AFSCME asked SEIU and IUPAT to bail on Dean.

[Renew Deal]

Just reported on MSRNC

They haven't done it yet.

[displacedtexan]

1. Will they wait until after WI?

That's what I've heard, but I could be wrong. Since AFSCME just bailed, the others may not wait, after all.
Personally, I think this stinks! (and I'm not a Dean supporter.)

[aquart]

My but this looks sleazy and corrupt.

Wonder what account the money's in.

[blm]

12. Actually, it's been said that AFSCME and SEIU were

conned into thinking that all the 500,000+ people who signed on to Dean for America site were solid supporters. They also were led to believe, as was the press, that the Dean organization was the best on the ground. Iowa proved that not to be true.

As it turned out, the organization and numbers were oversold. I can understand why they would rescind their endorsement, unusual as it may seem.

[YouMustBeKiddingMe]

2. Oh Geeze! When it rains it pours.

[joshcryer]

3. Dupe...

...

[Renew Deal]

4. Where is the dupe?

This AFSME talking to the others was just reported.

[joshcryer]

7. There are several posts about this on the first three pages.

It's all over the place. :)

[cyclezealot]

5. I am a member of SEIU

Supposedly an on line vote of our members helped select Dean? I voted for Kucinich..Should they endorse a candidate with a questionable background on Trade Issues, I would then have issues with them.

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

9. SEIU doesn't get their jobs exported to other countries

same with AFSCME. That's why they didn't get behind Gep like the industrial unions did.

Agree about DK, he's getting my vote.

[Nicholas_J]

6. AFSCME just sent Dean notice that it has withdrawn its endorsement

AFSCME Union to Withdraw Support for Dean
AFSCME Union Tells Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean It Will Withdraw Support for Presidential Bid

The Associated Press



Feb. 7 — The head of a major union that gave an early boost to Howard Dean's presidential campaign told the former Vermont governor on Saturday that he would withdraw his union's support, dealing a major blow to the Democrat's faltering campaign, The Associated Press has learned.
Gerald McEntee, head of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, delivered the news to Dean in a meeting with two other unions whose support has been propping up the former governor's campaign, said two Democratic officials who spoke on condition of anonymity.


http://abcnews.go.com/wire/Politics/ap20040207_1106.html

[maddezmom]

8. reported again on CNN

think this stinks. They really should have waited until after today today. :(

[Nicholas_J]

10. Personally I think its great.

Both the AFSCME and SEIU leadership didnt bother to ask its membership who they wanted and it eneded up showing from the start with the rank and file either voting for Kerry in Iowa (29 percent) Gephardt(25 percent) and Dean 22 percent.

AFSCME did even worse by folding to SEIU and going along with Andy Stern in order to show union unity, but the rank and file did not want Dean. I expect that the Union Leadership will hange drastically in the next union elections.

[maddezmom]

11. why didn't they do it before today?

[blm]

13. I think they held it back from Thursday.

If you notice, they waited till after the polls closed. Seems they did Dean a favor.

[eileen_d]

24. Well, it should be interesting

to hear these unions slandered on DU over the next couple of days.

[tishaLA]

14. My respect for some organizations

is disintegrating by the minute.

Why don't they just "endorse" candidates AFTER the primary season for as loyal as the unions are this primary season? If I were involved with someone as loyal as these folks, I'd never go away for the weekend.

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

17. Most unions stayed with Gephardt until the end, and were very loyal

AFSCME and SEIU are very different - AFSCME is government workers - they are immune to market forces and outsourcing. SEIU is the service industry, and doesn't get their jobs outsourced.

SEIU is a great organization and we need more like them. AFSCME knows how to get results for their members. Both of them are pretty different that the mainstream unions. You certainly can't say the industrial unions weren't loyal - they stayed with Gephardt until the very end.

[genius]

15. They only backed Dean because they wanted to back a winner.

Dean is the worst on labor of all candidates.

[frustrated_lefty]

16. Union endorsements will no longer

carry any weight after this election.

But, I would like to offer a healthy FU to AFSCME and ask them to grow a pair.

[GodHelpUsAll2]

18. Here here

I second that FU

[Renew Deal]

19. AFSCME wanted to endorse Clark

But Clark didn't run in Iowa. I think it was a weak endorsement. The learder seems slimey.

[lurk_no_more]

20. Is anyone really surprised by this?

I mean really? As soon as one bails, they'll all bail.


And then there were none!
” JAFO”

[joshcryer]

21. No intregity left.

That plain and simple.

[mot78]

22. These people are slime balls

I remember the head of AFSCME was on CNN the day he endorsed Dean and said he wanted to endorse Clark, but he backed off because Clark skipped Iowa. They should've stayed with Dean at least until Wisconsin.

[Renew Deal]

25. Would another week have really made a difference?

NO

[Straight Shooter]

23. Now we know what rats look like when they think a ship is sinking

I hope they can live with their shriveled little conscience. Not to mention other shriveled body parts.

[Renew Deal]

26. Imagine Dean actually won?

That would be funny. The re-endorsement ceremony.