Union awaits Clark's decision on run

[wndycty]

Union awaits Clark's decision on run

By LEIGH STROPE
The Associated Press
9/9/2003, 11:01 p.m. ET

WASHINGTON (AP) — One of the nation's politically powerful labor unions is =
willing to
delay its endorsement process as it awaits word from Wesley Clark on whethe=
r he will
seek the Democratic presidential nomination.

"I think we would owe it to our members and to the country really, to at le=
ast let him
be in it for a time to see whether he gets some traction," Gerald McEntee, =
president of
the 1.5 million-member American Federation of State, County and Municipal
Employees, said Tuesday. "I don't see how our union would be prepared to do=

anything until he has some time."

Clark, a retired Army general, has promised to reveal his plans by the end =
of next
week.
-snip-

http://pennlive.com/newsflash/lateststories/index.ssf?/base/politics-0/
1063163347304010.xml

[ixion]

1. I wish Clark would make a decision already

he's holding up the works. :-)

[Kahuna]

9. Kerry's announcement usurped Clark's timeline to announce...

Clark planned to announce around Labor Day. When kerry decided he needed to announce (again - sic) after labor day, what was Clark supposed to do? He could hardly announce at the same time or even during the same week.

[wndycty]

10. I think it had more to do with Hillary. . .

. . .thats just my take.

[Kahuna]

16. No. Clark promised a decision by the end of August...

He said that repeatedly all through August. Suddenly, not a word. Why? Because of Kerry's announcement is my take. My theory (as borrowed from another DUer) makes more sense than yours. The Hillary thing is just RW hysterics.

[JI7]

17. kerry had planned his for a long time

it wasn't something he decided after hearing clark. anyways, all clark had said was he would do it "around" labor day. and isn't john edwards' announcing next week ?

[Kahuna]

18. Okay. If you're correct and I have..

no reason to doubt you, Clark still wouldn't want his announcement to coinside with Kerry's. I haven't heard anything about Edwards making ANOTHER announcement.

[wndycty]

19. Plus. . .

. . .I think Clark's announcement would have upstaged Kerry's announcement. We all know Kerry is running so his announcement was a photo op, Clark's announcement on the other hand would have been news.

[cherryperry]

2. Thanks for the info!

Apparently they were intending to make a choice yesterday and it seems only fair to wait a week for Clark to provide his 'plans' first. I really appreciate this update.


:hi:

:kick:

[wndycty]

3. I think this speaks to an important point. . .

. . .actually a two points:

1) The unions take him seriously enough as a candidate that its waiting to see what he is going to do.

2) Although its late in the game, it appears that some very connected Democrats (including the head of this union) might be ready to throw their support behind Clark which might help make up for his late entry.

[farmbo]

4. Sounds like the Big Dog made a big phone call...

...to head off a big endorsement for one of Clark's rivals.

Truly a raw deal for the nine who have declared themselves Democrats and have actually been running for office instead of waiting in the wings for a Greatful Nation to rise up and unify behind thier candidacy.

This is preferential treatment for Clinton's "star".

[Trajan]

5. Hmmmmmmm ....

Is it time to hate Clinton now ? ....

PLEASE tell me: .. I HATE to be late on this stuff ....

[wndycty]

6. ???

Its time to hate Clinton because he is friendly with the guy who has the best chance of beating Bush*? Does not make a hell of a lot sense to me.

[farmbo]

14. Somebody tell me how this is a "Clinton Hating" post...Sorry,it Ain't

...me thinks thou dos't protest too much...

[Trajan]

20. ??? ...

Sounds like the Big Dog made a big phone call...


...to head off a big endorsement for one of Clark's rivals.

Truly a raw deal for the nine who have declared themselves Democrats and have actually been running for office instead of waiting in the wings for a Greatful Nation to rise up and unify behind thier candidacy.

This is preferential treatment for Clinton's "star".


-snip-

"Truly a raw deal for the nine " ...

"preferential treatment for Clinton's star " ....

So: .... the 'nine' are getting a raw deal because of some presumed preferential treatment offered by those who are presumed to be pressured by who is presumed to be William Jefferson Clinton ....

Obviously: .... Clinton is being portrayed in a negative light for having allegedly pressured a constituency to hold off their endorsement of a set of nine candidates for the benefit of one other .... yet there is nothing in this story to implicate Clinton in causing such a 'raw deal for the nine' .... this is gratuitous speculation at best ....

If your going to make such comments, perhaps you can own their implications and insinuations as well ....

Yeah: .... perhaps this isnt 'Clinton hatred', and I apologize for coming to such a rash conclusion, .... but it certainly attempts to imply that Clinton was involved in some shady backroom armtwisting .... HARDLY a ringing endorsement ....

Some virulent ANTI-Clark forces in DU have already spewed some seriously ugly anti-Clinton venom here in DU ... but I shouldnt have associated your tame Clinton barbs with their more strident rhetoric .... thats not fair ....

My bad ......

Hey: .. I LOVE ALL the candidates .... even Holy Joe .... but I adore "Slick Willy" as well .... to denigrate him, even slightly, for the benefit of the 'nine' is unwarranted ....

[DoveTurnedHawk]

7. Wahhh!

This is preferential treatment for Clinton's "star".

Welcome to modern politics!

Go Clark!

DTH

[DoveTurnedHawk]

8. BTW...Dupe

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=106284

DTH

[Kahuna]

11. You know what? It's still about the voters and what the voters

want. Not what any candidate thinks he's entitled to. Thought we had learned that lesson after 2000. This election belongs to the voters. Not the candidates.

[Starpass]

12. Just want to say something right outloud

First, it's been pointed out in various news articles that all these union endoresements Gep has been picking up are only TEMPORARY. They don't feel Gep can win the nomination but he's been a real worker for the Unions and, thus, they gave him the early bid. They will in time change the endorsements as things shake out, if necessary. That said, I said here many times (and am so familiar with these people from being born and raised in the midwest and living there for years in the whole big nest of uion workers) that these Union men and women will not walk across the street to vote for Howard Dean because they are real big "support our troops" people (lot of their sons and daughters in the military). To them they "support the war" because they think that not to is to not support the troops. They will spit in Dean's face. Dean's is more the college student and intellectual crowd. The ones who don't have sons and daughters in Iraq. Sooooo, even though Clark did not support the war, he appeals to them on the level of 4 sparkling stars on his shoulders and thus, they will listen to him. It's sort of a "you have to walk the walk if you are going to have any credentials in talking to us". That's life in the US of A and we have to deal with it. That is why Clark is going to make a big splash. Remember, no one is listening to any of these candidates right now. January is still not too late.

[Starpass]

13. Just want to say something right outloud

First, it's been pointed out in various news articles that all these union endoresements Gep has been picking up are only TEMPORARY. They don't feel Gep can win the nomination but he's been a real worker for the Unions and, thus, they gave him the early bid. They will in time change the endorsements as things shake out, if necessary. That said, I said here many times (and am so familiar with these people from being born and raised in the midwest and living there for years in the whole big nest of uion workers) that these Union men and women will not walk across the street to vote for Howard Dean because they are real big "support our troops" people (lot of their sons and daughters in the military). To them they "support the war" because they think that not to is to not support the troops. They will spit in Dean's face. Dean's is more the college student and intellectual crowd. The ones who don't have sons and daughters in Iraq. Sooooo, even though Clark did not support the war, he appeals to them on the level of 4 sparkling stars on his shoulders and thus, they will listen to him. It's sort of a "you have to walk the walk if you are going to have any credentials in talking to us". That's life in the US of A and we have to deal with it. That is why Clark is going to make a big splash. Remember, no one is listening to any of these candidates right now. January is still not too late.

[Starpass]

15. okaaaaay, how did the double post happen????spooks

is the board hiccuping again???