Clinton Wins Key Union Endorsement

AFSCME's Backing May Boost Democratic Front-Runner's Support, Organization

(AP)  Hillary Rodham Clinton won the presidential endorsement of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees on Wednesday, an important boost for the Democratic front-runner.

The union is the largest for workers in the public service sector with 1.4 million members nationwide. AFSCME represents government and private workers including nurses, bus drivers, child care providers, custodians and librarians.

The New York senator will officially accept the endorsement later Wednesday.

"I am honored to receive the support of AFSCME," Clinton said in a statement. "In my administration, America's working families will again have a partner in the White House."

Gerald McEntee, president of the union, said Clinton "will help rebuild America's middle class and make sure everyone shares in our country's prosperity."

The endorsement is a welcome boost for Clinton in the labor community. The 1.8-million member Service Employees International Union decided not to endorse a candidate on the national level, and SEIU's state chapters have been backing Clinton rivals John Edwards, whose pickups included the New Hampshire chapter on Wednesday, and Barack Obama.

AFSCME is expected to provide help in early-voting states, such as Iowa, where it has about 30,000 members, and New Hampshire, where it has about 3,000. AFSCME budgeted about $48 million for get-out-the-vote efforts in the 2004 election.

The union endorsed former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2004. Dean lost steam after a disappointing performance in Iowa, and Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry went on to win the nomination.

Union endorsements can be key in a primary campaign, not only for the money and publicity a union can provide but for the manpower it can throw behind a candidate in the form of workers to man phone banks and hand out leaflets.

"All of the candidates on the Democratic side of the ticket, they're all speaking our language," McEntee told The Associated Press this summer when asked about the presidential contenders.

McEntee has long made overhaul of the nation's health care system a priority for the union. President Clinton named McEntee to serve on the Presidential Advisory Commission on Quality and Consumer Protection in the Health Care Industry in 1997.

Other unions that have endorsed Clinton include the United Transportation Union and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, both in August.

The AFL-CIO and its unions said in September they will spend an estimated $200 million on the 2008 elections, with the nation's largest labor federation devoting a record $53 million to grass-roots mobilization.

Former North Carolina Sen. Edwards has been endorsed by the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners, the United Steelworkers of America, the United Mine Workers of America and the Transport Workers Union, as well as about a dozen state chapters of the Service Employees International Union.

Illinois Sen. Obama has been endorsed by the Correction Officers' Benevolent Association, as well as the Illinois and Indiana chapters of the service employees union.

Clinton also has been endorsed by the Transportation Communication Union, National Association of Letter Carriers and the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers in September.

Sen. Chris Dodd of Connecticut was endorsed by the International Association of Fire Fighters in August. The union's endorsement played a significant role in boosting Kerry's successful bid for the Democratic nomination in 2004.

[ziparmux]

I hear also that the Mafia, the Latin American drug cartels, as well as Communist China, also support Hillary Clinton.
Posted by One_American

Those groups don''''t care who is president, as they all are for sale, Both Dems and Repos, so what is your point?


Posted by brianbwb at 03:21 AM : Nov 01, 2007

The pandemic of global capitalism, is fast now changing not just the US in this respect, nearly everywhere all political movements are all of the same persuasion and colour. Corporations run this world now, period. Notwithstanding a huge catastrophic global event, then nothing is going to change either, as no president or leader of any country in the world no longer has any control over any particlar region of the world, that as previosly stated is now firmly in the hands of a very small number of individuals, who''s agenda has nothing to do with peoples freedoms or democracy anywhere in the world, only greed for more power and money to create the world they want.

[signof4]

Wonder how long it will be before she wins the Chinese Laundry Union vote? Hey Hill, have you given back the $850K like you said you would?

Didn''t think so.

[gunownerdan]

We don''t need anymore corporate-controlled warmongers like Hitlery Clinton in the white house.

[jack3213]

The change that most want is to feel positive about the government, wouldn''t you say? There seems to be an enormous amount of animosity that stems from having a blind eye to what is better known as survival of the fittest. If you don''t think that the military is saving your sorry A-- than you live in a dream world. There WILL be more to this WAR than "you''all" think and it will continue well into the next presidency, so better start to learn to accepting that. A Democrat will certainly promote more fear in you than you already have today, so just imagine that! Unfortuneately untill people get their blinders off they will think it is all a Republicans fault. This did NOT start with BUSH, by the way, it started with the CLINTONS!!

[jack3213]

SKY K- Beating someone( as you say ''over and over'') is not the point, it is based on whether they deserve the position or not, which is the point, not that they achieved more votes from stupid people who do not understand that they are STILL not right for this country. Stupid is as stupid does.

[xlib]

Now would that be the Chinese dishwashers union?? I know madame chang chi clinton got big bucks from dishwashers in NY city''s China town, many of whom did not speak English (maybe she resorted to pseudo-Chinese the way she went into pseudo-Baptist?). Then again, you libs wouldn''t know ahout that, would you. NO negative coverage here on the clinton broadcasting system website.
Say, since she''s so tight with the chi-coms, maybe she can do something about the tainted stuff from China?? After all, it does affect women and children, her main concern (as long as she maked big bucks from them).

[jsilver2th]

These people didn''t even let the leading candidate STEVEN COLBERT speak...

WRITE IN COLBERT FOR PRESIDENT
ALL PRIMARIES ALL STATES
IT''S A MOVEMENT

[brianbwb-2009]

I hear also that the Mafia, the Latin American drug cartels, as well as Communist China, also support Hillary Clinton.
Posted by One_American

Those groups don''t care who is president, as they all are for sale, Both Dems and Repos, so what is your point?

[one_american]

I hear also that the Mafia, the Latin American drug cartels, as well as Communist China, also support Hillary Clinton.

[usaprophet]

I agree with Dr. Paul about the issue of illegal immigration. The talk must stop. We must secure our borders now. A nation without secure borders is no nation at all. It makes no sense to fight terrorists abroad when our own front door is left unlocked. Ron Paul has a plan: (1.) Physically secure our borders and coastlines. We must do whatever it takes to control entry into our country before we undertake complicated immigration reform proposals. (2.) Enforce visa rules. Immigration officials must track visa holders and deport anyone who overstays their visa or otherwise violates U.S. law. This is especially important when we recall that a number of 9/11 terrorists had expired visas. (3.) No amnesty. Estimates suggest that 10 to 20 million people are in our country illegally. That''s a lot of people to reward for breaking our laws. (4.) No welfare for illegal aliens. Americans have welcomed immigrants who seek opportunity, work hard, and play by the rules, but taxpayers should not pay for illegal immigrants who use hospitals, clinics, schools, roads, and social services. (5.) End birthright citizenship. As long as illegal immigrants know their children born here will be citizens, the incentive to enter the U.S. illegally will remain strong. (6.) Pass true immigration reform. The current system, and those proposed by ALL other candidates, is incoherent and unfair, and would allow up to 60 million more immigrants into our country.