Clinton Camp Hits Obama Over Teamsters Report
On a conference call with reporters this morning, the Clinton campaign knocked Barack Obama over a report in the Wall Street Journal today that Obama "won the endorsement of the Teamsters earlier this year after privately telling the union he supported ending the strict federal oversight imposed to root out corruption."
Clinton has not taken a position on oversight of the Teamsters, and, as the Journal notes, Obama's stance is unusual, as "[p]olicy makers have largely treated monitoring of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters as a legal matter left to the Justice Department since an independent review board was set up in 1992 to eliminate mob influence in the union."
"One has to wonder what exactly Senator Obama's position is," spokesperson Phil Singer said on the call, as TPM points out. "It would appear as though he's taking a position in private and not telling voters about that view."
Obama told ABC this morning that he "wouldn't make any blanket commitments" on the issue.
"What I've said is is that we should take a look at what's been happening over the Teamsters and at all unions, to make sure that in fact organized labor is able to represent it's membership and engage in collective bargaining in accordance to what we've always believed in," Obama added.
Clinton has not taken a position on oversight of the Teamsters, and, as the Journal notes, Obama's stance is unusual, as "[p]olicy makers have largely treated monitoring of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters as a legal matter left to the Justice Department since an independent review board was set up in 1992 to eliminate mob influence in the union."
"One has to wonder what exactly Senator Obama's position is," spokesperson Phil Singer said on the call, as TPM points out. "It would appear as though he's taking a position in private and not telling voters about that view."
Obama told ABC this morning that he "wouldn't make any blanket commitments" on the issue.
"What I've said is is that we should take a look at what's been happening over the Teamsters and at all unions, to make sure that in fact organized labor is able to represent it's membership and engage in collective bargaining in accordance to what we've always believed in," Obama added.
The secrets of tennis legend 
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See all 31 CommentsMaybe I wouldn''t feel shame for anything I did if I had a hundred million dollars in my bank account either!
It is very upsetting.
Would the African Americans please not just vote for the Black President. The Democrats will lose if they continue to do this.
Posted by ladyesq1
Yes. And take for instance CNN.com yesterday with its headline that Hillary is going negative against Obama. But you read the underlying article to find out that they are referring to her TV ad on the "gas holiday" that was made IN RESPONSE to Obama''s TV ad saying that Clinton was "pandering". So, in reality, it was Obama that went negative, but the media, as usual, flips it to give the impression that it is Clinton that is the negative, same old politician. And CNN is not alone on this. (Note, I wanted to place a comment at CNN.com saying this, but everytime I do, I get a message that all messages are reviewed and not all or published. That''s fine, but mine are never published. I don''t use abusive language or call any of the candidate''s names unlike others whose messages are posted, so I have to wonder what their real policy is.) Also, not to pick on CNN, but I''ve noticed when they are talking about the issues in the Democratic primary, often they will have an Obama supporter to represent Obama, but instead of getting a Clinton supporter to represent her, they use a Republican. I find that strange. MSNBC does this as well, but, they are "Obama Central" so it comes as no suprise.
CLINTON SUPPORTERS SEEM TO GET MORE AND MORE IRRATIONAL AND EXTREME AS MRS CLINTON DOES, AND VERY ANTI-OBAMA, BAD SPORTMANSHIP, AND MEAN SPIRITED. SINCE SHE IS THE LOSING ONE ON THE NUMBERS END IT MAKES HER LOOK BAD, AND HER SIDE OF THE VOTERS APPEAR DEMENTED.
Obama gets a free ride by the media. AGAIN! He is the one that is negative and nasty with the personal attacks! I"m so done with CNN and MSNBC....you journalists are pathetic. DO YOUR JOB! REPORT EQUALLY!
IS IT REASONABLE to simply assume that the majority of America will accept a President who won as the result of racism??
backroom deal''s same old story
same old game
It is really quite easy. If we want a fresh new start in American Politics we need a fresh new face from a fresh new corner.
With all of the third parties available to us, why would we continue voting for the same two representative parties of the status quo and kid ourselves about "Real Change"? How can we really be so foolish???
Sad really, when the year started out with such promise.
The day after New Year''s 1996, operatives for Barack Obama filed into a barren hearing room of the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners.
There they began the tedious process of challenging hundreds of signatures on the nominating petitions of state Sen. Alice Palmer, the longtime progressive activist from the city''s South Side. And they kept challenging petitions until every one of Obama''s four Democratic primary rivals was forced off the ballot...
...Obama quickly mastered the bare-knuckle arts of Chicago electoral politics. His overwhelming legal onslaught signaled his impatience to gain office, even if that meant elbowing aside a black elder stateswoman like Palmer.
Looks like Obama will go to any length to get into office even if it means removing an honorable Black Stateswoman!!!
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