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]

Gosh, you know American politics, is not that different to the UK. She''ll win the election you know. Unless of course in the meantime there''s a Honecker Lewinski lurking about. The new President or Prime Minister, is decided long before an election, and those who really choose get their way. Democracy is an illusion for the masses to believe that they are free, in reality none of us are, and Hillary will be the next President of the US. If I''m wrong then I''ll eat my shorts to quote ''Bart''.

[signof4]

What a shocker. Who makes up the bulk of state, county and municipal employees? Black democrats. Was there ever a doubt that they would back the dem front runner?

I mean, it''s not like ANY union would EVER endorse a republican.

[pepperp1]

Who cares if there is a Lewinski lurking about that is on Billy boy not Senator Clinton and besides even if there is the Red Threat Subversives on the right are hell bent of undermining our country, our government our institutions and will surely make up the propaganda to try and discredit Senator Clinton no matter what they like having a doofus that gives them free reign and access to our treasury, so just be ready when the millions fly and loser less competent puppets like Edwards are used to attack your candidates and your government.
I can assure you members of the Neo Con Press and GOP rancid base will not be setting the agenda this time.

[usaprophet]

Unlike Hitlery, and most of the other GOP candidates, Ron Paul actually served his country as a member of the military. Paul grew up in the western Pennsylvania town of Green Tree. His Father, the son of a German immigrant, ran a small dairy company. Sports were big around there and Paul was a terrific athlete, winning a state track meet in the 220 and excelling at football and baseball. After medical school at Duke, Paul joined the Air Force, where he served as a flight surgeon, tending to the ear, nose and throat ailments of pilots, and traveling to Iran, Ethiopia and elsewhere. "I recall doing a lot of physicals on Army warrant officers who wanted to become helicopter pilots and go to Vietnam," he said. "They were gung-ho. I''ve often thought about how many of those people never came back." Paul is given to mulling things over morally. His family was pious and Lutheran; two of his brothers became ministers. Paul''s children were baptized in the Episcopal church, but now he attends a Baptist one. He''s been married to the same woman for 50 years. As a young man, though, he did not protest the Vietnam War, which he now calls "totally unnecessary and illegal." Much later, after the United States invaded Iraq, he began reading St. Augustine. "I was annoyed by the evangelicals'' being so supportive of pre-emptive war, which seems to contradict everything that I was taught as a Christian," he recalls. "The religion is based on somebody who''s referred to as the Prince of Peace."

[squidly8]

Does anyone really care? Anyone stupid enough to vote for a candidate simply because ''fill in the blank'' group endorsed them doesn''t deserve to vote. Figure it out for yourself. To do otherwise is the lazy way out.

[siete-pesos]

not one southern state will vote for hillary.

the south prefers upstanding, christian , faith professing republicans

and top notch leadership like george bush, jr.

the south would like to find another prez like george bush. jr.

the southern states are considering drafting rush limbaugh to be the republican candidate.

he has all the qualifications...

fat, bigoted, republican, christian, drug user, demogogue.

oh well, that''s the south for you, folks!

[prinzowhales]

USAProphet--Well, I guess I will have to give up my "Seven-Pesos"-like complaint about the South, that "Nothing good ever comes out of Duke". Duke gave us Nixon...I guess by way of atonement, they have given us Paul...Kudos to that university down the road from me...they are good for something besides basketball, afterall.

[ziparmux]

Unlike Hitlery, and most of the other GOP candidates, Ron Paul actually served his country as a member of the military. Paul grew up in the western Pennsylvania town of Green Tree. His Father,..................

Posted by USAProphet at 03:37 PM : Oct 31, 2007

You really think that the US population are going to get, well I''ll stop myself right there, not because that I think that the American people DON''T deserve a decent honest president, they have no choice, they do, but unfortunately because they have become so dumbed down, they have become their own worst enemy. It''s not really at the same time their own fault, it''s a master plan in progress here, and well one hopes for the best, it isn''t going to happen. Look at your history, anyone that pops his head up with any sense at all, and dares to stand up for the peoples of the US and really believes in freedom and the creation of a FREE world gets a bullet in it, period.

There are too many people with vested interests in their own agendas, they don''t care about a cool America, or a cool world, they only care about controlling it for themselves, not about you or I period, and until enough people understand that we will never have what we all desire, happiness and peace.

[jack3213]

Regardless of any current or future endorsements the facts still remain: The Clintons are LOSERS.

[prairiefox1]

DO NOT LISTEN TO CAMPAIGN PROMISES! INSTEAD LOOK AT THEIR PAST PERFORMANCE AND VOTE FOR WHAT THEY HAVE DONE! THEN YOU WILL KNOW WHAT THEY WILL DO IN THE FUTURE!
THEY HANDICAP RACEHORSES AND WE CAN HANDICAP THE CANDIDATES !

[gunownerdan]

The Clintons are members of the CFR(Council on Foreign Relations) just like Bush, Cheney, Obama, Edwards, Biden, Richardson, Giuliani, Romney, Thompson, and McCain just to name a few.
The CFR has hijacked the foreign policy of both parties and their main goal is to destroy American soveriengty and our constitution leading to the formation of a North American Union with Canada and Mexico.
Dr. Ron Paul is NOT a member of the CFR and he is the only anti-war and pro-liberty candidate running for president.
ronpaul2008.com

[usaprophet]

Ron Paul represents a different Republican Party from the one that Iraq, deficits and corruption have soured the country on. It''s ironic that other candidates in the GOP are scared to death of his message, BECAUSE his is more conservative than theirs. Being anti-war IS conservative. Another key difference between his message and the others is that he is a strong defender in The Constitution, which protects our civil liberties. The other Republican cadidates, who are mostly NWO Oligarchs, want to control your liberties. They''ve tried hard to exlude him from the spotlight, along with the right-wing press. In late June, despite a life of antitax agitation and pious churchgoing, he was excluded from a Republican forum sponsored by Iowa antitax and Christian groups. Ron Paul does not represent your Father''s style of Republicanism. He represents your Founding Father''s ideals. He stands for a certain idea of the Constitution; the idea that much of the power asserted by modern presidents has been usurped from Congress, and that much of the power asserted by Congress has been usurped from the states. Though Dr. Paul acknowledges flaws in both the Constitution (it included slavery) and the Bill of Rights (it doesn%u2019t go far enough), he still thinks a comprehensive array of positions can be drawn therefrom: against gun control; for the sovereignty of states; and against foreign-policy adventures. His message draws on the noblest traditions of American decency and patriotism.

[vastr-wcon]

.
In yesterday''s debate, Chris Dodd said some very good things. He was impressive. At the other end, Conniving Calculating Cackling Clinton did her usual evasions of direct answers to any substantive question, and showed that she will speak out of both sides of her mouth simultaneously, on anything.

The campaign platform of Conniving Calculating Cackling Clinton is pathetic. It consists of: Show-Me-The-Money, Say-Whatever-They-Want-To-Hear, Continue-The-Neocon-Wars, Sell-The-Lincoln-Bedroom, and I-Want-A-New-Pair-Of-Hsu''s. There are no depths of depravity to which this moneywhore won''t go.

America needs to do better than Conniving. She is nothing more than Bush-Lite on the neocon wars and many other critical issues. As an advocate for the most un-American piece of legislation ever enacted, the so-called "Patriot" Act, Conniving shows clearly that she will be as lawless and anti Bill of Rights as DickNBush.

Wake up Dems - take the party back from the Loser Faction and nominate somebody who is NOT hated by 50% of the voters, who is NOT a puppet of lobbyists, one that has ethics, honesty, and a commitment to ending the endless NEOCON wars. There are many good choices, but Conniving isn''t one of them.

.

[jacksteen1]

Too bad "didntinhale" has been skipping his meds lately.

Thinking for a moment that the Republiscum Party''s sweetheart and favourite plural marriage proponent Willard Romney has a White Salamander''s chance in Hell in the election!

Get serious!

He''s got the same chances a fourteen-year-old girl at a Salt Lake City barn dance has of escaping without dancing with every drooling eighty-year-old stake bishop at the event...which is to say - - Z I P P O !

[usaprophet]

Most Americans just don''t seem to care that our nation, along with the Constitution upon which it was founded, is being flushed-down the NWO toilet by our nations'' ruling elite. While the Oligarchs warn and insite fear in the sheeple about the prospect of terrorism, they at the same time leave our border wide open, and fund and conduct illegal wars overseas that do nothing but encite the terrorism which their Draconian Laws like the Patriot Act and The Real ID Act pretend to protect us from. Think about it. What would you do, if someone invaded the U.S. for no reason, and took over. You''d be mad as hell, and you''d be making trips to their country in order to give a little payback. Wake up America! It''s not about protecting you from terrorism, or saving our planet from Global Warming, or any of that fear-mongering garbage the tube feeds you 24/7. It''s about feeding the military industrial complex and facilitating the ruling elite''s ability to ratchet-down control over the American people, placing us into a total control grid where they can surveille, track and control everywhere we go and everything we do. It''s the groundwork for totalitarianism. I weep for my country, and for those of you who are so distracted, dumbed-down, or outright brainwashed by mainstream media, which endlessly regurgitates scientifically-crafted streams of information aimed at keeping your eyes closed to the realities of the world around you, that you fail to recognize this. Go Ron Paul!

[skyk-2009]

Wake up Dems - take the party back from the Loser Faction and nominate somebody who is NOT hated by 50% of the voters, who is NOT a puppet of lobbyists, one that has ethics, honesty, and a commitment to ending the endless NEOCON wars. There are many good choices, but Conniving isn''''t one of them.

.


Posted by VastR-WCon at 06:25 PM : Oct 31, 2007

Didn''t you clowns say the EXACT same thing about a John Kenndy? You know people wouldn''t elect him because of his Religion? It''s strange how Con''s have always been against Change and years after it''s taken effect and been PROVEN to be the right thing to do, guess who''s on board?? I hardly think YOU, those who gave us the WORST in US history, are folks we should be listening to as to who should run for President.

[skyk-2009]

The CFR has hijacked the foreign policy of both parties and their main goal is to destroy American soveriengty and our constitution leading to the formation of a North American Union with Canada and Mexico.
Dr. Ron Paul is NOT a member of the CFR and he is the only anti-war and pro-liberty candidate running for president.
ronpaul2008.com


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by gunownerdan at 05:13 PM : Oct 31, 2007
+ report abuse

RON Paul is a RADICAL Right Winger.. even more so than Bush and Cheney. HE want''s to terminate Social Security, not fix it. His idea''s are so far out and distructive he hasn''t even a chance to win...

[skyk-2009]

Regardless of any current or future endorsements the facts still remain: The Clintons are LOSERS.


Posted by jack3213 at 04:31 PM : Oct 31, 2007
+ report abuse

Yep... the FACT that they have NOT lost yet has nothing to do with your reasoning huh? Kinda out of touch with reality aren''t you? The Clintons can and HAVE beaten the Radical Right and it''s attack machine OVER and OVER again.

[skyk-2009]

As a fiscal conservative I am delighted that Hillary is coming out the front runner for the democrats.

She was the only candidate that had absolutely no hope of being elected in a national election.

Its an honest shame that the democrats cannot produce a candidate that we moderate republicans could stomach.

Most intelligent people understand that neither political party should be in control for to long.


Posted by didntinhale at 06:10 PM : Oct 31, 2007
+ report abuse

Well sure you are!! LMAO Anyone, even a 6 year old can see through you. Not only can she win, she WILL win.. The Right can''t bet the Clintons... haven''t and won''t. The American People should have given you losers a message the last witch hunt you went on with the Clintons. You do remember that don''t you? You clowns came on with your Ken Starr and with every passing week their APPROVAL Numbers continued to go UP! Now most intelligent people would understand that your NOT defeating them with mud and slime, you have NO issues and you have a leader who has the support of little more than 1/4 of the public.... can you say Madam President? LMAO

[usaprophet]

You get the sense that the country is desperate for someone to show us the way. Not the old way. Not the same way, but a NEW WAY. Think about this for a minute. What if we pulled all of our troops out of South Korea? They''ve been there for 50 years. Tens of thousands of them. What if we quit worrying about Iran, but instead, realized that its having a nuclear weapon will not mean the end of the world? What if we pulled all of our troops out of Iraq, and brought them all home? What if we realistically addressed the National Debt, and paid attention to REALLY DOING SOMETHING about stopping illegal immigration? These are the ideas Republican Presidential candidate, Dr. Ron Paul. He''s a ten term Congressman and a physician who has delivered over 4,000 babies. Ron Paul has been married to the same woman for more than 50 years, which means he doesn''t come to the race with the sort of baggage some of the other candidates for the White House do. Paul is given to mulling things over morally. He was once a pious Lutheran, but now attends a Baptist church. He never travels alone with women, and once even dressed-down an aide for using the expression "red-light district" in front of a female colleague. I support the 2008 candidacy of Congressman, Ron Paul for President of The United States. Candidates with the high level of personal integrity and track record of adherance to The Constitution Ron Paul always demonstrates only come around once in a lifetime, if we''re lucky. Go Ron!

[jowand]

He was once a pious Lutheran, but now attends a Baptist church. He never travels alone with women, and once even dressed-down an aide for using the expression "red-light district" in front of a female colleague. I support the 2008 candidacy of Congressman, Ron Paul for President of The United States. Candidates with the high level of personal integrity and track record of adherance to The Constitution Ron Paul always demonstrates only come around once in a lifetime, if we''''re lucky. Go Ron!

Posted by USAProphet at 11:03 PM : Oct 31, 2007

Order me a Chef Ron Paul double SPAM Jihad Whopper Special, but hold the Kr*p

[jowand]

If you support illegal immigration like Clinton you support wage busting of the American worker, what a dumb union.

[usaprophet]

Ron Paul represents a different Republican Party from the one that Iraq, deficits and corruption have soured the country on. It''s ironic that other GOP candidates are scared to death of his message, BECAUSE his is more conservative than theirs. Being anti-war IS conservative. Another key difference between his message and the others is that he is a strong defender in The Constitution, which protects our civil liberties. The other Republican cadidates, who are mostly NWO Oligarchs, want to erase your liberties. They''ve tried hard to exlude him from the spotlight, along with the mainstream press. In late June, despite a life of antitax agitation and pious churchgoing, he was excluded from a Republican forum sponsored by Iowa antitax and Christian groups. Ron Paul does not represent your Father''s style of Republicanism. He represents your Founding Father''s style. He stands for a certain idea of the Constitution; the idea that much of the power asserted by modern presidents has been usurped from Congress, and that much of the power asserted by Congress has been usurped from the states. Though Dr. Paul acknowledges flaws in both the Constitution (it included slavery) and the Bill of Rights (it doesn%u2019t go far enough), he still thinks a comprehensive array of positions can be drawn therefrom: against gun control; for the sovereignty of States; and against foreign-policy adventures. His message draws on the noblest traditions of American decency and patriotism.

[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.

[one_american]

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

[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?

[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

[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).

[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.

[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!!

[gunownerdan]

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

[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.

[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.