by Todd Bennett
While the news of the Iowa SEIU chapter endorsing John is great, once again there is more to the story-from The Caucus of NY Times: http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/10/15/seiu-labor-groups-in-10-states-endorse-edwards/?hp
October 15, 2007, 4:07 pm
S.E.I.U. Labor Groups in 10 States Endorse Edwards
By Steven Greenhouse
Not only did John Edwards receive the endorsement today of the Iowa state chapter of the service employees union, but he also has garnered the backing of nine other state chapters of the S.E.I.U, including the biggest prize of all, the S.E.I.U. council in California, which represents 650,000 workers.
Democratic officials said that Mr. Edwards would also receive the endorsements of the Service Employees International Union chapters in several other states with sizable memberships — Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Oregon and Washington.
The S.E.I.U. is considered extremely politically active, and these 10 state councils that endorsed Mr. Edwards represent 1 million workers, or more than half its national membership.
Last week, the executive board of the national S.E.I.U. decided against endorsing anyone — a move that many saw as a disappointment for Mr. Edwards, who has aggressively courted that union. But the union’s executive board decided that the S.E.I.U.’s state councils could make their own endorsements. The Edwards camp saw that as a big plus because it expects to receive far more endorsements from S.E.I.U. state units than the other candidates will receive.
“California S.E.I.U. members know that John Edwards will be the best labor president in the history of the United States,” said Sal Rosselli, president of the biggest S.E.I.U. local in California. “His proposals are far and away the best among the candidates on the issues that matter most to working Americans.”
Trying to maximize momentum for Mr. Edwards, the S.E.I.U. state councils in the 10 states coordinated their endorsements for Mr. Edwards. The union councils in Idaho, Montana and West Virginia were also going to endorse him today, a Democratic official said.
With regard to Iowa, the Edwards camp said the state council endorsements would help Mr. Edwards with foot soldiers, phone banks and getting union members to attend that state’s caucus.
Under the S.E.I.U.’s rules, if the union’s Illinois State Council endorses Barack Obama, the Illionis S.E.I.U. will not be allowed to send political activists to Iowa because that state has already endorsed a different candidate, i.e. Mr. Edwards. But when the California State Council endorses Mr. Edwards, it will be allowed to send activists to Iowa because that state’s council has endorsed Mr. Edwards.
Senator Barack Obama also won two endorsements, of the S.E.I.U. council in his home state, Illinois, as well in Indiana, his campaign announced.
Although Mr. Edwards trails far behind Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama in national polls, he is neck and neck with them in Iowa. Indeed, the Edwards campaign has made no secret that it is putting a lot of resources in the early states in an effort to achieve an upset victory to help give it momentum in other states.
Far more than any other candidate, Mr. Edwards has staked his campaign on labor endorsements. He has marched on scores of union picket lines and moved quickly to endorse one of labor’s main goals: universal health coverage.
He also has the endorsements of the carpenters, the mine workers, the transport workers and the steelworkers.
Whether the union endorsements put Mr. Edwards over the top in Iowa or prove to be a dud, as they were for Richard Gephardt in Iowa in 2004, remains to be seen.
They fail to mention that Gephardt was a dud in no small part to his "Rose Garden" support of the war, something John should have no trouble with, now that he has clearly distinguished his antiwar stance from the other Democrats. If the media will not treat John fairly, we will have to BECOME the media!
While the news of the Iowa SEIU chapter endorsing John is great, once again there is more to the story-from The Caucus of NY Times: http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/10/15/seiu-labor-groups-in-10-states-endorse-edwards/?hp
October 15, 2007, 4:07 pm
S.E.I.U. Labor Groups in 10 States Endorse Edwards
By Steven Greenhouse
Not only did John Edwards receive the endorsement today of the Iowa state chapter of the service employees union, but he also has garnered the backing of nine other state chapters of the S.E.I.U, including the biggest prize of all, the S.E.I.U. council in California, which represents 650,000 workers.
Democratic officials said that Mr. Edwards would also receive the endorsements of the Service Employees International Union chapters in several other states with sizable memberships — Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Oregon and Washington.
The S.E.I.U. is considered extremely politically active, and these 10 state councils that endorsed Mr. Edwards represent 1 million workers, or more than half its national membership.
Last week, the executive board of the national S.E.I.U. decided against endorsing anyone — a move that many saw as a disappointment for Mr. Edwards, who has aggressively courted that union. But the union’s executive board decided that the S.E.I.U.’s state councils could make their own endorsements. The Edwards camp saw that as a big plus because it expects to receive far more endorsements from S.E.I.U. state units than the other candidates will receive.
“California S.E.I.U. members know that John Edwards will be the best labor president in the history of the United States,” said Sal Rosselli, president of the biggest S.E.I.U. local in California. “His proposals are far and away the best among the candidates on the issues that matter most to working Americans.”
Trying to maximize momentum for Mr. Edwards, the S.E.I.U. state councils in the 10 states coordinated their endorsements for Mr. Edwards. The union councils in Idaho, Montana and West Virginia were also going to endorse him today, a Democratic official said.
With regard to Iowa, the Edwards camp said the state council endorsements would help Mr. Edwards with foot soldiers, phone banks and getting union members to attend that state’s caucus.
Under the S.E.I.U.’s rules, if the union’s Illinois State Council endorses Barack Obama, the Illionis S.E.I.U. will not be allowed to send political activists to Iowa because that state has already endorsed a different candidate, i.e. Mr. Edwards. But when the California State Council endorses Mr. Edwards, it will be allowed to send activists to Iowa because that state’s council has endorsed Mr. Edwards.
Senator Barack Obama also won two endorsements, of the S.E.I.U. council in his home state, Illinois, as well in Indiana, his campaign announced.
Although Mr. Edwards trails far behind Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama in national polls, he is neck and neck with them in Iowa. Indeed, the Edwards campaign has made no secret that it is putting a lot of resources in the early states in an effort to achieve an upset victory to help give it momentum in other states.
Far more than any other candidate, Mr. Edwards has staked his campaign on labor endorsements. He has marched on scores of union picket lines and moved quickly to endorse one of labor’s main goals: universal health coverage.
He also has the endorsements of the carpenters, the mine workers, the transport workers and the steelworkers.
Whether the union endorsements put Mr. Edwards over the top in Iowa or prove to be a dud, as they were for Richard Gephardt in Iowa in 2004, remains to be seen.
They fail to mention that Gephardt was a dud in no small part to his "Rose Garden" support of the war, something John should have no trouble with, now that he has clearly distinguished his antiwar stance from the other Democrats. If the media will not treat John fairly, we will have to BECOME the media!
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