Steelworkers endorse Obama for president

WASHINGTON — The United Steelworkers union endorsed Democrat Barack Obama for president Thursday, giving the Illinois senator a powerful advocate in attracting blue-collar voters.

The endorsement comes one day after former presidential candidate and Steelworker ally John Edwards endorsed Obama, a key component in the union's decision to go with the Democratic front-runner. The union had earlier endorsed Edwards, who threw his support to Obama Wednesday night.

"We find ourselves once again in agreement with Senator Edwards, this time with his decision last evening to endorse Senator Barack Obama," the union said in a statement. "And thus today, the United Steelworkers enthusiastically endorses Senator Barack Obama to be the next president of the United States."

The Steelworkers are the second union that endorsed Edwards to now go with Obama. The 200,000-member Transport Workers Union earlier switched and endorsed Obama.

The United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and the United Mine Workers union _ who also endorsed Edwards _ have not made new endorsements in the race.

Obama and his presidential rival, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, have been courting the 600,000 member Steelworkers union since Edwards dropped out of the race. The union's executive board, however, was unanimous in picking Obama for its endorsement.

"All of us, including we hope Senator Clinton for whom we have the utmost respect, must now do everything we can to ensure that Barack Obama is the next president of the United States," the union said. "Now is the time for contention and division to cease, and for us to unite behind the changes for which Senator Obama and our members are calling."

Comments

[Phylmom]

Guess what?? A lot of those steelworkers are from -- gasp! -- West Virginia. But wait. I thought they were all inbred ignorant hillbillies. Oh. I guess not.

[joanno]

Joining a gathering presence....and the words carry much more than a simple endorsement: "Now is the time for contention and division to cease, and for us to unite behind the changes for which Senator Obama and our members are calling." The powerful need for change is in We The People and in Obama, We The People have seen a leader. Obama is unstoppable because We The People in this country have always been unstoppable when we have chosen to act.

[Buddhabman]

Obama supporters let's keep up the work. We still have to gain the confidence of the Blue Collar workers. Once they know Sen. Obama's plan to reinvest in America, and how those plans will rebuild infastructure and add jobs they should be convinced he is the best choice.

Time to take our message to the conservative blog sites.

Obama 08

[Softnsweet]

I agree. It is just that when they start bashing his supporters it's hard for me not to come back at them. I will try very hard not to in the future. I know most of the time they do not mean any harm. My friend is a Hillary supporter and I love her as a friend and hate her...rofl.

[lisakaz2]

Awesome. Now, where's Ben Roethisburger?

[dulios]

LOL :)

[Buddhabman]

Big Steel Mills might not be back, but smaller ones will, plus specialized mills will be needed for our own specialized high tech industries and defense. Plus if we get the infastructure building again there will be a great need. We will need a new refinery, plus turbine pwoer needs steel. Green Power can include steel

[peggio]

Okay, it's time to retire the pantsuit. Take a couple of days, lick the wounds,stay out of the donut box. Pick yourself up, store the ego in a jar that you keep by the door and join us in ridding the country of the Republican insanity of the last 7 years.

Aside to Bill.....Yesterday's gone, yesterday's gone.....ooh, yesterday's gone!

[olivia]

I wish the Clintons would realize:

They can fight the change, or they can help, and help the country.

You'd think it was all about them and their selfish ambition.

[Softnsweet]

I think Hillary has changed. She was awesome in her interview with Blizer, and her victory speech was good as well.

[DebofMD]

Woo-hoo!! The train is filling up!

[gbht12]

This is great news! I think there were glimpses of white working people in that picture? Hillary : I see hard white working people and they are supporting Obama. What will be your story now? What will you say to continue this time. Can't wait.

[jubo]

Unanimous. Nice. The family grows.

[Freedomscap]

4 of Edwards' delegates just switched to Obama.

[DebofMD]

Yay!!!!

[Canaris]

Another piece falls into place. Good on ya, steelworkers.

Obama '08

[jrterrier]

i don't know. the steelworkers in that picture didn't seem to happy to be there.

[leftoflennon]

Yup.

It's all coming nicely into shape.

[humbop]

I'm glad the Steelworkers endorsed Obama.

But I am fed-up that the political process of our country is held hostage by white, uneducated, blue-collar workers. (The one's who put Bush into office by the way.) Educated, informed, tolerant people also live in this country. And it's a better place because of it.

Enough of the pandering to the chest-thumping, ignorant, "Cracker" demographic that gets its news off bumper stickers. If they'd ever take their eyes off their pick-ups and guns and read a little bit, they'd understand that anyone who's not a millionaire and votes Republican is hurting themselves economically. It's time these Yahoos learned that their sexism and racism has jumped the shark -- long ago.

[smartex]

Blue Collar workers are not voting for Clinton because we hate Obama. Neither is it because of Hillary Clinton.
Rather it is because of President Clintons presence. How many of us before have seen a former president live? But Bill Clnton, starting from Ohio has been coming to our backyard and sharing such ablissful moment with us. Who would resist the temptation of honouring such a good president like Clinton?

That said, we will back Obama in the fall; but he needs people like Bill Clinton to campaign for him.

[Softnsweet]

Thanks smartex, I am sure Obama will appreciate your vote.

[gditty]

It helps having your husband as a ex-President, and daughter to help you campaign, therefore you can be 3 places at once. President Clinton was making as much as 20 campaign stops a day, with his wife and daughter making an additional 5 to 10 campaigns. How/Why would you expect one man to match that?

[BlackmaninAmerica]

Good for them. I think KY will be closer than we think.

[olivia]

OMG it looked like hard-working white people in that picture!

[massive]

Hmmm. Seems that "hard-working Americans" know who their Commander-In-Chief should be after all.

Hey McBush -- you don't stand a chance.

[Levittown]

Maybe the other 599,999 have other ideas, Don't count your chickens..........

[apoyo]

"Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country."

I remember typing that sentence over and over again in Jr High typing class.

Its meaning truly resonates today.

[Softnsweet]

me to apoyo.

[kgirl72]

simply beautiful!!!!

[Tom95134]

This is a big endorsement. Sadly, steel will never regain the employment base it had in the 40's and 40's when we were the leader in steel output. However, the endorsement recognizes that steelworker jobs have a better chance of staying here with Obama as President than they would with a McCain in the Oval Office.

[oogabooga]

It utterly baffles me why any working person would vote for McCain, who simply would continue the Republic Party's pick-pocketing policies. When Obama rapped the car industry, he tried to prod them into positive change. This change would include building high mileage cars and trucks. Toyota, for example, has sold more than 1 million hybrids. These were built mainly in Japan, not Detroit. Now FedEx and UPS like hybrid diesel trucks so much, they want thousands more. But who makes them: Iveco' in Italy and Toyota in Japan. So the dinosaur executives of the American car companies have to embrace change and meet the consumer demand. But instead, the execs ridiculed Obama's suggestions. But who pays for this stupidity? The workers do, when their factories close. We're all paying for the corporatist stupidity, just like with Bush's foolhardiness.

[KarateKid]

Why? Because the Republicans play to the fears of the American people. They label the opposition with terms that conjure up fear. "Tax and Spend Democrats" "Liberals".

Only this time, they mismanaged and screwed up so badly that even the most unaware can feel the pain, and see right through their sham act.

Three special elections have proven that and the Republicans are now in a panic. They don't know whether to shit or go blind.

Expect an epic, ugly campaign on their part to hang on to power. We citizens have the power collectively to give them the boot, and we are signing up in record numbers and we will continue to sign up new voters. The Republicans know their time is over and there is nothing they can do about it.

[oogabooga]

Amen.

[athenasword]

"Now is the time for contention and division to cease, and for us to unite behind the changes for which Senator Obama and our members are calling."

Bravo Steel-workers. Well said. Welcome aboard!!!

[Bluejay00234]

Being from an industrial state (Michigan) I say welcome! :)

[Mygirl]

Good news !

[scorpioleidy]

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

OBAMA '08

[Grannysue]

SWEEEEEET

[littlepuffycloud]

Thank you Steel Workers! We're on the threshold of something big and you prove that we (I hate this label) blue collar workers are not all ignorant racist bigots.