It's Official: No SEIU Endorsement

It's official. The country's largest labor union, the nearly 2 million member SEIU, is going to punt on any Democratic presidential endorsement. The announcement today comes after months of arduous internal and public debates over who to favor.

There's no way to interpret today's announcement, which leaves endorsements up to individual state union locals, as something other than a body blow to the campaign of John Edwards. "Given the importance of this election, we are encouraging members and leaders to act on their passion for the candidates and get involved on a statewide basis," said SEIU President Andy Stern

Six months ago, Edwards was considered a shoo-in for the SEIU nod and he was heavily supported by Stern and other top union leaders. But as Edwards poll numbers stalled, he lost traction within the union and a majority of SEIU political representatives meeting earlier this month could not be mustered on his behalf.

Now the battle will be underway to see how the biggest individual pieces of the union fall into line behind which candidate or another. Illinois could easily go with home favorite Barack Obama. New York locals might go with go Clinton. California locals might lean toward Edwards.

In the 2004 election cycle, SEIU poured $65 million and thousands of foot soldiers into the Democratic campaign -- the sort of boost that Edwards had been hoping for but which has now slipped through his fingers.

Comments

[ResidentChimp]

10:16 AM on 10/09/2007

The SEIU sees Hillaryas the winner and doesn't want to tip it's hand too early. They can save their endorsement for the real election campaign. In addition, it allows them to conserve their funds for when it counts. Whomever wins the Democrat nomination will surely kiss it's ruby red podex.

[jeanruss]

09:32 AM on 10/09/2007

I'm glad to see how many of us understand Edwards's message and will fight for him-I used to think I would want Gore if he came into the race-but now, I would vote for Edwards regardless-he really impresses me with the sincerity of his intentions-I firmly believe that America can step back from the brink if he is in charge and I will continue to support him in every way possible.

[win2kpro]

05:33 AM on 10/09/2007

At my age I've watched a lot of elections, and all I see so far this cycle is a replay of the last election. At this time in the last election everyone was figuring that Howard Dean had the Democratic nomination "sewed up". Didn't happen!

One of the problems today is all the mixed mesages from the various polls don't mean shit. The pollsters are polling the registered Democrats, and as such are ignoring us registered independents.

I'm switching my party affiliation to the Democrats so I can vote in the primaries, and will be proud to vote for JOHN EDWARDS since in my humble opinion he is the only top teir
Democratic candidate not owned by the "establishment". Face reality, Washington is owned by the big oil companies, and the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries. JOHN EDWARDS is their worst nightmare, and is deserving of the support from all of us who want to see this great Country taken back from the "establishment".

If you are a registered Independent change your affliation to Democrat long enough to get in a vote for JOHN EDWARDS, you can always change your affliation back to Independent later. Take America back! Vote EDWARDS!

[Hopalongpoppyseed]

01:23 AM on 10/09/2007

This article made it sound like the SEIU not endorsing Edwards is a defeat for him. I disagree. The defeat would have been if they endorsed Clinton or Obama. It is time to wait and see. Let's have a few votes counted in America to see where the people will place their hopes. the union can hold on to their wallets a little while.

[phoenix1964]

01:07 AM on 10/09/2007

Obama walks the walk. He worked very hard with SEIU during his community organizing days. Do you people know what community organizing means? The reason why the couldn't decide is that the locals wanted to back Obama, because he has been in the trenches for over 20 years with them, Edwards is a johnny come lately who was backed by the SEIU leadership. They couldnt agree so basically it's Edwards lose. He needs the money and people to organize on the grown. He lost that. If you watched the SEIU conference, Obama rocked the house, Edwards was second best and the union members were very cold to Clinton.

[marytnurse]

12:11 AM on 10/09/2007

Andy Stern had nothing to do with the vote: Each state has a delegation, they talked to members in their state and relied on their individual experiences with the candidates. It came down to a very close vote, and if you check around and review previous stories on the SEIU's recent events, I'm sure you can figure out who the front-runners were; and who wasn't even given honorable mention, even in their own state. The fact that no candidate could garner 60% of the delgations' votes is the element that is missing from this story. That and a factual representation of who might support whom. A quorum is still a quorum, and SEIU has rules.

If hillary scares you, then get your butts away from the monitor, your eyes and minds open, and find a candidate that has a chance of defeating her (fair or not, that's how it is for now), and support them with all your might; passionately and respectfully. Give that ever-critical bit of green stuff that they must have to survive in this crazy system that is endorsed and reinforced by MSM and the republicans. Then, once we have them elected, get the campaign reform and transparent financing that we so desperately need. Go to Citizens for Responsible Ethics in Washington and type in your candidate's name and the names of the others (you can skip you-know-who, no one seems to care anyway), and know what you are talking about. Or, sit back with your mouse in hand and begin to visualize 8 more years of hillary.

[OlskoolDem]

11:37 PM on 10/08/2007

The SEIU started off by ditching the AFL-CIO a year or so ago to move towards organising, what a crock. Andy Stern is looking out for Andy Stern
and not his Union. The SEIU has the most efficient feet on the street voter action system in all of the Labor. For him to punt on this makes one wonder just what this flim flam man is up to.
Does Labor Secretary sound like a good pay off??

[socks1]

09:38 PM on 10/08/2007

This is all but a giveaway to Hillary, and one wonders why. Because Hillary is no friend of Unions unless she needs them for an election, she won't be helping the average worker should she become President.

Hillary's health care plan is a mandated health care policy that all must buy, kinda like auto insurance and is a boon to the insurance cos. If you can't buy it now what makes you think you can after the election?

What I fear is that this numbnuts move is ousting Edwards chance and he is the one that would reverse this neo-con juggernaut back into a symbalance of a free country again.

I even doubt if Hillary plans on reversing the Anti-Constitutional policies that Bush put into place. I can see her allowint illegal survalance continuing.

Right from Reagan thru to Bush now, and that includes the Clinton Presidency, this country has been on a one way slide towards Corporate rule, for the monied folks. And the Democrats are too loyal or stupid to realize it.

Problem being that that loyality will not be returned.........ask the gays if don't ask, don't tell was what they expected when they organized for Bill, when he was running for President.

If you are a working person, particularly if you are not rich, you can kiss your liberty goodbye if we get our 1st lady President in this next election. The fuedal system is all but insured here, unless we get a pro-worker back into the Presidency.

[otispfudpucker]

09:55 PM on 10/08/2007

Spocks you are so ever right. The Clintons are not who they protray themselves to be.

With Hillary we will just get the same as what we have gotten with Bush, we may as well just let Bush stay another four years.

Like I have been saying she is nothing but a Corporate Whore and Bill is nothing but a corporate pimp.

I keep asking, "Why does everyone continue to be sheeple"?
Do the majority of Americans really have their heads up their asses or are they just that naive? Also I do not believe these polls. I feel that it is Corporate Americas Propaganda. God save our country if Killary gets it.

"For the great majority of mankind are satisfied with appearances, as though they were realities, and are often more influenced by the things that seem than by those that are.": Niccolo Machiavelli - (1469-1527) Italian Statesman and Political Philosopher - Source: Discourses, 1513-1517

[larry278]

11:59 PM on 10/08/2007

True, John Edwards is the closest thing to a friend America's working people have, if we ignore Rep Kuchinich, who's running for POTUS. Sen Obama talks the talk but Sen Clinton has sold herself to the power elite to get their money to buy the office of POTUS; it like, for now, HRC will become POTUS. She will pay her debt to the establishment by being their champion. Sen Obama, if he wins, might show us that he walks the walk. I'd feel safer if Edwards or Kuchinich was POTUS. As the cliche says, Hillary is W Lite. Hillary as POTUS frightens me & others for good reason.