Paul became the first presidential candidate to cross the picket line of the Writers Guild yesterday when he appeared on ABC's "The View."
The television writers have been on strike since Nov. 5, seeking a fair share of revenue from online broadcasts, DVDs and other electronic formats. The union returned to the bargaining table yesterday in the continuing effort to achieve a fair contract. While so far no other Republican candidate has crossed a picket line, none has made a significant effort to support striking workers this year.
Other 2008 presidential candidates have taken a different approach: They've honored the writers' picket line, and some have walked with workers on strike. Former Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.) and his wife Elizabeth canceled appearances on "The View" to honor the picket line, as did Michelle Obama, wife of Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), who was scheduled to appear on the show today. The Democratic National Committee last week announced it would cancel a planned Dec. 10 debate due to a potential strike by ABC News writers and staff. Both Obama and John Edwards marched alongside striking hotel workers in Chicago earlier this year, and all Democratic candidates except Mike Gravel issued statements in support of the 73,000 striking workers at General Motors in September.
This year, Paul voted against the Employee Free Choice Act, which would make it easier for workers to exercise their freedom to form a union.
All major Democratic presidential candidates support the Employee Free Choice Act, while the Republican candidates have either voted against it, expressed opposition to it or not taken a position.
Paul just demonstrated that he's as clueless as the rest of his Republican buddies. There's a reason fifty-two percent of Americans say the economy and health care are the most important issues to them in choosing a president. It's because they're struggling to make ends meet on their wages; meanwhile, employer provided health care continues to go by the wayside. Unions fight for a middle class way of life and so do most Democrats. Republicans? They cross picket lines and vote against acts that make it easier for workers to form a union.
