Biden: McCain helped cripple labor movement

Biden: McCain helped cripple labor movement

By BOB LEWIS
Associated Press Writer
AP Photo

AP Photo/Don Petersen


CASTLEWOOD, Va. (AP) -- Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden said Saturday that Republican John McCain has helped President Bush destroy regulatory safeguards for the middle class in general and the labor movement in particular.

Biden, a Delaware senator, told hundreds of cheering coal mining families at a United Mine Workers picnic that McCain went along with Bush in putting anti-labor, corporate interests in charge of the U.S. Labor Department and the National Labor Relations Board.

"Do any of you doubt that this administration has anything else in mind than doing in the labor movement?" Biden said.

Biden's visit was the third since June by him or Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama to the rural, blue-collar southwestern tip of Virginia, a battleground state that hasn't backed a Democrat for president in 44 years.

Biden sought to link McCain and Bush in blame for high fuel costs, declining health benefits for workers and veterans, and a troubled stock market.

"This president has us engaged in three wars - one of necessity in Afghanistan and one of choice in Iraq. But he also has been at war on labor's house since the day he was elected. It is an outright war on labor's house," Biden said.

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Haven't seen that very often. :-)