Judge Dismisses Nevada Caucus Challenge

Union Fails To Prevent Special Precincts On Las Vegas Strip; Ruling Is Presumed To Be A Boost For Obama

(AP)  A union with ties to Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton failed in court Thursday to prevent casino workers from caucusing at special precincts in Nevada.

The ruling by U.S. District Court Judge James Mahan was presumed to be a boost for Clinton rival Barack Obama in the Democratic presidential caucuses Saturday because he has been endorsed by the union representing many of the shift workers who will be able to use the precincts on the Las Vegas strip.

"State Democrats have a First Amendment right to association, to assemble and to set their own rules," Mahan said.

Nevada's Democratic Party approved creation of the precincts to make it easier for housekeepers, waitresses and bellhops to caucus during the day near work rather than have to do so in their neighborhoods.

The state teachers union, which has ties to Clinton, brought the suit against the special precincts shortly after local 226 of the Culinary Workers Union endorsed Obama for the Democratic nomination. The union is the largest in Nevada, with 60,000 members. The Clinton campaign said it was not involved in the suit.

The suit contended party rules allowing the precincts gave too much power to the casino workers and violated federal equal protection guarantees.

But the judge said, "We aren't voting here, we're caucusing. That's something that parties decide."

He said it is "up to the national party and the state party to promulgate these rules and enforce them."

The Democratic National Committee ratified the state party's rules in August.

The Obama campaign applauded the decision, and in a statement, criticized Clinton's operation.

"While the Clinton camp clearly believed the voices of workers should be silenced in service of their perceived political interest, they enjoyed a 25-point lead two months ago and have much of the party establishment in their camp. So, despite their inherent advantages we are pleased this should be a close and competitive contest Saturday," said Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton.

Opinion polls find Clinton, Obama and John Edwards in a statistical dead heat in the Nevada race. Each has made a vigorous bid for union support.

Opponents of the strip precincts said they could be more valuable in the delegate count than some sparsely populated counties, giving them too much clout. The Culinary Union said the suit was an attempt to disenfranchise its members. "Backers of Hillary Clinton are suing in court to take away our right to vote in the caucuses," a union flier said.

Under the rules, the nine at-large precincts will be open to any shift employee working within 2.5 miles of the strip. By one estimate, more than 700 of the roughly 10,000 delegates to the state party's presidential nominating convention could be selected at the casino caucuses, depending on turnout.

Obama has also collected the endorsement of the Nevada chapter of the Service Employees International Union. The close nature of the contest and the logistics of caucuses created an intense struggle for labor's support, given its ability to organize and mobilize.

[famulla-2009]

Politicians I agree with them, you as reporter I agree with you These days the employees are trained, exactly as you state here, may be from the similar columns, and act exactly confident and prudent the honest applicant to the job. Come the work experience, there is a disaster. The truth is hidden so deep that many times the right employee gets told to leave and the%u201Dpseudo employee%u201D good is employed. Here is a bizarre experience I had. The sales are in the accounting package. The accountant I found out stayed on from 7 m to 7 pm. I asked him what exactly was difficult. His reply, too much work. He was in the firm for more then ten years. Here comes the crux. I stayed on with him. The work was two hours constructive. He used to say confidentially about the hard work to the non IT manager. I had the IT experience on hardware and software and the packages. He soon found out that the speech to me was different then to the others who heard this. He left. I leave the stage to you. Many in these manners get away with the way they look at you, listen to you nodding the head, and have no idea of what you are talking. Been to the lengthy sermons by the priests? Well there you are. You nod and your thoughts, %u201CWhen does he end. I want to see if the headlights of my cars are switched off and Tommy, the dog, needs feeding%u201D You nod with different directions saying yes when you mean no.

[l00ker]

Clintons, Machiavellians that they are, are making a big fuss about this spanish lanquage ad and associating it with Barack, but they are up in arms about Hillary''''s campaign being associated with that teacher''''s union law suit. Bill raging almost like a vein splitting slobbering mad man even.

[candide777]

johnfrost,
Will the Muslim hordes from Mexico only butcher you? I could live with that.
Posted by realpatriot1 at 10:37 AM : Jan 18, 2008

LOL -- butchering is way too good for Johnfrost -- I couldn''t live with anything short of a very slow and painful stoning.

[jon2012-2009]

To say Bush''''s is a fail presidency might be to suggest that he is incompetent. But in either case, according to George Lakoff, Marc Ettlinger, and Sam Ferguson, "the Bush administration has been overwhelmingly competent in advancing its conservative vision."
Posted by sigotratando at 09:50 AM : Jan 18, 2008

If this conservative vision means thrashing the standing of the U.S. around the world, fighting a costly war without end in sight while fanning the flames of Islamic extremism, bringing the world closer to the Next Deluge of global warming, leaving the air, water and land in the U.S. more polluted than ever, ripping the Constitution to shreds, forestalling the promise of stem cell research for Americans living with crippling and fatal diseases, pushing the gap between the rich and poor in the U.S. wider, bringing about imminent economic collapse and acceleration of insolvency in Social Security, then GWB has been a wildly successful presidency.

[jon2012-2009]

And, the Clintons demonstrate what we can expect if HRC is elected in November.

More corruption, more scandals, more abuse of power, more cronyism, . . .

Posted by tuckerndfw at 07:56 AM : Jan 18, 2008

The only thing demonstrated here is more smear from Republicans.

[realpatriot1]

johnfrost,

Will the Muslim hordes from Mexico only butcher you? I could live with that.

[sigotratando]

To say Bush''s is a fail presidency might be to suggest that he is incompetent. But in either case, according to George Lakoff, Marc Ettlinger, and Sam Ferguson, "the Bush administration has been overwhelmingly competent in advancing its conservative vision." It is an interesting read: http://www.rockridgeinstitute.org/research/lakoff/incompetent

[liberalvet]

Can a Muslim like Obama be a good American President

Theologically - no.... Because his allegiance is to Allah, The moon God of Arabia.

Religiously - no.... Because no other religion is accepted by His Allah except Islam (Quran, 2:256)(Koran).

Scripturally - no.... Because his allegiance is to the five Pillars of Islam and the Quran.

Geographically - no.... Because his allegiance is to Mecca , to which he turns in prayer five times a day.

Posted by Johnfrost at 08:21 PM : Jan 17, 2008


What a typical Evangelical Christian moron. Everything you have stated against Islam can be applied to Christianity. The problem is not which religion you believe in, it is that people like you and all radical muslims are so narrow minded that you can be brainwashed by your radical religious leaders into doing what ever they dictate.

[jack3213]

The hypocritical lies of the Democratic party, two candidates that are not qualified, is really embarressing. If we realize that another, more appealing, Republican is actually better for the country, we could stand up and be proud, instead of ashamed.

[netscaper113]

Apparently the Clinton smear machine is at it again.

Fortunately, they lost this case, and hopefully Obama will beat Hillary in Nevada, South Carolina, and Super Tuesday, and then hopefully the Clintons will finally get the message that we don''t want them or need them anymore.