Bush Legacy Tour

WICHITA, KS- Our first stop in Wichita was at the Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 441. There was a certain irony in bringing the bus to a plumber’s hall the night after the last Presidential debate where a certain plumber became the recurring theme. Although, Joe the Plumber has become the poster-child for  McCain’s conservatism, the group of over 1,000 plumbers and pipefitters that are part of the Wichita Local do not appear to be supporting the Arizona Senator.  While Joe the Plumber is “rich” in John McCain’s book, the plumbers that came through the bus have been hard hit by the Bush/McCain conservative economic policies.  Unlike Joe the Plumber, they are licensed at their trade and find that even though they make decent money, keeping up with the rising costs of groceries, gas and healthcare can be a struggle.

Our second stop in Wichita brought the bus to the (IAM) Machinists hall where they were holding a rally to support striking Boeing workers.  Thousands of Boeing workers across the country have been on strike for over two months. Contract negotiations had just broken down again and the Machinists were holding rallies all across the country to improve the morale of the workers . A crowd of around 250 people went through the bus. The striking workers loved the bus and despite their current lack of work, came forth with lots of donations to keep the bus going.

A consistent line to enter the bus.