CFP surrounded by Obamabots at park picnic

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Canada Free Press (CFP) never expected to run into Obama on the grounds of Capitol Park, Charleston. Impressed with the architecture we'd spotted from the Interstate, we were looking for a peaceful place to have picnic lunch when we ran into dozens of Obamabots, all sporting nifty union t-shirts and carrying placards.

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The ants going for our iced tea and chocolate cake were more welcome at our Sunday afternoon picnic in the park. After having rolled through 15 states, where we spotted only a few Obama '08 signs, we were now surrounded by them. One car in the parking lot even had an Obama '08 sign beside a "Support Our Troops" logo. Most of the protesters were middle-aged plus and Caucasian. Ironically, they were promoting the same mantra as the anti-Obama, anti-big government conservatives: "It's time to take our country back!" But there were no true patriots in this gaggle of trade unionists. For all of the passion of their signage, the protesters seems to return to their cars somewhat dejected. Perhaps the Democrats who whipped up the furor with their union leaders were too far away at their summer cottages to keep enthusiasm alive from a distance. National AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Rich Trumka, United Mine Workers President Cecil Roberts, Gov. Joe Manchin and Rep. Nick Rahall, D-W.Va., were among those scheduled to attend the rally. The rally aimed to stir up support for a bill in Congress called the Employee Free Choice Act, which would make it easier for workers to join unions and create stiff penalties for employers that illegally seek to bar them from doing so. The rally was also scheduled to address global trade, with unions wanting stronger guarantees from the country's trade partner regarding human rights and the environment. But health-care reform has come to the forefront of the organizers' agenda. "It's time we said, 'Don't slow down. We need health care reform now,'" said state AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Larry Matheney. (wvgazette.com) Meanwhile, America being steered toward socialized medicine by the Obama administration is as much a worry in West Virginia as it is elsewhere. As far as many conservatives are concerned, big union bosses are in the same bad books as corrupt politicians.

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