An Open Letter to Leah Daughtry

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  Alan L. Maki Leah Daughtry, the Campaign Manager for One Nation Working Together wrote to me and asked for my opinion and suggestions... what follows is my response:

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      Alan L. Maki

      Leah Daughtry, Campaign Manager for One Nation Working Together;
      Since you are asking me my opinion; I will be blunt and to the point.
      You are in a bind.
      Working people aren't going to turn out at the polls to hand over their votes to Obama and the Democrats because they aren't getting anything in return for their votes.
      In recent days Obama, his Administration and the Democratic Party started trying to bully, badger and intimidate people on the left, progressives and liberals--- all those who comprise the majority of the working class. When this intimidation didn't work to silence these critics Obama began a campaign of outright repression that will soon consume just about every single organization who sponsored and endorsed Oct. 2--- everyone is waiting for their subpoenas... not exactly the kind of atmosphere where people under attack and being kicked under the bus are going to be to encouraged to go knocking on doors and making phone calls let alone wasting their gas to drive to the polls.
      Obama is now changing his tune by telling working people not to worry about how everything he and the Democrats have done have hurt working people because the Republicans will be worse.
      Most people who participated in Oct. 2 did so, not to support Obama and the Democrats, but, to send them a message that they expected the change as it was promised.
      You have not helped matters either the way you first helped derail the single-payer universal health care movement; now you turn around and try to silence the anti-war movement by preventing a discussion as to what the major cause of this economic recession or depression is.
      You didn't want any of the speakers on Oct. 2 posing the question:
      How is Obama's war economy working for you?
      Nor did you want the statement made:
      Obama's wars are killing jobs just like these dirty wars kill people.
      Have you considered looking for help to get out the vote from your buddies at Brownstein/Hyatt/Farber/Schreck who helped you control and manipulate preventing the concerns of working people from rising to the top of the agenda at the Democratic Party National Convention?
      No peace; no votes.
      No jobs; no votes.
      No single-payer universal health care; no votes.
      No enforcement of affirmative action; no votes.
      War really is making all of us and our Nation very poor... so poor we cannot solve our many problems and the thing about this is that it is solving the problems of our people and society which is the way to create jobs.
      I really think you are exaggerating the numbers of people who you say turned out for Oct. 2... but, then again, it is an exaggeration to claim that there is a reason for working people to vote for Democrats who are willing to fund and continue these dirty wars as so many people suffer.
      But, no matter how many people were in Washington on Oct. 2 not many of these people, judging by what was on their shirts, signs and in leaflets handed out came to support Obama and the Democrats--- many, if not most, were there to demand an end to these wars and occupation and insist that the money saved would give us a nice start doing good things.
      I find it interesting that you, Richard Trumka and Ben Jealous didn't think of projecting an alternative to Obama's Wall Street agenda by insisting on creating a world-class public health care system which would provide ten-million people with jobs providing the American people with free health care--- instead of paying for wars.
      In closing, let me ask you: Is there a reason that after bringing all these working people to Washington D.C. you didn't take the opportunity to convene a founding convention for a labor-based peoples' party that would take up an alternative agenda? I bet a lot of young mothers and young families would like to participate in a new political party that would push, not only for public health care; but, national public child care centers, too.
      There really is a very good reason why the issue of peace must be at the center of every attempt to improve the lives and livelihoods of working people because otherwise things are just going to keep sliding downhill.
      Are you really interested in getting America back to work or only interested in electing and re-electing a bunch of Dumb Donkeys.
      I notice you didn't seem to want much discussion about the need to cut off funding to the Israeli killing machine, either.
      Thanks for requesting my opinion; I lok forward to your response.
      Yours in struggle and solidarity;
      Alan L. Maki
      Director of Organizing,
      Midwest Casino Workers Organizing Council
      58891 County Road 13
      Warroad, Minnesota 56763
      Phone: 218-386-2432
      Check out my blog:
      http://thepodunkblog.blogspot.com/