"Joe's gotta go!" union members yelled at a rally on the Green during Thursday's lunch break....
Olsen said he plans to "pray" for Lieberman to change his position. He called health are reform an overriding "moral" issue, not just a "labor" issue."
He called it "a crucial time" for Lieberman ... "How can you say to someone you can wait about life or death? What if it was his mother who passed? What if it was his child that says, 'You have to wait and can't have health care now'? Joe has to reach down into his heart. This is a moral issue."
So was endorsing Lieberman's reelection a mistake?
He said he has no regrets; he prefers to "look forward," not "back."
Yes, who could have possibly predicted that, 15 years after Joe Lieberman last helped kill health care legislation proposed by a new Democratic president, he might try to do so again?
Apparently not Olsen, who seems just as shocked in 2009 as he was in 1994, with a similar refrain from his members ringing in his ears:
"Hey! Hey! Ho! Ho! Lieberman's health care plan has got to go!" they chanted.
About 40 labor union members, consumer advocates and other disaffected voters attended the brief rally, aimed at convincing the state's junior senator of the depth of the country's health care problem and the need for fundamental reform....
The rally was organized by the Connecticut State AFL-CIO, which represents about 200,000 people. Union President John W. Olsen, who spoke at a brief gathering after the rally outside the First Church of Christ, said the demonstration was intended to counter the heavy lobbying Lieberman and other lawmakers have received from the health and insurance industries....
(from "LIEBERMAN'S STAND ON HEALTH CARE DRAWS PROTEST; 40 AT RALLY PROTEST FOR REFORMS," Hartford Courant (Connecticut), July 29, 1994, MATTHEW DALY)
Last Thursday, CCAG, Citizens for Economic Opportunity, and others united under the Health Care For America Now! banner to visit CBIA and Gov. Jodi Rell in Hartford. Our question to them?
After our group assembled at Union Station in Hartford and got fired up, our first stop was at the headquarters of CBIA, which purports to represent the interest of businesses large and small in Connecticut. However, when it comes to health care reform they always represent their own interests first: CBIA joined with big insurance companies like Anthem to lobby Gov. Rell with enough misleading information to convince her to veto the health care pooling bill (HB 5536). The pooling bill would have enabled small businesses, non-profits, and municipalities to buy into the state health insurance pool.
Once CBIA heard us, we followed the money over to the Capitol, where we delivered a letter to Governor Rell. She was not available to receive it in person, so we look forward to hearing back as to which side she is on.
(Gotta love those Dems who supported Joe AFTER the primary... - promoted by ctblogger)
The Bush Supreme Court just ruled, in a 5-4 vote, in favor of corporate interests over workers in an age discrimination case. Details can be found in this post on Howie Klein's Down With Tyranny blog.
Of course, Sen. Lieberman (CFL-CT) was instrumental in the posse that prevented the use of the filibuster against the Roberts and Alito nominations. (In the case of Alito, the cynical Lieberman voted against continuing the filibuster--the only real chance of blocking this extremist's ascension to the high court--and then made a show of voting against the nomination.)
Yet liberal groups like NARAL and state union leaders like Bob Proto in New Haven and AFL-CIO head John Olsen endorsed him. The fallout from their tactical stupidity continues apace.
The estimable Paul Bass is reporting that AFL-CIO prez John Olsen will not only deliver the AFL-CIO to Joe but will drag them with him to follow Joe when he bolts the party.
Olsen said that the federation, if it endorses Lieberman, would stick with him even if he loses the primary and runs against the Democrats as an independent in November. "We endorse individuals," he said. "We don't endorse the party."
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