Richardson, Biden court the Iowa Labor Council

[Omaha Steve]

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/politics/blog/2007/09/richardson_biden_court_the_iow.html

Richardson, Biden court the Iowa Labor Council

by Rick Pearson

SIOUX CITY, Iowa — New Mexico's Democratic Gov. Bill Richardson said today that he would use the presidency to more than double the percentage of the nation's workforce that are union members while White House rival Sen. Joseph Biden pledged to rebuild the middle class and organized labor.

The two contenders, along with former President Bill Clinton and his wife, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), spoke before sun-drenched cloudless blue skies at a family picnic hosted by the Northwest Iowa Labor Council and local Democrats.

While several hundred watched the Clintons' pre-lunchtime speeches, the crowd had dwindled in about half to watch afternoon speeches by Richardson, Biden, and Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), acting as a surrogate for Illinois colleague Sen. Barack Obama, who was campaigning in New Hampshire.

"My name's Joe Biden and I'm one of the 800 candidates running for president," said the Delaware senator, who was the last politician to speak at the gathering. "I think you've probably heard from all."

Both Richardson and Biden used the gathering of union families to speak as much about helping organized labor as they did in touting their foreign relations credentials to lead a country beset by war and international tension.

Not all of the union members were satisfied with the speeches.

FULL story at link.