"Blowback as labor bosses, not members, back Clinton"

[Divernan]

"Union leaders are faced with a decision to support a corporate Democrat who isn't terrible but who gets her support from Wall Street versus Sanders, who will really advance our issues," Wilson said.

He said that with Clinton, organized labor's relationship with the White House would be "transactional" — they'll maybe get something in exchange for something else. With Sanders, they won't have to doubt that he'll be on their side on all issues.

Wilson expressed no concerns about whether Sanders, a 73-year-old socialist with little exposure on the national stage prior to this year, could win in a general election.

"A few people might be put off by the word 'socialist' but once you describe it, it is what people want. People want things like universal healthcare," he said. "Bernie is quite viable in the general election. The primary is his biggest hurdle."

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/labor-leaders-clinton-support-risks-blowback/article/2572711

[99th_Monkey]

1. I fervently hope Labor finds the backbone to vote squarely in their own best interests

the general populous is primed for big change, is pissed at Establishment same ol', same ol'
business as usual; and I hope to God that labor isn't so tone-deaf that it misses this opportunity,
in 2016 to elect a president who is 100% on their side, in their corner, and is willing to fight
alongside them for restoration of workers' rights to a decent living wage for their labor.

[daleanime]

6. Amen....

[SusanaMontana41]

10. I hope the rank-and-file weren't jaded by supporting Obama

just to watch him cave.

Bernie came along at the right time.

[99th_Monkey]

16. Exactly. Bernie's timing is perfect.

1) Unlike Obama when he took office, Bernie already knows how DC works, from the
inside out, and every which way, having been there for decades doing the right thing, for
labor, bur not only for labor, also for gays, for immigrants, against racial injustice, calling Wall St.
to account, for the environment, and across the board for Progressive & humane public policies.

2) Bernie can build on whatever progressive pro-labor advances Obama has made in the past 7 years.

3) America was NOT ready for a "socialist" POTUS 8 years ago, but as we're seeing, they are now.

4) Labor Unions (if they have a brain and are not corrupt) can put two and two together and see
the same window of opportunity that you and I see. I mean really, what do they have to lose?

5) Clinton's labor record sucks, insofar as she mid-wifed NAFTA & massive outsourcing of US jobs.
and is still refusing to even say she opposes the TPP..

should I go on? I don't think this is a complete list, but it feels good to notice all these things at once.

[SusanaMontana41]

20. You could go on, but please don't. If you listed them all, your hand would fall off.

One quibble: I can't think of a single progressive cause President Obama has advanced. Maybe I missed it?

[Dustlawyer]

15. They found Obama less than supportive, Clinton would likely be worse.

[99th_Monkey]

17. Ya think?

Mid-wifed NAFTA & subsequent massive outsourcing of US jobs, and still refuses to
say she would oppose the TPP.

[Dustlawyer]

19. Yes, I do think!

[Enthusiast]

26. Precisely.

[Enthusiast]

25. Me too.

[antigop]

2. I disagree with Wilson. I think HRC is terrible on labor issues. nt

[marym625]

4. +10000

[redruddyred]

13. labor issues are my #1 priority

and should be the #1 priority of the democratic party

[Enthusiast]

27. Me too.

[dae]

3. Get those Union bosses straight Bernie.

[marym625]

5. they have an easy choice

Back the candidate that supports them, or the candidate who backs trade for free.

[Enthusiast]

28. Seems clear to me.

[SoapBox]

7. Well...

It would seem that SOME labor leadership...falls into the Entrenched-Establishment crowd, just like others that we've been seeing over the last few weeks falling all over themselves for Ms. Inevitable.

They seem to have forgotten about all those little people (usually called "members&quot .

We'll see what those VOTING members have to say.

[HooptieWagon]

8. Not only might the Party get a shakeup...

...but it sounds like some unions may too. There is a clear candidate for the working person. If labor leadership is backing the corporatist candidate, then members got to be wondering why.

[SoapBox]

9. It gets more obvious by the day,

why it seems that the Entrenched are getting really nervous.

They don't want their compfy boat rocked.

[Dustlawyer]

18. The Union leadership, by and large, needs new blood. They haven't changed with the times and have

allowed many members to be swayed by Fox News and the gun issue. They could use a big shake up and get some younger leadership. The old guys have their establishment pols who have sold out unions but still give huge perks to leadership. Some of the union leadership act like the big CEO's with huge salaries and tons of benefits.

[SusanaMontana41]

11. KaBOOM. eom

[PosterChild]

12. Wilson seems to be..

...a partisan for sanders, not a disinterested analyst . And he seems to rely on Facebook for his public attitude research .

[davidthegnome]

14. Partisan perhaps.

I'm not sure using facebook (among other things) is a bad idea though. A whole hell of a lot of people engage socially there more than they do anywhere else. Particularly among the young, people who grew up either having this, or some version of it. I'm not entirely certain how you could use facebook to get an accurate idea of public attitude, but I suspect that, using polls and statistics, it could certainly be done.

That said, I'm not convinced there's any such thing as a disinterested analyst.

[PosterChild]

21. Look, you need more than...

"In both cases their Facebook pages blew up with disgust over these top-down decisions," Wilson said. "When was the last time people cared this much over who their union endorsed?"

..... where is there any substantial or significant data to support his assertions ? If there was anything to this, he would have provided the evidence. This is, IMHO, an attempt to sucker the hopeful .

The Washington examiner itself is a right wing propaganda rag. I know, because it used to be delivered, unasked, to me, since I live in DC. Once again , IMHO , total right wing crap. My bet is they are hoping and praying for bernie because they know he would be unacceptable to the American people in the general election.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Washington_Examiner

[mak3cats]

22. If you consider Bernie to be "unacceptable to the American people in the general election"

...you are posting in the wrong group. And I think Facebook posts by members on a union's page to be pretty indicative. Of course, I was told that anyone could pretend to be a member and post. But I think that's nothing but deflection.

[PosterChild]

23. Sorry, didn't notice this is in the sander's group....

.... I'll wait for the topic to come up elsewhere to respond.

[smokey nj]

24. You make that "mistake" often.

[lonestarnot]

29. Leadership needs to do the right thing. Should be a simple decision.