Possible BIG Labor Endorsement: SEIU Set to Endorse Barack Obama, UCFW too

[MadBadger]

EDIT: Just read that the United Food and Commercial Worker's Union is expected to endorse him as well. They have 1.3 million nationwide while SEIU has 1.9 million nationwide

http://workinglife.org/blogs/view_post.php?content_id=7814


http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0208/SEIU_set_to_endorse_Obama.html





February 14, 2008
Read More: Labor

SEIU set to endorse Obama


Two labor sources tell Politico that the giant Service Employees International Union, which has been neutral through the primary, is on the verge of throwing its support to Sen. Barack Obama.

"It's done," said one person close to the union.

SEIU spokeswoman Stephanie Mueller confirmed that union leaders are set to discuss a potential endorsement today.

"Our board is going to be talking this evening," she said. "This will be a topic of their conversation."

An endorsement could add muscle to Obama's campaign in Wisconsin, but could be particularly important in beefing up his organization in Texas, where the union has a major presence among Latinos.

Many SEIU leaders had backed Edwards before he dropped out, but giant New York- and Chicago-based locals blocked an endorsement. Now, with Chicago pushing hard for Obama and joined by much of the rest of the union's national organization, insiders said a tipping point appears to have been reached. A formal endorsement would come after tonight's call, when local organizations submit their written votes by email.

Jerry Morrison, a spokesman for the SEIU Illinois State Council, said he expected the union to make an announcement imminently, though he would not confirm an Obama endorsement.

"There’ll be some information tomorrow morning at the latest," he said.

[Renew Deal]

1. That would be amazing!

It would give Obama a lot of credibility on labor issues.

[FrenchieCat]

3. Yes we will do this......

yes, we can!

[Renew Deal]

29. Some more info...

"While the symbolic importance of an SEIU endorsement of Obama is considerable, there is also a practical element. SEIU has roughly 100,000 members total in Wisconsin, Ohio and Pennsylvania -- all crucial states holding primaries over the next two months. Thus, an SEIU endorsement of Obama would add crucial ground forces to his efforts in those states."

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2008/02/seiu_to_consider_obama_endorse.html?nav=rss_blog

[Araxen]

2. Hillary: "They don't count for anything"

[cottonseed]

4. This is a nice endorsement.

nt

[Alhena]

5. Sweet- Obama really needs to strike while the iron is hot ...

in the post-Potomac afterglow.

[HeraldSquare212]

6. Outstanding!

[rox63]

7. This is a huge endorsement!

Whee! :woohoo:

[thevoiceofreason]

8. I thought they endorsed state by state?

Because the Nevada SEIU, then later the California SEIU, endorsed him too.

[Renew Deal]

10. They do both

Local doesn't have to match national. This is thousands of extra bodies for Obama.

[thevoiceofreason]

11. Excellent

Once we double our ground force in Houston to 2000, we'll be unstoppable.

[Graybeard]

18. SEIU in NY endorsed Clinton in NY primary.

I am a retired member living in NY. Before the NY primary I recieved a mailing from SEIU urging vote for Sen. Clinton.

[davsand]

27. State level unions can endorse independent of the Internationals

There are some Internationals that get cranky about it, but from what I've seen states can endorse who they please in most cases. SEIU International endorsement was tricky because the state level guys were divided. Edwards had been working Labor hard for a few years now, and Obama has done well with them too. Once Edwards stepped out of the race it opened the door to the Internationals to make endorsements without a huge split between the various state organizations. (I can't stress enough how much Edwards support is there in the Unions!)

I remember when Obama was in his Senate Primary that I was at a large labor dinner talking to some of the guys from one of the Internationals. He saw my Obama for Senate button and commented on it (it was VERY early in that race and there was NO front runner.) I talked to him for quite a while about Obama and he told me then that he was hoping the International would endorse Obama in that race because he'd been so impressed with him both as a legislator and in all their meetings. They did endorse Obama later in that race, and I always wondered how much weight that guy's opinion had carried...





Laura

[book_worm]

9. In the words of Tony the Tiger: "It's grrrrrrrreaaaaat"

[TeamJordan23]

12. k&r. nm

[Celeborn Skywalker]

13. Great News!

[debatepro]

14. hard for edwards to counter SEIU endorsement by supporting hillary

Several of Edwards labor supporters have lined up behind obama.

[MadBadger]

16. Most of Edwards supporters have gone to Obama.

[donheld]

15. That would be wonderful

:bounce::bounce::bounce:

[Drunken Irishman]

17. I think Ohio just went Obama.

[geek tragedy]

21. Not many SEIU members in Ohio, unfortunately.

27,000 members in OH, KY, and WV combined.

[Drunken Irishman]

23. It's mostly symbolic, if anything.

A major union endorsing Obama will definitely get the attention of blue collar Ohio voters.

[jkshaw]

19. Very good news!

[elixir]

20. Don't post until you know it's a done deal.

[MadBadger]

22. Shut up, please, just shut up.

I said POSSIBLE, Cant you read???

Im sick of people telling me what I can and cannot post.

[Divernan]

30. Sadly, the more rabid Clinton supporters can't read or spell very well,

let alone understand voting demographics or face facts.

You're doing very well with your posting, Hnmnf. Keep up the enthusiasm!

[Stephanie]

37. The HRC campaign message is, "Sit down, shut up, & accept the inevitable."

Too bad that's not playing any more.

[blm]

38. Tell em to not post till they read the BCCI report. Heh - that should get em off yer back.

Most Clinton supporters wouldn't read the contents of the National Security Archives if it showed up document by document in their daily mail and in large print letters with pictures next to them.

[stillcool]

40. Gosh I love Ignore...

I can tell by your response that I just dodged a bullet..as in an up-tick in my blood pressure.

[Renew Deal]

25. Tell it to Ben Smith

This is not the OP's fault.

[MadBadger]

26. I'm tired of people on DU from the big man to the newest newbie telling me what I can and cant post

[sandnsea]

39. My son is UCFW

He'll be glad to hear this. Thank you. No shutting up for you today. :hug:

[MadBadger]

41. If you can, try to find out how this endorsement affects other in the union.

Thanks,btw, Im just a little annoyed with the thread limit. Ive had news Ive come across that Ive had to sit on,, and I dont want to be told by another DUer again about what I can and cannot post, especially something completely legitimate like this.

[TexasObserver]

24. That should help in Ohio and Pa.

[Scurrilous]

28. Great news.

:thumbsup:

[Skidmore]

31. Some more of them elites, huh?

Yup, only college educated, wine-sipping yuppie types vote for Obama, don't they? It's amazing how many of the RW talking points and memes (I hate that word) the opposition adopts.

[MadBadger]

32. Those Latte, Starbuck, and Limousine libs

[sloppyjoe25s]

42. bleme - if you're sick of meme

bleme is a more fun word - i'm sick of meme as well.

"bleme" => a meme for a blog or "blog meme" :) much better!

[MadBadger]

33. Kicking for the new information about the UCFW

[thoughtcrime1984]

44. I'm in the UFCW!

Excellent news, they got it right!

[Arugula Latte]

34. Hope that's true!

:bounce:

[Stephanie]

35. Amazing!

I thought the Clinton machine would have had the unions sewed up. They sure do in NY state. This is the tipping point, folks. It's over for HRC.

[Thrill]

36. Great News!!

[David Zephyr]

43. Big news.

:thumbsup: