Obama, Clinton hail Cesar Chavez.. Obama: holiday

I'm voting for Obama, I'm pro-union, and I do think there needs to be more spotlight on those who champion worker's rights, but this is a bad idea. And, Obama, the TIMING is terrible. Right now Americans want their cheap lettuce, but want anyone who's not like them to 'go home'.

These holidays don't serve the purpose they are intended to. By all means create a Chavez day, but not a national holiday.

Obama will do anything for a vote! The man for change. Right!!

There definitely should be a national holiday for the great American, Cesar Chavez. He worked tirelessly for the migrant worker, one of the less respected workers in America!! What was AGRABUSINESS' profits this past year, 40%? America, the land of the Fee, home of the Greed!!
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME, ALIVE. NOW.

Sp again Clinton comes out today honors this guy and BO scrambles to find out who he is and then wants to make a holiday for him TOO FUNNY
Why hasnt he claimed a Holiday for Bill Richardson?
Richardson should be appaled at this

Can Obama's vote-pandering be more blatant?

Vote Obama, Pennsylvania!

Mr. Chavez stands for very important things in the hispanic communities. It is good that he be recognized. It is also good that Senator Obama thinks he should be honored in such a way. I'm sure Hillary isn't above pandering as she mines for "group" or identity votes as opposed to best unifying this country better so that the policies she advocates have a better chance of coming to some sort of fruition.

What politicians will do for votes. With all the National Holidays why don't we make every Monday a Holiday. I am sure our slimy politicians can fill in each Monday for some type of holiday honoring an event or an individual. And that can get them more votes.

Just what school kids need, another day off from classes. Yeeeesh! Let's see: Three months in the summer, two weeks at Christmas, a half week at Thanksgiving, a week at Easter or spring, Columbus Day, ML King day, Columbus Day, Presidents Day, Veterans Day, 5 or more "teacher institute" days. Maybe Obama should instead suggest that the children GO TO SCHOOL MORE, NOT LESS. Average daily attendance at Crane is 52 percent. And they need more days off? That must be because their test scores are so high that they have all the education they need.

With Senators Leahy and Dodd requesting and suggesting that Hillary withdraw, you are beginning to hear a chorus of demands that the Democratic primary end now.

Join the chorus. Join the movement. Ask Senator Clinton to drop out of the race for the good of the Democratic Party and the welfare of the American people.

Visit: http://www.dropouthillary.org

What a stunning example of political pandering.
Here's to the new guy...just like all the old guys.

Of course Obama is for yet another Federal holiday. Like Martin Luther King day, most of us will have to still go to work BUT Federal employees will get yet another paid day off. While we're at it, lets honor a few more great people...Malcolm X, Harvey Milk....I'm certain we can come up with enough people who have heavily contributed to the US that we could give Federal employees a couple of month's worth of time off...and hey, maybe they can add Pulaski day to round out things!

Sp again Clinton comes out today honors this guy and BO scrambles to find out who he is and then wants to make a holiday for him TOO FUNNY
Why hasnt he claimed a Holiday for Bill Richardson?
Richardson should be appaled at this

Posted by: Betty | March 31, 2008 1:00 PM

Hillary shouldn't be proposing ANYTHING until she can a least prove that she can even pay off her own campaign debts.

I wouldn't let Clinton balance my checkbook let alone vote for her for President.

I'm waiting for Clinton to endorse a new National holiday called:

"Sniper Fire in Bosnia Day"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDP_u2YDrFA

I defenetely support a holiday for Cesar Chavez.
He's an American hero who's values have changed our lives. I know the UFW is backing the holiday and has a web page up at http://www.ufw.org/cesarchavez which allows folks to sign the Cesar Chavez holiday petition and has a ton of info on Cesar posted.
I reccomend folks go to this site ufw.org/cesarchavez and sign the petition.

César Chávez was a good man alright. But I fear he is being remembered for what he wasn't rather than for what he was.

He was the man who led hardworking farm workers in their struggle to be paid a fair wage to lift them out of poverty. Yet, he strictly insisted upon legal, moral behavior to accomplish his goals. He knew he wasn't going to win in the court of public opinion without it. In this particular, he was not unlike Martin Luther King Jr. And, employing this philosophy, he and his workers weathered a great deal of persecution at the hands of local officials and law enforcement agencies.

However, there is one fact that many seem to overlook. César Chávez firmly opposed illegal immigration. He sent farm workers to patrol the border and interdict illegal aliens from crossing, much the way the minutemen do today. He had union members picket INS offices to demand closure of the border. He even marched to the border with Walter Mondale and Ralph Abernathy in tow to publicize the trouble with illegal immigration. He did this because the large fruit and vegetable growers - against whom he and his workers struggled – used illegal aliens as scab workers and strike breakers. He needed to limit the supply of illegal labor if his union was to survive, much less win better wages.

Today, of course, much of the advancement Chávez gained for his American workers has all been lost in the flood of illegal immigration. The bad pay and working conditions faced by farm workers are the direct results of this.

You see, folks, those who oppose illegal immigration aren’t necessarily racists. Illegal immigration causes a disproportionately greater harm to American ethnic minorities because the illegal aliens compete for too many of the same jobs. Thus, it is perfectly reasonable to oppose illegal immigration out of concern for the rule of law, the interests of those lawfully here and, yes, even the well-being of our minority populations.

And while it is fair to say Chávez was a good man, it is not fair to portray him as a saint, much less the patron saint of illegal immigration (as some have done). That’s because: 1) he didn’t support illegal immigration; and/or 2) his flip-flop on the issue of illegal immigration late in life disclosed weakness and inconsistency the likes of which is not characteristic of sainthood.

We have a Cesar Chavez day... Cinco de Mayo. A farmworkers day...ridiculous. Sounds like Administrative Assistants' Day - and there are more Admins than farm workers in the U.S.

Ummm... Betty? Where the heck are you getting that? I'm fairly certain that Obama knew just who Chavez was. He was a community organizer working the streets of Chicago for 12K a year *after* graduating magna cum laude from Harvard Law. He's a committed organizer and has put his life on the line in service of the working poor.

Is he joking!? He is a day early for April Fools.

Labor Day isn't enough.

Hell Washington and Lincoln have to share a date and this bum would get one for extorting higher wages from people!?

Another holiday? For what? No one celebrates such holidays - ML King day? I had the day off and woo hoo - did nothing. These are not real holidays - not too many King parades going down MainStreet USA - Don't think we'll see any Chavez parades either. Pander, Pander, Pander.

Holiday for Chavez....how nice. If we can think of more recipients for the other days of the year we will never have to work again...what a bunch of pandering baloney.

By the way...I think we already have this holiday...it's called "Labor Day"....or because it honors everyone and not just specifically Latin Americans workers I guess that doesn't work huh...????

Cesar Chavez was also a communist. I'm not surprised B Hussein Obama wants a national holiday in his honor. See what this leftist socialist would do if President.
david in NC I don't know about Obama putting his life on the line for the working poor did that count helping Tony Rezko developing high rises and Obama was his lawyer and long time friend. Obama had friends like the Mahajans, Jeremiah Wright, and many others including Louis Frakhan. Jerry White, Springfield, IL

Hey I have an idea for both campaigns....there's no Larry the Cable Guy day yet.......good way to get the trailer park vote.

Cesar E. Chavez sacrificed his health and well-being for others. Why would we not want to celebrate this man's life? Rather, we have Holidays that celebrate the massacring of millions that once conserved this "Great land of liberty." This should be on the agenda of any great leader. This only shows their dedication to diversity and celebration of our social heroes.

David in NC--you're all wet about obama and his years 'on the streets' of Chicago.

i dunno what many of these posts are refering to by "pandering"... this is completely consistant with Obama's message and actions. Obama just sounds like he means it when compared to CLinton.

David in NC--you're all wet about obama and his years 'on the streets' of Chicago.

Posted by: golden oldie | March 31, 2008 3:27 PM

"golden oldie" is MJ

"Vinny" is MJ

"geraldinetoo" is MJ

For all the "Obama-haters" who use anything as an excuse to attack him:
Obama actually spent all of his public life working in the community with labor groups and activists to ensure rights for workers -- including farm workers in Illinois. So, while you're busy trying to accuse him of pandering, understand what Chavez did very much is what Obama did before he ran for the Senate. If you don't like Obama, fine -- but don't pretend he "had your vote before now" or that this is "why you don't support him." This is completely consistent with his message and he's previously made references to making it a national holiday. This kind of anti-Obama stuff is just becoming more pathetic. Just say you don't like him and end your post there.

"CEASAR CHERTOFF SPEAKS"

"Z" PEOPLE, "G" PEOPLE, GONZALES, GONZALEZ, CHAVEZ, GOMEZ, HERNANDEZ NOT SO FAST, PROVISIONAL BALLOT HOLDERS OF AMERICA, NOT SO FAST.

YA'LL BETTER RECOGNIZE, YOU NO "REAL ID" HAVIN IMMIGRANTS, FOREIGN NATIONAL, X,Y,Z-VISA HOLDING WANNA BE'S!

YA'LL BETTER RECOGNIZE, YOU DON'T HAVE ONE OF MY "REAL ID'S" SO SAVE YOUR "CEASAR" FOR ANOTHER ROMAN TIME.

THE SENATE IS OURS
THE PRESIDENCY IS OURS
THE EXECUTIVE BRANCHES WILL BE MINE! I'M THE REAL "CEASAR" IN AMERICA.

IT'S CEASAR CHERTOFF" AND DO NOT FORGET IT.

YOU ARE A PROVISIONAL BALLOT AT BEST. YOU ARE A "CAGED VOTE" AT BEST.
YOUR VOTE IS THE SAME NAME IN ONE OF MY "TENTS" IN A COUNTY NEAR YOU.

OBAMA IS NO MASSIAH, HE IS NOT GOING FREE ANYONE.

"IN DEALING WITH COMMISSIONER OF IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION AND INSERTING "SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY" AND REMOVE "ATTORNEY GENERAL"

CESAR WHO! SEIZEHER TOO!
CEASAR WHO! CESAR CHERTOFF!

All we need is another day that the gov't workers get paid for doing nothing.

Why not have a holiday celebrating the capitalist that creat these jobs? Without them, we would have unemployment day.

All we need is another day that the gov't workers get paid for doing nothing.

Why not have a holiday celebrating the capitalist that creat these jobs? Without them, we would have unemployment day.

Posted by: Terry | March 31, 2008 7:31 PM

Pipe down Spelling Champ,

Right now the tax payers are busy bailing out the huge GOP backed failing lending co's.

That's socialism on a huge Republic Party scale, Terri.

Catholic SchoolGirl John E,

When you go to your job flipping EggMcMuffins tomorrow, you should give thanks to Ray Kroc for creating a job opportunity for numb-nuts like you.

Huh. Barack needs to work on his Spanish. “Puede” means “You can.” “Podemos” means “We can.”

Oops.

White america seems to have such memory loss, when it comes to understanding whom has built there homes,provided there food,and cared for there family's.

White america seems to have such memory loss, when it comes to understanding whom has built there homes,provided there food,and cared for there family's.

White america seems to have such memory loss, when it comes to understanding whom has built there homes,provided there food,and cared for there family's.

Now, if Clinton and Obama would only realize that Chavez opposed illegal immigration because he realized it diluted the power of workers to organize and bargain. But I guess that wouldn't play well with supporters of amnesty.

"White america seems to have such memory loss, when it comes to understanding whom has built there homes,provided there food,and cared for there family's."

On the contrary, it's illegal aliens who take credit where they have no business taking it. My home was built in the 1960s by American workers, mainly white and possibly Black. Illegal aliens and Hispanics now comprise only about 25 percent of the construction work force, according to the Pew Hispanic Center.