Americall Walk Off

TMP has a heartening story today about American's standing up, putting even their own livelihood behind the good of the country. Behind their support for change and Barack Obama. Workers at a call center in Indiana walked off the job rather than spread lies about Barack Obama.

Some three dozen workers at a telemarketing call center in Indiana walked off the job rather than read an incendiary McCain campaign script attacking Barack Obama, according to two workers at the center and one of their parents.

Nina Williams, a stay-at-home mom in Lake County, Indiana, tells us that her daughter recently called her from her job at the center, upset that she had been asked to read a script attacking Obama for being "dangerously weak on crime," "coddling criminals," and for voting against "protecting children from danger."

Williams' daughter told her that up to 40 of her co-workers had refused to read the script, and had left the call center after supervisors told them that they would have to either read the call or leave, Williams says. The call center is called Americall, and it's located in Hobart, IN.

"They walked out," Williams says of her daughter and her co-workers, adding that they weren't fired but willingly sacrificed pay rather than read the lines. "They were told [by supervisors], `If you all leave, you're not gonna get paid for the rest of the day.

Correction 10/27/2008 7:30 pm:

Sorry- folks and big apologies to the Americall office in Wa.
- Apparently the company involved in the above story is a different AMERICALL.

The correct contact information for the company involved in the Indiana incident is:

Americall Group, Inc.
www.teleperformance.com/americall/
Phone: 630.955.9100.

You can contact Americall Group, Inc. and let them know what you think about their decision to be a mouthpiece for lies and negative sleaze campaigning against Barack Obama. Tell them that you support the workers in their decision to put country first.

And when you are done doing that, make 10 calls for Obama to combat their nationwide lies and smear tactics.

There's more...

Kids AND Voters Off Limits

I was so happy when Sen. Obama said that the Kids should be off limits. I want to add another one, though I have little hope that it will stick.

Attacking and making fun of voters should be out of bounds.

For decades the norm, sadly too often in both parties, has been to suppress the vote. They wanted voters but they wanted voters they could influence and control. The conservatives were always more nefarious, reading tests, police intimidation and the like. But as a country we have NEVER made it easy for people to vote. Registration rules, legal mumbo jumbo, long lines, sheesh even having the election itself on a work day and then NOT giving people time off to go and do their civic duty. WTF.

I am proud to say that in my lifetime, the Dems and Liberals have seemingly found a new respect for voters. And have fought hard the last 35-40 years to make sure people can and do vote. Even us Americans overseas who only got the right to vote about 30 years ago.

The Voters-- who are they? They are our citizens.
These are the people that you will represent if you serve in office. (KEY WORD BEING SERVE.)

So where the hell do you get off making fun of, deriding and intimidating voters?

What the hell are groups like the PAC Club For Growth thinking when they attack voters in ads? What are Sarah Palin and Rudy G. doing when they dismiss and laugh at community organizers who are making things better every day for people in their towns and cities?! Who the hell are these people who say with a straight face. "Elect me to serve you" while they are patronizing and slinging mud at all Americans.

Politics can be a battle for sure. And if you really feel you must go negative-- focusing on the weaknesses of your opponent seems to be a relevant (though somewhat pathetic) course of action. But the voters who would be your employers should be respected on both sides.

Ask for their vote, respectfully, Tell them why they should vote for you. If you really feel you must, Tell them why they shouldn't vote for your opponent.

BUT

Don't make fun of them, call them stupid, deride their efforts for our country, stereotype them and don't ever plan and scheme to get in between them and the voting booth.

This year, this is what WE think of voters and organizers.

What do Sarah Palin and John McCain think? They made it pretty clear this week.

My message to them.;

The voters should be off limits.

There's more...