This week’s Battleground Bulletin reports on AFSCME’s endorsement yesterday of President Obama in his bid for a second term in 2012.

On Tuesday, AFSCME’s International Executive Board unanimously endorsed Barack Obama for a second term as President, citing his achievements on passing a law providing affordable health care for all, his determination to put Americans back to work and improve the economy, and his staunch support for collective bargaining rights.

In stark contrast, recent GOP debates have demonstrated just how out of touch the Republican candidates are with reality. As 99 percent of the nation continues to suffer through the jobs crisis, Republican Presidential front-runner Newt Gingrich has doubled-down on his support of child labor.

“It’s unbelievable that the GOP leadership and Presidential candidates are so eager to protect the Bush tax breaks for millionaires that they are willing to cut off benefits for the long-term unemployed and repeal a payroll tax cut,” said Michael Ebersole, a highway maintenance technician for the Florida Department of Transportation and member of AFSCME Local 3106. “President Obama’s call—to invest in innovation and infrastructure that will put people back to work today and build a strong foundation for the future—is what this country needs.”

In 2008, AFSCME launched a one-of-a-kind nationwide campaign to propel President Obama to the White House—recruiting more than 40,000 activists, making more than 6 million calls to members and deploying hundreds staff to across 17 battleground states. In 2011, AFSCME built an infrastructure in battleground states from coast-to-coast that will be vital to President Obama’s reelection next year.

Breaking News

News from the front lines of our fight for workers rights:

MI: Stop the Takeover Rally Held in Detroit
Taryn Asher, WJBK | myFOXDetroit.com, 12/06/11

CT: Unions, Occupiers March For Jobs & Safety
Thomas MacMillan, New Haven Independent, 12/07/11

WI: No one should have to pay for right to vote
Editorial Board, Wisconsin Rapids Tribune, 12/06/11

IN: National group of conservative lawmakers backing Indiana’s ‘right-to-work’ proposal
Tom LoBianco, The Republic (Columbus, IN), 12/07/11

MI: Bill banning public employers from using payroll deduction to collect political donations heads to House
Dave Murray, The Grand Rapids Press, 12/06/11

OH: GOP in nasty power struggle
Joe Hallett and Joe Vardon , Columbus Dispatch, 12/04/11

Kids Eating Rat Poison Is an “Acceptable Risk” for ALEC
Brendan Fischer, PR Watch, 12/06/11

Republicans split on Democratic plan to extend payroll tax cut
Rosalind S. Helderman, Washington Post, 12/07/11

Congress Should Follow Labor Law, Not Blow It Up
Ted Reed, The Street, 12/06/11

Quote of the Week

“The truth is we’ll never be able to compete with other countries when it comes to who’s best at letting their businesses pay the lowest wages, who’s best at busting unions, who’s best at letting companies pollute as much as they want. That’s a race to the bottom that we can’t win, and we shouldn’t want to win that race. … The race we want to win, the race we can win is a race to the top – the race for good jobs that pay well and offer middle-class security.”

— President Barack Obama, Tuesday, December 6, Osawatomie, Kansas (Click here to watch the speech. Click here to read the transcript.)

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