And so we come to the end of the 2008 Democratic Convention — and the beginning of the general election. I hope you’ve had as much fun reading our coverage as we’ve had bringing it to you. In case you...
Well, I was all set to write a big post about what it’s like to be on the floor of a political convention, and then I see that Dave Barry beat me to it. He’s about ten thousand times better...
And so we come to the moment we’ve all been waiting for: the American Dream Candidate, Senator Barack Obama, who just moments ago opened with these words: With profound gratitude and great humility, I accept your nomination for the...
If there is one truth to our history over the last decade, it is this — we came so close to taking a different, better path. In 2000, when then-Vice President Al Gore was battling then-Texas Governor George W....
Tonight, the eyes of the world are focused on the INVESCO Center. And tonight, Roy Gross (seen above with Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa), a car hauler and a member of Teamsters Local 299 in Detroit, came to this...
Yesterday, I had the opportunity to attend a pretty cool event — a rally organized by SEIU that brought together musicians and activists in support of health care for all, one of the most important causes of our time....
It’s 3:40PM here in Denver and I am coming to you from the press box at INVESCO Field, where in a few hours the American Dream Candidate, Senator Barack Obama, will accept the nomination of the Democratic Party for...
One of the first things you learn when attending a political convention is that your value as a human being is directly correlated with the quality of your credential. In this context, a “credential” is a piece of paper...
Senator Joe Biden just finished his speech accepting the Democratic nomination for the office of Vice President of the United States. It was a speech that reminded us of the most precious element of the American Dream — the...
Earlier this evening, Barack Obama officially secured the Democratic nomination — at the request of Hillary Clinton, who asked that he be named the nominee by acclamation, rather than having a roll call vote. Talking Points Memo was there: This...
Last night, after listening to Hillary Clinton address the convention, I wrote: Dear news media, Now that you’ve heard Senator Hillary Clinton’s speech, can you please stop peddling the nonsense about her not being 100% behind Barack Obama for...
Sitting in a windowless basement room with blank walls, fighting with strangers over who gets the last network connection. Welcome to the rock and roll life of the blogger. I blame my high school guidance counselor — he never...
Most of the attention on the Convention has been on the big-name politicians who have spoken. But yesterday, some of the most moving speeches came not from professional politicians, but from three working women who shared their hopes and struggles...
Dear news media, Now that you’ve heard Senator Hillary Clinton’s speech, can you please stop peddling the nonsense about her not being 100% behind Barack Obama for President? I know how much you like that story. But tonight Hillary...
Anna Burger, Chair of Change to Win, addressed the Democratic National Convention here in Denver tonight. And she brought them a powerful message of hope for the future of the American Dream. I grew up in Levittown, Pennsylvania in...
I bumped into these guys outside the Pepsi Center, where the convention is being held: You have no idea how much I want one of those T-shirts! It looks like I’m not the only one who feels that way: “We...
It’s not every day you see Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa and movie goddess Charlize Theron sitting on the same panel. So when I heard that just such a convergence was happening today here in Denver, I grabbed my camera...
Michelle Obama just finished speaking. I’ve never heard her speak to a crowd before, so I came in not really knowing what to expect. She knocked my socks off. As she reflected over her life and the life of her...
Senator Ted Kennedy, the liberal lion of the Senate, defied expectations today by showing up at the convention in person to endorse the American Dream Candidate, Senator Barack Obama. Senator Kennedy is fighting an aggressive form of brain cancer...
Rollout of the August 2008 American Dream Survey. From left: Anna Burger, Celinda Lake of Lake Research Partners, Lawrence Mishel of the Economic Policy Institute For more than two years now, we at Change to Win have been conducting...
This is the first time I’ve ever attended a national political convention, so I’m learning new stuff left and right. One of the things I’ve learned is that a convention isn’t just what you see on TV — there’s a...
A few days ago, I told you about a new team — the Change to Win Truth Squad — who were setting out across the country to spread the word about John McCain’s anti-worker, anti-American Dream policies. Well, this morning...
The first big piece of news to emerge as the convention loomed actually broke while I was brushing my teeth getting ready to leave for Denver: the now-famous 3AM text message alerting the world that the American Dream Candidate,...
Well gang, as I mentioned back in May, I’m a credentialed blogger at the Democratic National Convention. So tomorrow morning I will be heading out to Denver to start covering it. Hopefully there will be plenty of interesting stories I...
How many houses does John McCain own? Turns out there are so many that even he can’t keep track of them all: Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said in an interview Wednesday that he was uncertain how many houses he and...
I want to let you know about a new campaign we launched today: Worse Than Bush. If you’re a reader of this blog, it won’t be news to you that a President John McCain wouldn’t be good news for...
On August 1, I told you about how Wal-Mart has been pressuring its workers to vote the way the company wants them to this fall: They’re terrified that if you have the power to decide your own fate —...
The toll has increased yet again: BAKERSFIELD — Maria de Jesus Alvarez, 63 has become the latest victim of this summer’s deadly heat. Alvarez had been picking table grapes for Anthony Vineyards and was employed through farm labor contractor Manuel...
Who is Stephen J. Cabot? If you ask the Web site of his consultancy, the “Cabot Institute for Labor Relations”, it will tell you he is one of the foremost labor - management relations and employment law experts in...
Truth is the glue that holds government together. — Gerald Ford A few days ago, I mentioned how big business is ready to spend whatever it takes to keep the Employee Free Choice Act from passing. So where is...
Big news from 1199SEIU in New York — nursing home CEO Helen Sieger has been arrested and charged with a felony for failing to provide workers’ compensation insurance for her workers: Helen Sieger, the owner and operator of Kingsbridge Heights...
This is cool — as the Republicans convene on September 1 in Minneapolis/St. Paul to open their convention, SEIU is going to be holding a “Take Back Labor Day” music festival practically right next door. Featured performers are: Billy Bragg...
California’s lax enforcement of the laws that are supposed to protect farmworkers in the summer heat has claimed another victim: Jorge Herrera, 37, died Thursday afternoon at San Joaquin Community Hospital in Bakersfield after collapsing while loading table grapes at...
I’ve been a little slow in writing this up (alas, I have been absolutely slammed this week), but it’s still worth noting that on Monday, the Wall Street Journal exposed a way that corporations are using their employees’ pension plans...
There’s a great story in today’s Wall Street Journal describing how Wal-Mart, terrified of how a President Obama might make it easier for workers to join together in unions, is pressuring its employees to vote for John McCain: Wal-Mart Stores...
Back in June, I pointed to reportage from Reuters sounding the alarm about how unemployment had been increasing for months: Reuters reports that the unemployment rate rose in May for the fifth straight month — and this increase is the...
