Obama Rallies Labor to Back Reform

President rallies for support at AFL-CIO rally, Ohio GM plant
By Nick McMaster,  Newser Staff
Posted Sep 15, 2009 4:37 PM CDT
Obama Rallies Labor to Back Reform
Union leaders cheer as President Barack Obama addresses the AFL-CIO convention, Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2009, at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh.   (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

President Obama returned to friendly territory at an AFL-CIO rally in Pittsburgh and a GM plant in Ohio today to rally support for his health care reform plans, the Wall Street Journal reports. Noting that the issue had been talked “to death,” Obama asked the audience of AFL-CIO leaders: "How much longer are we going to have to wait? It can't wait," to cheers of "We Can't Wait."

To GM workers in Ohio, the president promised that “as long as you've got an ounce of fight in you, I've got a ton of fight in me. I've said it before: I'm skinny, but I'm tough." The president was capitalizing on goodwill from organized labor over the recent trade tariffs he put on Chinese tires, and increased production at the Lordstown plant because of the Cash for Clunkers program. (More health care reform stories.)

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