This morning the AFT executive council voted to endorse the candidacy of Barack Obama for president in 2012. Watch this message from AFT President Randi Weingarten on the endorsement.
Education, jobs and the economy continue to be the top issues confronting our members and the country. When President Obama took office, he inherited an economy on the verge of collapse. Over the past three years, he has proposed and fought for legislation—despite an implacable Congress—that has worked to stabilize the economy, save jobs and prevent cuts to vital services that Americans depend on.
The Republican candidates are promoting a view of America that differs greatly from those concerned about economic and educational fairness. These candidates seek to repeal healthcare legislation. They have supported efforts to strip workers of collective bargaining and a voice in the workplace by jamming through so-called “right to work for less” legislation, as we saw in Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana and elsewhere. And they support tax plans that don’t ask the wealthiest Americans to pay their fair share.
These are not minor differences. Re-electing Barack Obama will move our country forward in a direction that is fundamentally different from that of any of the contenders still in the running for the Republican nomination.
This does not mean that we agree with every decision the president and his administration have made, particularly those education policies that place more emphasis on competition and measurements than on promoting what frontline professionals and parents know will improve teaching and learning in our classrooms. We recognize there is still work to be done. When we have disagreed with the Obama administration, the AFT has made that known, and we will continue to do so.
We hope you will join us in supporting the re-election of Barack Obama as president of the United States. Together, we can work to restore a strong middle class and a strong economy, and ensure that everyone has a fair shot at achieving the American dream.
In unity,
John Ost
AFT Political Director