SEIU Endorses Barack Obama

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SEIU Endorses Barack Obama

By SEIU President Mary Kay Henry

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Today, with great pride and a sense of purpose, the 2.1 million members united in SEIU endorse President Barack Obama for re-election.

President Obama is the only candidate for president who shares our vision of America as a land of opportunity for everyone. We need a leader willing to fight for the needs of the 99 percent, and stand with hard working families to say that the world's wealthiest corporations must pay their fair share.

You've probably seen how hard it is to get the concerns of working people taken seriously in our political process. Here's why:

Our economy and democracy have been taken over by the wealthiest one percent.

These bankers and CEOs have used their wealth and excessive political influence to treat our state and federal governments like their personal cash drawer - spending lavishly on elections and then pressuring legislators to give them even more instead of creating jobs. It shows in the results.

Just last month, congressional supporters of the one percent blocked President Obama's latest job proposals. They claimed that we couldn't afford to invest in creating good jobs in the United States and then suggested another round of tax cuts for wealthy corporations and the one percent. I have a word for that: ridiculous.

We know what's really important. We know that after a decade of tax breaks for the rich and out-of-control gambling on Wall Street, things have gotten much harder for working Americans. We know that if these problems aren't taken care of now, the next generation will have it even worse.

We know that we need to create good jobs here at home so that workers can support their families, young people can get a good start in life, and everyone can have a shot at the American dream.

We know that health care, elder care and other vital services must be available for all our families.

We know there needs to be a pathway to citizenship for every immigrant worker.

We know that something has to be done.

President Obama is looking to turn things around, but he needs support from all of us to be heard over his wealthy opponents, people who seem to believe that the only thing wrong with the economy is that they have to share it.