Obama To Award Socialist Union Boss, John Sweeney, The Presidential Medal of Freedom

This is just too special…

President Obama today named AFL-CIO President Emeritus John Sweeney as a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor. The award is presented to individuals who have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.

Some background on Sweeney via Discover the Networks:

Former President of the AFL-CIO
Member of Democratic Socialists of America
Former President of the Service Employees International Union
Repealed an AFL-CIO rule prohibiting Communists from being leaders of its member unions
Instituted “Union Summer” program to radicalize union activists and inculcate class warfare ideas and tactics

According to activist and author Joel Kotkin, a longtime fellow at the Progressive Policy Institute:

“The public-sector unions have pushed the entire labor movement to the left. The [SEIU] has embraced organizations with a New Left origin, such as ACORN and Cleveland’s Nine to Five, and has even set up its own gay and lesbian caucus. … The rise of these unions led to the elevation of SEIU’s boss, John Sweeney, to head of the labor federation. No George Meaney-style bread-and-butter unionist, Sweeney is an advocate of European-style democratic socialism. He has opened the AFL-CIO to participation by delegates openly linked to the Communist Party, which enthusiastically backed his ascent. The U.S. Communist Party [CPUSA] says it is now ‘in complete accord’ with the AFL-CIO’s program. ‘The radical shift in both leadership and policy is a very positive, even historic change,’ wrote CPUSA National Chairman Gus Hall in 1996 after the AFL-CIO convention.”

Sweeney is a card-carrying member of Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), the principal American affiliate of the Socialist International.

Sweeney would not be the first Socialist Obama has given the award to. In August of ’09, he awarded the medal to Sidney Poitier, who is described as a “classic poolside Socialist”, after the actor had publicly recommended that the salaries of CEOs everywhere be capped to $500,000 per year.

The 15 honorees this year include, Maya Angelou, Congressman John Lewis, President George H. W. Bush, and Chancellor Angela Merkel. The full list, here.

Linked by Doug Ross