Story about Firefighters Union prez endorsements -- nice and painful to read

[beachmom]

I found this story on The Hill, and part of it is so nice to read about the 2004 campaign and how the firefighter union endorsed Kerry and stuck by him even when he was down 32 points. But there's another part of the story that you will find difficult to read, and that's that they would not endorse him for 2008 necessarily, and told him this. Still I think it's worth the read. They have not committed to anyone yet.

http://www.thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpage/020707/firefighters.html

Harold Schaitberger, president of the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), sitting in a backroom of a New Hampshire firehouse in November of 2003, said he never considered withdrawing the union’s endorsement of Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), even as the senator was tanking in the polls.

When Kerry won in Iowa and New Hampshire in late January 2004, Schaitberger was standing directly behind him.

Now, with Kerry out of the 2008 race, Schaitberger, in an hour-long interview with The Hill, said he already has begun the process of holding meetings with candidates, some over long dinners at the Prime Rib (former North Carolina Democratic Sen. John Edwards) and others at their luxurious Georgetown homes (New York Democratic Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton), to determine who will receive the union’s support.

The Monday before Kerry announced on the Senate floor that he would not run again, the senator and 2004 Democratic nominee had lunch with Schaitberger, during which the union president said it was time to give the senator his “real opinion” about Kerry’s chances in 2008.

“I told him I thought it was a hill too hard for him to climb this time,” Schaitberger said, adding that the conversation had been a difficult one.

Two days later he announced he wasn't running. I don't think this was THE factor that made him drop out; I just think that he may have run into this elsewhere. Anyway, read the whole thing -- there are happier parts to this article with his victory in the 2004 primaries and what the firefighters did for him back then.

It's also important to note that they're taking their time before they endorse someone, because once they do, they never go back on their word.

[karynnj]

1. Mostly nice

I agree with your conclusion. It also is possible that the meeting was far more two sided. It sounded like he told Kerry two things - that they hadn't chosen who to pick and that he thought it would be too tough. As this was 2 days before the announcement, I would guess that Kerry had likely pretty much made his decision. I assume that before making his statement, he met with and thanked the people who have been with him throughout his career.

It was very early for Schaitberger to endorse anyone - and he this says he did not rule Kerry out. His view that it was too steep a hill was the prevailing wisdom. I doubt Kerry was expecting that they would back him that early - so this seems more like 2 men who greatly respect each other meeting and painfully agreeing that it wasn't a go (on either side) for 2008.

[blm]

2. The thing is, the early debates would have changed that landscape, and TeamHill KNEW it

and that is why they targeted Kerry so FIERCELY the past 2 years, undermining him within the party at every opportunity.

[PresidentObama]

3. Very painful to read, wow.

Clearly not the deciding factor, but I think the Senator respected his opinion and probably got the same opinion from a few people that it'd be a tough climb, and it would have been. I think it comes down to Kerry knowing the GOP and even some Democrats have dragged his name through the mud either as a target (for the GOP) or as a scapegoat (for the Democrats) and he was better equiped to stay in the Senate and lead the charge to end the war in Iraq.

It'll be interesting to see who they support this time, I remember how important their support was for the Senator last time--even when he was down and "dead in the water"