Union leaders face off for Obama, Clinton in Pennsylvania

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/washington/story/D2B3B547A280F54A86257432000CC6B4?OpenDocument

By Philip Dine
POST-DISPATCH WASHINGTON BUREAU
04/21/2008

WASHINGTON — Fresh from a multiday bus tour of Pennsylvania on behalf of Barack Obama, Teamsters President Jim Hoffa was enthused last week about the prospects of his presidential candidate.

"I think labor is marshaling its forces for the election," Madonna said Friday. "They are a major part of the infrastructure of the Democratic Party in Pennsylvania, and they organizationally still have the ability to deliver votes. This is an election they consider one of the most important in many years."

Hoffa and McEntee are two of the toughest, most unyielding leaders in the American labor movement.

Union members in Pennsylvania are not only numerous, they are "very enthusiastic right now" and will play a major role Tuesday, says Terry Madonna, director of the Center for Politics and Public Affairs at Franklin and Marshall College and founder of the Keystone Poll, Pennsylvania's oldest survey.

"I think labor is marshaling its forces for the election," Madonna said Friday. "They are a major part of the infrastructure of the Democratic Party in Pennsylvania, and they organizationally still have the ability to deliver votes. This is an election they consider one of the most important in many years."

Hoffa and McEntee are two of the toughest, most unyielding leaders in the American labor movement.

FULL story at link.