Hey, liberal bloggers, look before you leap!

The progressive blogs are going nuts over ambiguous comments that Obama has made in the heat of competition in recent weeks -- like one that is being construed as an attack on unions -- somehow believing they trump formal, written, declared commitments like this from his website. They need to get a grip. Some can’t even realize that a strategy of building the progressive movement by pulling independents to the left might be a winning strategy – and that deliberately alienating everyone who is not a committed part of the progressive Democratic base is no better than what the consultants did in 2000 and 2004: a program for every problem, with no cohesive philosophy to counter the Republican's simple talking points. I'm not always crazy about some of his language, but before launching into attacks, these bloggers really should consult the website for what Obama's actual position is on someof these issues.

Obama will strengthen the ability of workers to organize unions. He will fight for passage of the Employee Free Choice Act. Obama will ensure that his labor appointees support workers’ rights and will work to ban the permanent replacement of striking workers. Obama will also increase the minimum wage and index it to inflation to ensure it rises every year.
· Ensure Freedom to Unionize: Obama believes that workers should have the freedom to choose whether to join a union without harassment or intimidation from their employers. Obama cosponsored and is strong advocate for the Employee Free Choice Act, a bipartisan effort to assure that workers can exercise their right to organize. He will continue to fight for EFCA's passage and sign it into law.
· Fight Attacks on Workers' Right to Organize: Obama has fought the Bush National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) efforts to strip workers of their right to organize. He is a cosponsor of legislation to overturn the NLRB's "Kentucky River" decisions classifying hundreds of thousands of nurses, construction, and professional workers as "supervisors" who are not protected by federal labor laws. · Protect Striking Workers: Obama supports the right of workers to bargain collectively and strike if necessary. He will work to ban the permanent replacement of striking workers, so workers can stand up for themselves without worrying about losing their livelihoods.
· Raise the Minimum Wage: Barack Obama will raise the minimum wage, index it to inflation and increase the Earned Income Tax Credit to make sure that full-time workers earn a living wage that allows them to raise their families and pay for basic needs.

That looks like a pretty good platform to me.