Obama’s speech to the AFL-CIO Executive Council was repeatedly interrupted by applause, and at least once by a standing ovation, when he declared “we are going to keep fighting for the Employee Free Choice Act.”

But he warned the struggle to pass legislation to make it easier for workers to join unions faces a difficult road due to Republican threats of filibusters.

Obama said the economic hole past GOP policies dug for workers was so deep over the last decade it would take some time for his administration to dig the U.S. out.
“They want to move America backwards; we want to go forward,” Obama declared.

Obama’s speech drew a positive reaction from AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, who introduced him.

“It helped in lighting the fire under the base, and charted the future he wanted,” Trumka told the press afterwards “It was particularly gratifying that he wants to pass EFCA.” Pressed on what Obama would do to help labor beat the GOP blockade of the bill, Trumka replied: “We’re working to come up with a way to pass it and they (the administration) are active participants” in those talks.

Other reactions were mixed, in informal interviews afterwards. Comments ranged from positive ones saying Obama reminded workers of how his administration helped them to “He told them what they wanted to hear,” and “He was playing to the cameras” in the back of the meeting room in D.C.’s convention center. One union legislative rep said his members are worried about “jobs, jobs, jobs” and don’t see them.

Obama said his pro-worker actions should help energize both unionists and Democrats, whom pundits and polls generally show are disheartened, dismayed, disgusted or apathetic about the Nov. 2 balloting. Trumka agreed.

The president also presented another contrast, in overall economic performance, between the two parties.

“You have to remind them for the next three months that this election’s a choice. You’ve got these folks who drove America’s economy into a ditch. And for the last 20 months, we put on our boots and got into the mud” to dig the economic car out.

“And we’ve been shoving that car out inch by inch, and they’ve been standing on the side the whole time watching, telling us, ‘No, you’re not pushing hard enough,’ and ‘You’re not doing it the right way.’ Not lifting a finger to help.

“And now that we’ve finally got that car up on the blacktop there, about to drive, they say they want the keys back,” he added, to laughter. “Well, you can’t have the keys, because you don’t know how to drive. You don’t know how to drive. You’re not going to get the keys back. You’re not going to get them back,” he stated, to applause.

Appropriating a line other Democrats have used before, the president then added: “Somebody pointed out to me that when you’re in a car and you want to go forward, you put it in ‘D.’ You want to go back in the ditch, you put it in ‘R.’ “ Amid the laughter, he added: “I just want everybody to think about that.”

The pro-worker actions Obama cited led off with the Lilly Ledbetter “Fair Pay Act” -- actually an equal pay act -- restoring the right of workers to sue at any time for job discrimination and pay discrimination based on sex, race, religion or other reasons.
His list also included “temporary assistance” to the Detroit-based auto companies, “if they restructured themselves to make themselves competitive.” All are now profitable.

Obama added other items: Enforcement of job health and safety laws, naming officials who uphold workers’ rights, “jump-starting a new American clean-energy industry…with the potential to create perhaps millions of jobs,” trade law enforcement, executive orders that reverse the GOP’s anti-union bias, “fighting for tax breaks for companies that invest here” instead of overseas, and rebuilding infrastructure.

“But there’s a lot more to do to rebuild our infrastructure…and a lot more Americans ready and willing to do that work,” he continued. “So that, too, is an area where we’ve got to keep moving forward,” he said. “We’re going to have to cut taxes for middle-class families,” the president said, again without being specific.

The Republicans, however, not only opposed those measures -- and health reform, too -- but want to repeal them, Obama noted. “I guess they want to go back to hidden credit-card fees and mortgage penalties buried in the fine print…to a system that allowed for taxpayer bailouts…to allowing insurance companies to discriminate based on pre-existing conditions,” among other things, he added.

“And that’s what the choice is going to be in this upcoming election -- and all your members need to understand that,” he said.

Mark Gruenberg writes for Press Associates, Inc., news service. Used by permission.