So, I’m here at the Netroots Nation convention watching real progress happen. Just the other day I and many other labor folks were lamenting the fact that the liberal blogosphere has zero time for the labor movement these days—apart, of course, from thanking us for bringing them the weekend, declaring that we’re no longer relevant, and then quickly moving on to a sexier progressive topic.

Well, those of us working in the labor movement have known for some time that this attitude is, to put it politely, a crock of crap. Liberals have been, albeit unknowingly, parroting Republican talking points on this issue and not acknowledging the fact that the progressive movement NEEDS labor just as much as labor needs the progressive movement.

So yesterday morning, a bunch of us labor people met and caucused here at Netroots, and we decided to take back Labor Day--and to invite progressive bloggers to join us in doing so. There is (already!!!) a website called www.takebacklaborday.org. And today I sat in on two panels that gave me real hope for the progressive blog/labor partnership that has to happen for Americans to prosper economically again:

Workers terrorized, handcuffed and held without food or water. Mothers separated for days or weeks from children. Guns brandished at innocent workers just doing their job.

Sound like another country? Unfortunately, this scenario has taken place in America--perpetuated by our own government at American workplaces. And finally, people are starting to take notice.

Yesterday, the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union held a public hearing in Boston to address a March 2007 ICE raid involving hundreds of federal agents in New Bedford, Mass. which resulted in the detention and terrorizing of hundreds of employees who couldn't provide proof of their legal immigration status.  Senator John Kerry, among others, was there to testify on the government's failure to enact comprehensive immigration reform.

Looks like labor unions on both sides can agree on something, anyway--Mark Penn had to go. As Steven Greenhouse writes on the New York Times political blog today:

More details are emerging on how the Clinton camp came under pressure from unions before Mark Penn stepped down as the campaign’s chief political strategist.

Gerry McEntee, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, widely viewed as the union that has campaigned most aggressive for Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, said in an interview that he telephoned her on Saturday to urge her to fire Mr. Penn. Mr. Penn apologized last week for meeting with officials from Colombia, which hired him to help secure passage of a bilateral trade treaty with the United States that Mrs. Clinton, a senator from New York, opposes.

Today members of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW) put out a new ad supporting Barack Obama for President.

The UFCW endorsed Obama on February 14.  The ad will begin running in Ohio on Tuesday and continue through March 4.

Hillary Clinton earlier criticized Obama for the ad as the work of an outside group. You can read the ad text and view the ad for yourself...

This Valentine’s Day, it doesn’t matter if you’re single or committed, male or female, a romantic or a raging cynic.  Anyone at all can take a few minutes out of their day to show their love to somebody... your local grocery workers.