- Condi Rice Plays for the Queen
- White House Christmas Tree Arrives
- Specter Prepared for 2010 if Opponent is Chris Matthews or Not
- Bush Calls Troops on Thanksgiving
- Bush Calls Indian Prime Minister
- Russian President Gets Red Carpet Treatment From Venezuelan Leader
- Russian President Gets Red Carpet Treatment From Venezuelan Leader
- Bush Bails Out Birds: Pardons Pumpkin and Pecan
- Barbara Bush Recovering from Abdominal Procedure
- Barbara Bush Hospitalized, Condition Not Life Threatening
- House Race Update: Ohio Sup. Ct. to Rule on Franklin County Votes
- Come Get Your Money -- $266 Million Worth
- Obama Points to Farm Subsidies for Budget Cuts
- For Obama, a Cautionary Tale on Budget Cuts
- Gates Cabinet Appointment 'A Done Deal'
- Ballotwatch
- Biden, Joe
- Bush, George W.
- Clinton, Bill
- Clinton, Hillary
- Dodd, Chris
- Edwards, John
- Giuliani, Rudy
- Gravel, Mike
- Huckabee, Mike
- Hunter, Duncan
- Inauguration
- Kucinich, Dennis
- McCain, John
- Obama, Barack
- Palin, Sarah
- Paul, Ron
- Richardson, Bill
- Romney, Mitt
- Tancredo, Tom
- Thompson, Fred
- Veepstakes
- Vote 2008: Democrats
- Vote 2008: Republicans
- Washington
- White House
« Bill Clinton: Texas and Ohio or Bust | Main | Huckabee to Make a Cameo on SNL »
Labor Lines Up Behind Obama
February 20, 2008 5:09 PM
ABC News' Teddy Davis and Sunlen Miller Report: Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., picked up the support of the Teamsters on Wednesday, and he is poised to win the endorsement of "Change to Win" on Thursday, further imperiling Sen. Hillary Clinton's candidacy.
"Change to Win" is a coalition of seven labor unions which spun off from the AFL-CIO in 2005.
The labor coalition is scheduled to hold a 10:00 am ET conference call on Thursday to consider an endorsement of Obama.
Since the Illinois Democrat now has endorsements from the four largest unions in the labor coalition, he is expected by those familiar with "Change to Win's" plans to win the group's endorsement.
A "Change to Win" endorsement of Obama is not a foregone conclusion. One of the coalition's members -- the United Farm Workers -- has endorsed Clinton and would be free to lobby its counterparts against making a coalition-wide endorsement.
But with Obama already having won endorsements from four unions in the coalition which comprise more than two-thirds of "Change to Win's" total membership, he is expected to win the coalition's endorsement as early as Thursday at 1:00 pm ET.
A "Change to Win" endorsement, if one were made, would likely be announced by conference call.
The key benefit of a "Change to Win" endorsement is coordination: while Obama already has the support of the Teamsters, the Service Employees International Union, UNITE Here, and the United Food and Commercial Workers, having "Change to Win's" endorsement will allow those four member unions to coordinate their efforts with one another and potentially conduct outreach to two other coalition members: the Laborers International Union (which has not endorsed any candidate) and the United Brotherhood of Carpenters (which endorsed former Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., before he dropped out of the race).
The Teamsters endorsed Obama on Wednesday after the Illinois Democrat met with President James Hoffa in Austin, Texas.
As the nomination fight was getting underway, the Teamsters began surveying its members to decide which candidate to back. A final consensus was not reached until this past weekend when its survey -- details of which it has not released -- showed widespread support for Obama.
Following his meeting with the Democratic presidential frontrunner, Hoffa released a statement praising Obama as someone who will fight for "better wages, real health care reform, stronger retirement security, fair trade and an end to the outsourcing of good jobs."
Alex Conant, a spokesman for the Republican National Committee, knocked Obama's latest endorsement, saying, "Nothing says 'change' like the Teamsters and James Hoffa." But despite the flak he is taking from Republicans for the endorsement, the Teamsters are expected to boost to the freshman senator in Ohio where the Teamsters have 50,000 members.
Ohio, a must-win state for Clinton, votes on March 4.
February 20, 2008 in Obama, Barack | Permalink | User Comments (10)
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.typepad.com/t/trackback/433071/26339548
Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Labor Lines Up Behind Obama:
People are flocking to Obama because he is a blank canvass on which they can write their dreams. I will remember this time because it will go down in political science history as a case of blind stupidity of the masses. Labor is making this move because they smell a winner, and they want to be owed political chips when the smoke is settled. Don't count Hillary out quite yet, though, she is battle-hardened from 16 years of constant harassment by the Limbaugh crowd. Obama is getting a free ride, but not for long.
Posted by: WestCoastMessenger | Feb 20, 2008 5:22:45 PM
Michelle Obama was not born with a silver spoon in her mouth, but into a working class family, she worked hard and got her education on scholarships. She has been saying over and over again for the last year on the stump that only in America, the country we all love, is her story possible.
Posted by: hello | Feb 20, 2008 5:41:44 PM
westcoastmessenger: Hillary, "battle hardened"? Are you joking? Since when has she had to actually compete against a real opponent. No, Lazio doesn't count.
Go TEAMSTERS!
Posted by: Eric | Feb 20, 2008 5:53:34 PM
Would someone please explain, what does a 'free ride' consist of here in this campaign?
Because I keep hearing that Obama is getting one, and the last time I checked, at least for the last 2 months, he has been hit from both sides, clinton and mccain both creating stories out of petty issues. So that proves to me that there is nothing, BUT, they will continue to stir up something, anything.
Obama's stump speech is inspiring, and I know that is difficult for them to take because they can't deliver their stumps in the same manner. They are inspiring to whom?? clinton has a stump speech and so does mccain....so its time to tell them both to shutup with the speeches, people don't want to hear speeches. DUHHHH!
Obama has provided solutions in his speeches and will continue to provide solutions once he's in the white house.
Everyone I know in OH and PA is voting Obama, whewwww, thank goodness!
I know its not over til the fat lady sings, but it looks like ole gurl is standing up and clearing her throat!!
Posted by: LA in Indiana | Feb 20, 2008 6:03:17 PM
Intelligent people know Larry Sinclair is nothing but a hit job to discredit Obama. The silly story is not true!
Next...
Posted by: LA in Indiana | Feb 20, 2008 6:05:09 PM
I think most of you Idiots here need to go back to listening to Rush Limbaugh & Ann Coulter. You are probably why Bush was elected twice. Do this country a favor and sit this one out, you obviously have no common sense. Obama 2008!
Posted by: pt | Feb 20, 2008 6:44:04 PM
Who cares about a union, that is frequently accused of doing sweetheart contracts with company managements.
Posted by: KDH55 | Feb 20, 2008 7:01:35 PM
TO;KDH55---we need the unions to hang on to the few jobs left in America.Have you bought clothes,shoes,linens,or toys lately???Look at the inside label.Does it say "Made in America"??If not you're job is the next one on the chopping block.Don't get too smug--your job could be next.
Posted by: Carolyn | Feb 20, 2008 11:37:56 PM
Well it seems as if Clinton has lost it. Well if you are behind in every poll and was swept 11-0 in a matter of weeks, well then I guess you have to resort to "playing games". Clinton looked so "school girlish" last night with there xerox comment and attempting to call out Obama last night. Once again it did not work. The Clinton's tried to play the race card in S.C. They have been playing the "experience" card...has everyone forgotten that Obama was a State Senator. Billy was a govenor. Let's see now she is playing the copy cat game because he used lines from his co-chair......get real. But when you have been cleaned out I guess you have to resort to those type of antics. Well she got what she wanted .She used that debate to over talk everyone, make long winded responses and just tried to dominate the debate. It appeard that she was trying to sound convincing by talking too hard. While Obama just cont'd to be himself and give responses that he has been giving all along. Clinton is the one out here with the negativity and her husband really has a temper problem. Why are those two so "tempermental" right now. Geezzzz....let me see......their loosing and they thought they were going to sweep Obama and it has not worked, as a matter of fact it has backfired on them and now all they can do it try to insult Obama. She's a sore looser. Her camp is done, but I bet that when Obama wins she will ask for some kind of stalemate....like this debate was.....at stalemate to block Obama's surge. Frankly I think the sound of her voice puts you to sleep, can you actually sit and listen to her for 1 hour, heck no, after her you need some Obama to bring you back to life.
Clinton, remmember she voted to send your husband/wife/son/daughter, aunt/uncle/friend to Iraq...and now she wants to end it, well you helped start it.
Obama 08
Posted by: KEVKEV | Feb 22, 2008 1:18:03 PM
she brags so much about experience,does her constant throwing of cheap shots at Barak at her rallies and lately at the debate in Austin portray with her "xerox"comments which earned her boos depict one with experience?you know what hillary? you have been endorsed and engrossed by frustation! OBAMA '08!!!
Posted by: onyekaba nnaemeka | Feb 23, 2008 4:27:45 PM
Post a comment



