Huffington Post: Unions To Take On Conservative Groups Health Care Town Halls

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/08/06/unions-to-take-on-conserv_n_252720.html

First Posted: 08- 6-09 09:53 AM | Updated: 08- 6-09 12:26 PM

The nation's largest federation of labor organizations has promised to directly engage with boisterous conservative protesters at Democratic town halls during the August recess.

In a memo sent out on Thursday, AFL-CIO President John Sweeney outlined the blueprint for how the union conglomerate would step up recess activities on health care reform and other topics pertinent to the labor community. The document makes clear that Obama allies view the town hall forums as ground zero of the health care debate. It also uses the specter of the infamous 2000 recount "Brooks Brothers" protest to rally its members to the administration's side.



"The principal battleground in the campaign will be town hall meetings and other gatherings with members of Congress in their home districts," reads the memo. "We want your help to organize major union participation to counter the right-wing "Tea-Party Patriots" who will try to disrupt those meetings, as they've been trying to do to meetings for the last month. ...

(Remember the hooligans - many of them Republican Congressional staff - who harassed Florida vote counters in 2000? We can't let that happen again!)."

A showdown between unions and grassroots conservative organizations could make for an August full of fireworks, with even more dysfunctional town hall meetings. The AFL-CIO is planning to target 50 "high priority districts," in addition to organizing telephone town hall gatherings.

But while the union conglomerate seems poised to flex its political muscle on Obama's behalf, it may find some friction on the policy front. Detailed in Sweeney's memo are certain legislative priorities that are clearly at odds with what seems likely to be produced in the Senate Finance Committee's compromise bill.

FULL story at link.

[BrklynLiberal]

1. Why is it still 0 after my rec?

The unions may be the organizations that will save this country after all.
More strength to them!!!

[Omaha Steve]

8. There was a negative vote

It seems to happen to a lot of my posts.

[Joey Liberal]

2. I love the Unions

And I'd love th help them.

[DoBotherMe]

3. Grassroots?

"A showdown between unions and grassroots conservative organizations..."

Why would they perpetuate this myth? Dana ; )

[earth mom]

4. Unions ROCK! People around here need to grow a set & stop whining about the teabaggers.

:applause:

The Unions will KICK THEIR ASS!!!

[Hansel]

6. We all should be out there with the unions

so the media can't say it's just the unions.

[proud patriot]

5. My local is an AFL-CIO affiliate

:)

[roamer65]

7. Too bad Jimmy Hoffa wasn't around and still Teamster president.

These conservatards would then understand and experience "union power".