Liberal Talk Radio

When we last left SEIU boss Andy Stern, he was working toward a health care plan that would de-emphasize the role of employers, rather than try to extract more benefits from them. Well, it looks like he’s snared the big kahuna as an ally: Wal-Mart.

But the issue — providing affordable health insurance — is arguably the biggest facing both Mr. Stern and Mr. Scott. Wal-Mart, which insures fewer than half its workers, has identified health care as potentially the biggest vulnerability to its image and business, and the S.E.I.U., one of the country’s biggest unions, has called it the No. 1 priority for its members.

So during today’s meeting, Mr. Stern and Mr. Scott will announce a campaign to seek public acceptance of several principles of health policy. One goal is universal health coverage by a specific date, somewhere around 2012. Another is the idea of shared responsibility, emphasizing that individuals, businesses and government all play roles in financing health care and expanding coverage.

Forget Bush’s incremental State of the Union proposal for tax-deductible contributions… labor and big business are way out in front on this.

Update: here are Stern’s remarks.