidates who will get us to that magic 60 number.

Make a contribution to one or more of these candidates today for your brothers and sisters across the country.

As Karen Ackerman, our political director, explained earlier this week, it is truly remarkable that we are this close to winning a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate and with that a clear path to a better America. We have great candidates across the country, each committed to supporting pro-worker agendas. Here are a few anecdotes from some of the races in which we’re asking for your support.

In Mississippi, Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) has earned a shameful lifetime voting record on working family issues of 5 percent while he was in the U.S. House. He voted for the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) and trade with China and supports the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)—and his campaign recently said losing “low-skilled” manufacturing jobs from the state is a good thing.

Wicker’s opponent, former Gov. Ronnie Musgrove (D), thinks NAFTA and CAFTA were “two of the worst trade agreements in modern history” and is a proven champion of economic growth in the Gulf Coast. Musgrove is currently polling in almost a dead heat with Sen. Wicker.

Contribute to Ronnie Musgrove and other great pro-worker Senate candidates today.

In New Hampshire, Sen. John Sununu (R-N.H.) loves tax breaks for Big Oil—generous contributors to his campaign—but he voted to strip overtime pay protections from some 6 million workers and pushed for drastic cuts in the health programs for low-income and elderly people.

Sununu’s opponent, former Gov. Jeanne Shaheen (D), created jobs, expanded children’s health care and has vowed to “work every day to put America back on track and ensure that all Americans earn a fair salary.” Shaheen has been consistently polling ahead of Sununu and we’re very excited about her chances.

Contribute to Jeanne Shaheen and other great pro-worker Senate candidates today.

Now turn to Kentucky and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), the organizer of the destructive filibuster strategy. He has pledged “not to allow out of the Senate” and voted to abolish the federal minimum wage. He has voted against us on working family issues 89 percent of the time and it’s McConnell’s venomous approach to legislating that requires us to have 60 votes in the Senate to make any gains whatsoever for working people.

Challenging McConnell is Bruce Lunsford, who supports our voice at work, wants to protect our retirement security from corporate bankruptcy schemes and Social Security privatization and is ready to redirect tax breaks for Big Oil toward renewable energy and crack down on gas price gougers.

Contribute to Bruce Lunsford and other great pro-worker Senate candidates today.

These are just three of the many great Senate candidates we are supporting this year. It’s extremely exciting to have so many great candidates, especially when the coming election will determine whether working men and women are able to leave their children a better or worse America, more or less opportunity, more or less hope. We must have leaders who will work for us in the White House—and in the Senate.

In solidarity,

John J. Sweeney
AFL-CIO President

P.S. All of these great candidates are facing enormous pressure from corporate interests because of the candidates’ support for our agenda. If you can dig deep and send them a few of your hard-earned dollars, it will mean a lot to me and to them. Contribute today.

Paid for by the AFL-CIO Committee on Political Education Political Contributions Committee, www.aflcio.org, and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.

If you received this message from a friend, you can sign up for Working Families e-Activist Network.

Contribute: http://www.actblue.com/page/aflcio60?refcode=1010jjs

Our Priorities
# Creating jobs for working families.
# Winning health care for all.
# Raising the minimum wage.
# Ensuring fair pay for women.
# Extending help to the unemployed.
# Lowering prescription drug prices for seniors.
# Investing in education.
# Passing the Employee Free Choice Act.

Their Priorities
# Blocking all of the above.

Barack Obama can’t do it alone. Help us end the minority blockade: Contribute to pro-worker Senate candidates today.

[Hope And Change]

1. K & R!