Obama-labor relationship tense in Iowa

[dugggy]

POLITICO Story:
By: Ben Smith
Jan 1, 2008 10:18 AM EST
Barack Obama
Candidate offends Dem backers by calling their support a "flood of Washington money" in tight Iowa race.

Sen. Barack Obama’s campaign manager has spent the final days of the Iowa campaign railing against “big interests” that have poured a “flood of Washington money” into the state in “underhanded” efforts to support his rivals.

But more than three-quarters of that money has come from a pillar of the Democratic Party: labor unions.
And top union officials who support Obama’s rivals are in turn accusing the Illinois Democrat, who once sought their endorsements, of trying to damage labor’s political role.

“I’m taken aback that somebody like Obama would think that Oprah Winfrey has a greater right to participate in the political process than the 4 million people I represent,” Edward J. McElroy, the president of the American Federation of Teachers, which has spent $799,619 on New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s behalf, said, referring to the television host’s high-profile support for Obama. “It’s sour grapes. It sounds just like the charges the Republicans make.”

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0108/7652.html

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My respect for Obama grows when I see him taking unpopular positions when they are in the interest of our nation.
I don't care whose money is buying our politicians, it is bad for the people in general. His another stand on chasing
Osama Bin Laden wherever he is hiding is also a very courageous and statesman like. Pakistan has received Billions of
US Dollars and is refusing to round up Al Qaeda & Taliban leadership operating openly in Pakistan. Obama is the only candidate
in either party who has the right solution.

[lvx35]

1. Erase that line of equal signs. I have to scroll right and left to read this post. nt

[dugggy]

20. Sorry about that...too late to edit, my wife distracted me

by giving me more honey-do items.

[Luminous Animal]

2. I am expecting you to lead the charge

that Obama disavow all union labor support should he win the nomination.

And if he doesn't, I hope to see you, during the GE campaign, posting day after day slamming Obama for taking support from the "flood of Washington money" that comes from labor unions.

[dogishboy]

6. But, but, but

that would be the HONEST thing to do.

[dugggy]

17. No matter how you cut it, Unions are a special interest group

Granted they are our support group. But if you are against the
corruption by money in our government, you must disavow ALL
SPECIAL INTERST GROUPS including right wing, left wing, corporations
and even foreign governments. Israel has the strongest lobby and
wields the most influence on our politicians.

Obama is a refreshing change. I hope he wins the nomination and
then the White House. The country will unite and the corruption
in Washington will be minimized.

[Luminous Animal]

29. Oh yes....

Let's make no distinctions between groups that represent citizens and groups that represent corporate interests. If were to accept your terms then fair trade organizations are no different than global economy corporatists.


Fuck that. Using your definition reaffirms the tyranny of the oligarchy.

[comradebillyboy]

3. That teachers union surely is

a right wing tool of corporate greed eh? I think my union, the American Federation of Teachers, is too wimpy, but when a democratic candidate lumps us in with corporate special interests, he can go fuck himself if he ever expects to get my vote. I have always said I'd vote for the democratic nominee, but it will be extremely difficult for me to pull the lever for Obama, in the unlikely event he wins the nomination. I wonder how many of my fellow teachers will go out and work hard for him, since he finds us unworthy of participating in the political process.

[dugggy]

19. I think you missed the point of my post

Obama is NOT ANTI-UNION. He is asserting himself to be not in
any special interest group's pocket. Not Corporations, not the
Israel lobby, not Unions. This fellow has the makings of a statesman.

[surfermaw]

25. The only reason he is anti Union, is he couldn't get their suupport, Edwards did

[Luminous Animal]

36. Unions are not "special" interests.

It is a flat out Republican meme use that term and to assert so. Unions are, quite simply, organizations that are mechanisms that can serve to represent the vast majority of U.S. wage earning folks.

You are the first Democrat that I have ever encountered to make the claim that collective organization and advocacy of the working class (90% of U.S. citizens) is a special interest.

[adnelson60087]

37. This is one teacher that won't

work hard for Obama, and as a black man, it really hurts to say that. He is not a friend of labor, nor public education. His own kids go to private school in the city (Chicago) while Edwards' kids go to their local public school. No brainer here.

[Didereaux]

4. It's okay for a single billionaire to try and buy influence, but not a group of workers?

[comradebillyboy]

5. yes if its your billionaire and the workers

support someone else

[Yael]

26. Yes, because we vote based on our checking accounts not our head counts

here in 'murika.

:sarcasm:

[avaistheone1]

38. Obama is the ultimate corporatist.

Obama is for all the voters who think Oprah is more important than 4 million workers.

[ChiciB1]

7. What In The World Is Obama Doing??? What I Don't Understand Now

is how ANYONE thinks he's so "centrist" or the candidate of change! Sorry, I try not to knock the candidates, but some of the stuff Obama is saying lately is getting under my skin.

He sounds like he's getting in bed with a few Repukes here and there! Actually he's beginning to sound a lot like one of them. And please, do forgive me if you feel this is an attack, I just don't get it! I can't support someone who says this stuff.

[Luminous Animal]

9. It is very upsetting to me...

to see a Democratic candidate use language that marginalizes representatives of regular working folks. It is fucked up beyond all logic to characterize unions as Washington insiders when the truth is that they've been so vilified by the corporate press and the Republicans that they are barely holding on to any kind of influence in Washington. What they do have is influence with their membership and the vast majority of citizens that believe unions should be more relevant not less.


I have registered to vote either independent or 3rd party my entire voting life. The last 20 years, I have been a Green Party member and an unrepentant Nader voter and organizer in both 2000 and 2004. This cycle, I have been leaning towards Edwards. Shocking myself, by the way. It pleased me to see that Nader and Matt Gonzalez came out in support of Edwards. I have spent a fair amount of energy protesting against the lip service that Democratic candidates often pay towards unions and labor's concerns in order to gain their endorsements but I have to say that I am totally taken aback that a Democratic candidate woudl criticize labor support of another Democratic candidate.

[surfermaw]

21. Smells and sounds like republican money

[dugggy]

22. Do you have a link or proof or this is just a wild accusation?

[dugggy]

12. Don't you see Obama wants to be president of ALL PEOPLE

not just any one group. The country will go nowhere when there
is gridlock in Washington. I am amazed at how intelligent this
dude is.

[Luminous Animal]

30. There's no such thing.

And it is PR politics to think so. Gridlock in Washington is a direct result of undemocratic influence over government. That is, the slim 5%-10% that controls the wealth and resources of this bountiful earth. ALL PEOPLE are the rest of us. Those who unions speak for. Dis unions then you dis ALL the rest of us.

[dugggy]

32. Unions are less than 15% of all jobs

[Luminous Animal]

34. No shit.

As a result of draconian laws advocated by the ruling class. The U.S. has the lowest percentage of union membership in "first world" democracies and the least amount of worker protection. But, the majority of U.S. citizens support the right to unionize. They support the right of regular working folks to band together to influence policy. That is precisely why, even though actual union membership is low, why union endorsement is important to Democratic politicians and why marginalizing the thin thread of what stands between the corporatists and the rest of us is horribly depressing.

[dugggy]

39. Just another special interest group..

The unions are. Just because the unions are on our side, should
Obama be in their pocket? If yes then he would be a hypocrite in opposing
other special interest groups. I for one am happy to see Obama wants to be
president of all people and oppose ALL special interest groups who are
running our country and have a choke hold on our politicians.

[indimuse]

8. woe...

I wonder if this will get any air time? pn...

[zulchzulu]

10. Obama is answering back to 527s fueled by some labor unions that are distorting his record

Should he just let people lie about his record?

As for AFSCME's ads attacking Obama's healthcare policy that is not going to force mandates, the actual head of that labor union agrees with Obama. The American Federation of Teachers has been pouring money and mail into the Hillary Clinton campaign, which also attacks Obama.

Should he not fight back?

[ChiciB1]

11. Not Like This!!! n/t

[dugggy]

13. The more I get to know Obama better, I think he will win in November

easily. He will attract a lot more voters than Edwards who wants to divide
the country...the two America candidate.

Hillary, unfortunately says whatever the latest poll tells her to say.
I am disappointed in her political instincts when she was for driver's
licenses for illegal immigrants one week and then flipped the next week.

Obama on the other hand clearly sees the benefits of a unified country
and he does not flip back and forth.

[DemKR]

14. what a dino n/t

[dugggy]

15. Well...I call him UNITER n/t

[laugle]

24. The only people we need to

UNITE are the dems/inde's. I don't give a damn about republicans, they have been rubbing our nose's in it for 7 years now, I hope we kick their butt's out next year.

IMO, BO is courting republican support because the dems do not support him in the national polls, he is way behind Hillary.

The only way we can take back our country is to win the presidency and both the House/Senate.

And I have no doubt we will, and I relish the thought of sticking-it to the rethugs!

After we clean-house with the rethugs, we need to clean-out some of the dems too, i.e. Feinsten/Leiberman come to mind, though I know it's a long way off.......I won't forget!!

[dugggy]

41. With attitude like that I can see why Gridlock prevails

in Washington. The same shit continues. Iraq war financing continues.
Corporate welfare continues. Lobbyists continue to buy politicans.
Health care continues to become less affordable to more people everyday.
And we continue to get screwed.

If Obama can unite both parties, more power to him.

[laugle]

42. That's a nice dream

you have, but hardly realistic! You can't really believe that THESE current rethugs in congress are going to make nice.........we need to clean house first!

To win the presidency and both house's of congress is not going to cause gridlock--we will finally have the control we need to take our country back!

The rethugs in the congress are responsible for the mess we are in. They rubber-stamped everything Bush wanted. To think that Obama can come in and UNITE this current congress is a pipe dream and not realistic.

The rethugs in congress are so fractured they no longer stand for anything. They need to go!!

I remember when there were some decent republicans with integrity in the congress, people who had leadership and didn't just follow the pact, Chuck Hagel comes to mind, but not anymore. They need to pay a price for their horrible mis-deeds, and lose their jobs!

[dugggy]

44. Unless we get Filibuster proof senate, it will be gridlock

The only way to avoid gridlock is to work with the republicans.
If Obama thinks that is possible, I trust his judgement over yours, sorry.

[laugle]

45. I don't trust any politician!

Obama is doing what he needs to do as a politician--trying to garner rethug votes, since he is way behind nationally in Dem support.

Personally, that's a big turn-off to me, but I do understand it! It just makes me think about Lieberman.....

[Omaha Steve]

16. As an AFSCME member

I am ashamed and appalled by the way AFSCME has treated Senator Obama.

OS

[dugggy]

18. Probably because Obama refuses to be in any one group's pocket

I must admit I was a Hillary backer in the beginning, then
flipped to Edwards and now I am moving towards Obama, the
only statesman among the top tier candidates.

[dugggy]

23. Kucinich just endorsed Obama...

Dennis told his supporters if he can not get to 15% on the first ballot,
to then throw the support to Obama as 2nd choice.

[laugle]

27. Hey I'm not against Kucinich, but I don't think

that translates into a lot of numbers. LOL

[dugggy]

28. Since the race is so close in Iowa, even a few votes could matter

Look at how few votes Nader received and yet those few caused loss of Florida.

[killbotfactory]

31. Duh, the unions backed his opponents

and are funneling soft money into 527s specifically to attack and smear him. What the hell do people expect?

[dugggy]

40. Right on !! You piss on Obama, he has right to strike back n/t

[Czolgosz]

33. Analogy: Obama is to Labor as Tanning Booth is to Snowman

[killbotfactory]

35. He's no Clinton

[Radical Activist]

43. Illinois Labor leaders are supporting Obama.

They know he has stood by them and will continue to do so. Sometimes you have to distinguish between what the rank and file wants and what the national union leadership does.

[Czolgosz]

46. kick