SEIU rises above chaos for Obama

[ursi]

January 9, 2008

The Service Employees International Union Nevada endorsed Illinois Sen. Barack Obama on Tuesday night, a tortured decision after a series of fumbles and internal strife that continued to the end.

The chaotic selection process and deep division within the union's ranks will likely diminish the endorsement's weight.

The decision came after a teleconference among 34 of the union's 44-member executive board Tuesday.

The union's political director, Morgan Levi, told them Obama and New York Sen. Hillary Clinton had the money and organization to compete in Nevada, but former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards' viability was in question.

In a straw vote, 23 board members supported Obama and 11 backed Edwards. Some said they preferred Edwards but voted for Obama to spite Clinton. They didn't explain their enmity for her.

more...

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/sun/2008/jan/09/566625235.html

[Colobo]

1. They know Obama is what the country truly needs.

[AX10]

2. Even the SEIU has blind hate for Clinton.

[K Gardner]

3. And she's going to win the GE how?

[Adelante]

4. It's Mark Penn they hate

And they hold it against her that she has him on her staff.

[Colobo]

8. Exactly, and with reason.

[Egnever]

7. shouldn't that worry you?

doesn't it make you nervous that you are trying to elect the most divisive candidate we have possibly ever put forward?

I guess if there was a time to do it the time would be now as the republicans are in such disarray but man talk about turning what should be a landslide into a squeaker.

[aquart]

12. So a woman should never run for president of the United States?

Or are we going to pretend a BETTER woman wouldn't get the exact same treatment?

Should Hillary win the nomination, are you saying you WON'T work for a woman candidate for president?

[Egnever]

15. WTF does the seiu spite have to do with being a woman?

Or her general devisiveness for that matter? Or has the whole thing boiled down to they hate her cause she is a woman for you?


And no I wont work for hillary to be the next president ever. The only positive thing I see about electing her president is that she is a woman.

[AX10]

13. Don't you find it odd that so many right wing Repubs...

hate every Democrat except Obama?

I do.

Obama is a loser in the GE. Hillary can win. Edwards can beat the living crap out of any of the Thugs!

[Egnever]

16. Not in the least

they dont like any of their choices. They are looking for an excuse to bail. Obama is giving them that out.

Now please explain to me how you think the guy who draws people from both sides of the isle is the loser in the GE but the woman who cant even draw her own side out is the winner. Edwards might do well in the GE but we will never find out cause he cant get enough support in the primaries to ever prove it to us.

[AX10]

17. They hate Hillary because they fear her.

Republicans want to sack us with a loser who wants to get along with everyone.
He'll be easy to roll over.

The stupidity of the left never ceases to amaze.

[davsand]

19. You might consider the idea that her support for NAFTA generates ill will in Labor.

I sure as hell have not forgotten that the entire Clinton camp was out there stumping for NAFTA (including Gore,) and I expect that several other union people feel the same way. I am hard pressed to think of any legislation that has hurt American workers any more than NAFTA (except for maybe Taft-Hartley) and Hil claiming "experience" ties her directly to that abomination. Small wonder SEIU is not one of her biggest supporters.

Edwards is a good man--I honestly believe that. Obama, however, is a known entity to me--he had a COPE rating of 90% with Illinois unions. That is not lost on the other unions right now, I'm sure. If the internationals are basing endorsements solely on a candidate's history with Labor they are probably looking hard at Obama or Edwards.

Call me "stupid" if you like but I know what Obama did for Labor in Illinois, and I feel just fine supporting him.



Laura

[AX10]

20. She opposed NAFTA. Bill supported it.

[sandnsea]

11. No it's Eyes Wide Open 'hate'

Because anybody who has paid attention can look at China and India, and nothing else, and know she is no friend to low income laborers. But there is SO MUCH MORE. Where is her 35 years of work to link minimum wage to inflation? Why'd she hire a known union buster? Why does she not understand her education tax credits didn't help, and her health care tax credits won't either? The only ones blind are the ones who haven't looked at how we ended up in the mess we're in, and it's not just because of Bush.

[Olney Blue]

5. So opting out of endorsing someone is the same as "enmity?"

[Egnever]

9. Some said they preferred Edwards but voted for Obama to spite Clinton

reading comprehension FTW

[K Gardner]

10. "they preferred Edwards but voted for Obama to spite Clinton"

[AtomicKitten]

6. We'll take it!

Gobama.

[Thrill]

14. Good to see they have a backbone

Unlike many of the US Senators who are afraid to go against the Establishment.

[Muddy Waters Guitar]

18. I guess in effect, Obama and Edwards kind of got a joint endorsement

Which is fine by me. I admire both of them tremendously for standing up for American workers, unlike Hillary, who is all on the side of the big corporations.