Barack Obama and SEIU

I'm reading Barack Obama's The Audacity of Hope in an effort to gain more knowledge of Obama and what makes him tick. I came across something of interest as I was reading this morning. In this chapter of the book, Obama is talking about politics and trying to remain true to his beliefs and not cave to the campaign contributors who donated the most money to his US Senate campaign back in 2004. He talks about the surveys put out by those who may endorse him. He says that he lost some endorsements by answering their questions wrong, but then he gained some endorsements despite his wrong answers on their surveys. What struck me was the support he gained from several of the largest service workers unions, SEIU being one of them. He says that "it was a risky move on their part; had I lost, those unions might have paid a price in access, in support, in credibility with their members." He goes on to say . . . So I owe those unions. When their leaders call, I do my best to call them back right away. I don't consider this corrupting in any way; I don't mind feeling obligated toward home health-care workers who clean bedpans every day for little more than the minimum wage, or towards teachers in some of the toughest schools in the country, many of whom have to dip into their own pockets at the beginning of every school year to buy crayons and books for their students. I got into politics to fight for these folks, and I'm glad a union is around to remind me of their struggles. When you're considering your vote this fall, I urge you to remember who SEIU endorsed, and I urge you to think about Obama's words from his book. Check out Obama's walk in a home care worker's shoes . . . http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miUS7WnMgBw Think about it, has McCain done this? Does he know about what direct care workers do on a day-to-day basis? Does he know about the challenges we face? Granted, SEIU had a lot to do with Obama meeting a home care worker. He doesn't "choke" on the word union. He knows what we're about, thanks to SEIU.