A coalition of organized labor and other progressive groups are gearing up to help ram President Obama's budget through Congress this spring.
Organizers are describing the campaign, called "Rebuild and Renew America Now", as the biggest grassroots effort in history. The coalition plans to spend $5-7 million from now through May on TV, print and Web advertising and field organizing.
"Obama's budget is the blueprint for transformational change," said Brad Woodhouse, president of Americans United for Change, in an afternoon conference call. "Powerful interests are lining up against this budget because they are vested in the status quo that was established over the last eight years."
Plenty of powerful interest groups are lining up behind the coalition, too, which includes Big Labor heavyweights AFSCME and SEIU and progressive groups like the League of Conservation Voters and Environment America. This isn't the first dance for Americans United for Change, which is spearheading the effort: The group has also led campaigns against former President Bush's Social Security plan and his veto of SCHIP, and fought to pass Obama's stimulus package.
"There's no question this is a very ambitious budget, and there's also no question that the president is taking on a lot of sacred cows in this town," said AFSCME legislative director Chuck Loveless. "I think the support is going to be there, and I think the great majority of the president's proposals are going to make it through."
-- David Herbert
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