This is big, big news for our May primary. AFSCME understands how to win elections from the bottom-up, and their grassroots field operation will make a potent combination with the massive outpouring of interest from young, first-time organizers. The diverse membership of AFSCME looks a lot like the diverse membership Obama will appeal to in May and beyond. Thank you, Green Machine!

Sorry to threadjack, but the previous post is unattributed and does not allow comments. It should be attributed. It reflects a personal point of view. It should also allow comments, as MyDD is not a neutral place to discuss Daily Kos or the melodramatic misuse of the term "writer's strike."

James, you are right. Chris is free to argue the victimization of Hillary Clinton as he wants, but the terms "Hillary bashing" and "intolerant" from his post are not neutral. I also take issue with his backhanded compliment -- that Blue Oregon has been doing a good job "lately." This forum has been open to Clinton supporters from day one; we welcome their recent arrival to the conversation but are not responsible for their self-imposed silence earlier.

Now, back to the thread.

Another union endorsing another Democrat is not news.

I would be interested in hearing some commentary (perhaps a new post) from someone more knowledgeable about the labor movement than I, to compare/contrast 2008 with previous electoral cycles, in regards to the role of organized labor. Not a scorecard of who is endorsing whom, but more commentary on, and analysis of, why. Pretty clearly we are no longer living in the era when the AFL-CIO was monolithic and played a big role in the nomination process.

Wow! Actually this is pretty stunning. AFSCME have been Clinton loyalists, gave her big, big help in a number of states, real foot soldiers. And to have the state branch break his way is pretty big.

This is great news. Besides putting a formidable force on the ground for Obama, at the very least it should further the case that once Oregon goes strongly for him, uncommitted supers should support Obama, and perhaps even Governor K and Congresswoman Hooley should come around.

Did anyone see former Senator George McGovern on Colbert earlier this week? He said that while he committed to Clinton early, he was very impressed with Obama, perhaps implying that had he waited to endorse he would have backed Obama. I get the sense that if more well-connected Dems (including national AFSCME), questioned Clinton inevitability, this race would be even clearer than it already is.

Anyway, this is great news. Well done AFSCME OR!

Hillary will mist up and shed some tears in Pennsylvania, touting her ONE year working as an advocate for the Children's Fund before spending EIGHTEEN years as a corporate lawyer and serving double digit numbers of years on the board for Walmart. She will ask older white women from the working class to send her money, because she has loaned five million dollars of her many millions to her campaign. She will not release her tax returns or her WH files. She will insinnuate that the she is having a tougher in the US as the very rich white wife of the President of the US than a black man raised by a teen single parent, bearing the name "Barack Obama." Her surrogates, including her co-president partner, Bill, will use the gender and race cards. The Clinton dynasty's ads will feature the fear and slime politics of personal destruction, including the scorched earth politics that is destroying the Democratic Party. In the meantime, the party elders like John Edwards, Al Gore and Nancy Pelosi sit on their hands and watch the Roman circus proceed and the imperial Clinton co-presidents move on to an unconstitutional eight more years in the WH. Hooray for the Oregon AFSCME for so bravely supporting the only one who can unite the nation in this perilous time and whose support for the struggling working class has never wavered.

Last Democrat this Libertarian voted for was Barbara Jordan and if the Libertarian Party does not come up with a decent candidate this year I might just vote for Obama, if he gets the nomination, simply because he can change the face of American politics. That would be a big improvement.

MEW

This was a difficult vote for AFSCME Council 75, with a lot of our leadership and members supportive of Obama yet initially hesitant to challenge AFSCME International (who endorsed Clinton back in October 2007, in large part because President McEntee is a long time political and personal friend of the Clintons, and AFSCME International has spent and will continue to spend millions of dollars on the Clinton campaign). But in the end we stood up to be counted, and the vote was almost unanimous. This vote was a demonstration of rank and file member democracy in action within AFSCME, and a small step towards the 21st century for AFSCME. I am proud and humbled to be a part of AFSCME Council 75.

The full Resolution can be found here

Go Oregon!

Oregon Next Wave represent! This is particularly notable because the resolution was written and introduced by members of AFSCME Council 75's "Next Wave," a committee organized within the union representing members under the age of 35.

Thank you Oregon!

Great job Oregon! Even with all the crap floating around out there you folks had the courage to go with a proven winner for workers' rights. Has Hillary ever walked a picket line? I don't think so. Obama has several times.

who is this guy? he's had 3 years of public service. Most companies will not hire lower management with such short tenure, it could well be another back-door republican election buy-out attempt

Mike, if you are referring to Obama, that is not true. He has been an elected official longer than Hillary. He has been in "public service" since his community organizing days in the 1980's.

The bottom line is the union understands grassroots organization and Obama's campaign is a classic example of using that tool to organize,

Bravo to the union for getting behind the best candidate.

Yes we can!

To Mike Fuler,

Where have you been since this campaign began? Please study Obama before you make such comments.

What Matt says is correct. Obama has been a legislator longer than Hillary.

Study first, then comment.

to james X:

"MY DD" isn't neutral They have endorsed Sen Clinton

and although Daily Kos has technically not endorsed yet. Markos has endorsed Sen Obama so that is Daily Kos--

There is pretty much no site in the liberal bloggesphere that has not endorse or at least favored one candidate and Sen Obama has the vast majority of support out there

MY DD , Talk Left (and Big Tent on Talk Left) are two pro Hillary sites I can think of

I love Oregon!!!

It's great to see what unfolds when a Union is truly democratic and listens to its membership.

Oregon AFSCME is proud to join the broad coalition of labor and progressive organizations supporting Senator Obama.

Si Su Puede!

It's great to see what unfolds when a Union is truly democratic and listens to its membership.

Oregon AFSCME is proud to join the broad coalition of labor and progressive organizations supporting Senator Obama.

Si Su Puede!

Barack Obama has a track record of fighting for the voiceless. Some in the media have made concerted efforts to undermine Obama as the voice of change. Fortunately, they've failed time-and-time, "you cannot keep a good thing away." No. Obama is not perfect nor does he claim to be, but he is what this country needs. Thanks AFSCME

God bless Oregon AFSCME's and its executive director, Ken Allen for staying smart, brave, bold and beautiful and not giving in to the politics of fear and being willing to give Obama a chance. Very proud of the 'Peoples' Republic of Oregon' today!

The Black/White Rose

Great news! It's on front page of the "Supporters United". www.obama4us.net All for Obama Ahti

It's extremely exciting to see my union stand up for what's right. I know that some folks on DailyKos had questions about how AFSCME's endorsement came about and who was asked so I thought I would post.

Members brought up the idea of endorsing Obama in February's PAC meeting siting his undeniable support of labor. Members of the PAC were charged to conduct a survey of members to see where they stood and report back to the March PAC meeting. Needless to say, it was pretty obvious that our local members supported Obama overwhelmingly.

Our corrections locals, known for being more conservative, also spoke in favor of the Obama endorsement of Hillary Clinton because of Obama's record of supporting corrections officers in the Illinois Legislature...and also recognizing that the union would not likely endorse a Republican for President.

Other points of discussion included HRC's divisive campaign tactics. Specifically, how the Clinton campaign has turned the race into, well, a racial issue.

Oregon AFSCME is prepared to help Senator Obama in his efforts to change the country and to win big in Oregon.

This may just give other AFSCME councils excuse to follow suit...

Shame on Oregon's AFSCME!

Hillary is the only candidate with the strength and experience to bring about the change we need!C

Obama's Supporters United

I recently canvassed for the Democratic Party in my neighborhood of Medford and was encouraged to see that almost every voter expressed the strong relationship between the economy and the Iraq War. I am hopeful for Oregon. Even though Southern Oregon has some history of racism, it looks like AFSCME has resolved on behalf of an important portion of Oregon. I am grateful for this action, and hope that Obama will be able to address critical issues of the economy, the war, health care and government accountability as well as race.

Relating to the latest bluster over the seating of the Michigan and Florida delegations: For years and years those states who had their primaaries\caucuses later in the spring essentially lost their right to make a difference. I didn't see a lot of DNC tears or Clinton hand-ringing. Why now? In Michigan and Florida the tied-up leadership (and possibly the Clinton Campaign) thought they could make an end run around the rules (like the law) and do what they wanted or needed to do. That is a Bush tactic. It wouldn't matter who the candidate was who was ahead of Hillary Clinton, they would still have the ace in the hole at convention time because they control the party and therefore the credentials committee.

This is not my Democratic Party (and I have been a member longer than either of the Clintons). Let the Michigan and Florida delegations either be drawn at random, like a jury pool, from registered Democratic voters who are free of pledges, or let the delegations be seated after the first roll-call vote if it does not designate a "majority of delegates" Democratic Presidential Candidate (with a nomination at 2024 votes required for the first vote). There's a compromise!

After all, it has been years since Oregon mattered.

Sue Stinson Portland, Oregon

were doomed. get used to mccain.

I was wondering if the union workers would be interested in posting articles to local newspapers (with photos of members) stating why they support Barack. Also, if they can contact others in the remaining states such as PA, NC, IN, WV and encourage them to do the same in their local newspapers. The best endorsements are from local people that voters can relate with. It'll be a great. Thank you.