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'Change to Win' Backs Obama
February 21, 2008 11:27 AM
ABC News' Teddy Davis and Sunlen Miller Report: Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., won the support of "Change to Win" on Thursday, further imperilling Sen. Hillary Clinton's, D-N.Y., candidacy.
"We do think it is time to bring this nomination process to a close," said "Change to Win" chair Anna Burger on a conference call with reporters. "It could be time for her to realize that change is happening and it is happening for Barack Obama."
"Change to Win," which has a national membership of six million, is a coalition of seven labor unions which spun off from the AFL-CIO in 2005.
The "Change to Win" endorsement will provide Obama with additional boots on the ground and additional coordination in advance of March 4th when primaries are held in Ohio, Texas, Rhode Island, and Vermont. The labor federation already has a coordinator in Ohio, a must-win state for Clinton.
"Change to Win" has 175,000 members in the Buckeye State and it is aiming to turn out 110,000 of them for Obama.
Once Obama picked up the Teamsters endorsement on Wednesday, he had the backing of the four largest unions that belong to "Change to Win" and his endorsement by the coalition took on the air of inevitability.
Burger cited former President Bill Clinton's role in pushing the North American Free Trade Agreement as one of the reasons why her member unions went against the former first lady.
"I think NAFTA hurt people in our country," said Burger. "My bet is that it has colored the thinking of some of our members, in some of the areas of the country where jobs have been lost because it was under the Clinton administration that NAFTA first passed."
The four "Change to Win" unions whose endorsement Obama had before Thursday were the Teamsters, the Service Employees International Union, the United Food and Commercial Workers, and UNITE Here. All four of these Obama unions voted Thursday morning for "Change to Win" to make an endorsement.
The three "Change to Win" unions which have not endorsed Obama -- the United Farm Workers, the United Brotherhood of Carpenters, and the Laborers International Union -- abstained but did not dissent from the "Change to Win" endorsement of Obama.
The United Farm Workers will continue to support Clinton though Burger noted that their membership is mostly in California, a state that voted for Clinton when it held its primary on Feb. 5.
As for the the Carpenters, which endorsed former Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., when he was still in the race, and the Laborers, which have not endorsed anyone, Burger said that they were still going through their own "internal process." If the two holdouts decide to get behind Obama, "Change to Win" will be able to bring them and their union members into their coordinated pro-Obama plan.
Speaking of the way in which "Change to Win" will now be able to coordinate the door-knocking, phone-call making, and mailings of its four pro-Obama unions, Burger said, "I think the mobilization effort will be much more effective if we do it together than if we had done it separately."
February 21, 2008 in Kucinich, Dennis | Permalink | User Comments (22)
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Hillary, it's time to give up. Blue collar workers don't trust multi-millionaires to be credible fighters for their cause. You're losing all the support you would need to secure the nomination. Please, set aside graciously. The race is over.
Posted by: Janet | Feb 21, 2008 11:35:59 AM
I agree with you. Bill Clinton was in Houston and yesterday and he did not even make that much news.
But she will throw the Kitchen sink on Obama today in the debate.
Posted by: mdiogu | Feb 21, 2008 11:49:18 AM
Janet,
Give her until March 4th.
Posted by: change | Feb 21, 2008 11:51:20 AM
She will come out tonight swinging. Too bad for her. We the people don't stand for that anymore
Posted by: change | Feb 21, 2008 11:53:16 AM
Change - "You the people" will deserve everything you get when Barack is clueless in the White House. Give me a break.
Posted by: billy | Feb 21, 2008 12:00:32 PM
Oh yeah. There's a debate tonight - have to decide if I want to miss it because after 4,000 debates they're just flat-out boring, or if I should watch it to see how much higher Clinton pushes the attack levels.
Hmmm. What else is on tonight?
Posted by: Paul | Feb 21, 2008 12:02:20 PM
I would love to here why is Hillary refusing to release her tax return b4 Nomination.
Sounds like somthing in her tax return might drive the voters even further from voting for her.
Any Hillary supporter would want to chime in on this?
BTW Barak dis disclose his tax return.
Posted by: moeen | Feb 21, 2008 12:14:45 PM
Mr. Obama, please explain your preemptive strike against John McCain. Everyone knows you are behind the smear.
Are you trying to throw some mud at your arch rival BEFORE your dirty laundry is exposed at Mr. Rezko's trial next week?
Thank goodness we are going to get the goods on you before the election.
Posted by: Mary Miles | Feb 21, 2008 12:28:23 PM
I'm looking forward to the debate tonight, IF they manage to have some discourse on the issues it could be very telling. I'd like to hear the candidates state their positions, have the other comment on that position and then have the candidate rebut. Doubtful, but that would be a real debate. I'm betting that the first question will either have to do with the plagarism non-issue or the tax return non-issue.
Posted by: Louis | Feb 21, 2008 12:48:57 PM
unions lets see they have done nothing for thier workers in what 40 years so what. I know a lot of union workers who think thier union is to weak to take a stand on anything.
Posted by: Bishop | Feb 21, 2008 12:51:20 PM
Remember the last time the union really got behind someone it was Kennedy and look at how the teamsters bought and rigged the vote for Kennedy in the 1960
election Bought by wonderful Joe Kennedy.
Posted by: melissa | Feb 21, 2008 1:53:44 PM
Remember the last time the union really got behind someone it was Kennedy and look at how the teamsters bought and rigged the vote for Kennedy in the 1960
election Bought by wonderful Joe Kennedy.
Posted by: melissa | Feb 21, 2008 1:54:40 PM
Once Hillary gets your vote she'll look down on all you "little people" just like Leona Helmsley did. Hillary is a multi, multi millionaire with staff to do her hair, clean her house, etc..... she could never relate to the working poor who hold this country up.
Posted by: Sandra | Feb 21, 2008 3:47:26 PM
I too am looking forward to the debate. I think if there it's time we see exactly where the 2 stand on issues and how they keep themselves composed under fire, so to speak. My bet is that Hillary will throw the 1st punch and Obama will shine!
Posted by: TJ | Feb 21, 2008 4:49:56 PM
IT'S OBAMA TIME AND TIME HAS COME IT'S TIME FOR HILARY TO STEP ASIDE AND LET OBAMA DO HIS THANG BECAUSE HE IS GOING TO WORK IT OUT AND TURN THIS WORLD AROUND WITH THE HELP OF GOD AND THATS WHAT WE ALL NEED "AND THE TIME IS NOW"
Posted by: angel | Feb 21, 2008 9:32:26 PM
Bill Clinton was in the White House with as much experience as Sen Barack Obama, why does Hillary forget so easily. Go Barrack..run.
I supported Hillary initially but frankly, Sen Barrack stands a better chance of winnig the US presidency.
Posted by: Nightingale | Feb 22, 2008 4:27:13 AM
As a voter, the inspairer has already put a vibrant energy to my hope. He has seen beyond fear of imposibility. Bravo to Obama
Posted by: Alias Crusem | Feb 22, 2008 6:31:16 AM
From the start of the primaries, it was clear that voters were torn between Obama/Hillary. Even though Obama has won the past 11 times, it was obvious, in the debate last nigh, that voters still really like both candidates.
I suggest that for the first 4 years that Hillary be president and Obama VP. This will enable Obama to smooth out his rough spots and insure he does not make a serious mistake during his learning curve. (He is a quick learner. Example: He no longer makes the mistake of being willing to talk to anyone without pre conditions.)
During the next 4 years Obama would become president and Hillary would become the Secretary of State.
This is a WIN, WIN, WIN, WIN situation. She wins, he wins people win and our country wins!
Posted by: Phyllis/ PA | Feb 22, 2008 8:11:34 AM
Why can't people see that Obama has a gift. He is giving hope back to this country who thought there was no hope. He is giving a voice to people who have not been heard for the last 16 years of "Bushes".
I'm sick and tired of the same old way this Country of ours is being ran. It's the same old, same old in every election. What in the world is wrong about thinking out side of the box for a change? Seeing what other ways we can make better changes for us and our future (our children).
Young people are looking for something different. It's time for some new "Young Blood" to step up to the plate. Experience isn't everything, it's what gets the job done. Obama has ainspired so many people because he has a vision for this country going forward. Ya'll need to give the man a chance. "YOU JUST GO OBAMA!!!"
Posted by: Deborah | Feb 22, 2008 1:00:30 PM
I agree the same regimes have been in there for the last 22 years and it is the same. Same people same politics and issue. If anything, no matter what happens a new fresh candidate like Obama would certainly change things.
Posted by: Bob Stoetzel | Feb 22, 2008 2:27:53 PM
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