A Defining Moment for The Clintons: The Lawsuit Against Nevada's Culinary Workers Union
The Clinton campaign is supporting, if not actually inciting, a Nevada State Teachers Association lawsuit against the Culinary Workers Union. The reason? The Culinary Workers Union has arranged for its members to caucus in their workplaces, to cast their votes in the hotels and casinos that support that state's economy instead of taking time off to get to polling places -- at the risk of getting fired.
That lawsuit was filed right after the Culinary Workers Union endorsed Obama.
Gosh. What a coincidence. It's an unfair disadvantage, the teachers union lawsuit says -- they are supporting Hillary -- to let all those maids and bellboys vote while they are on the job.
The caucus is on the 19th. It's a Saturday. I guess the teachers are going to be -- really busy compared to those maids and bellboys?
I don't know this for a fact but my guess is that the Nevada's Teachers Association is more entrenched in the state power hierarchy than the Culinary Workers Union. It's more white, more middle class. I bet the teachers are much more spread out, demographically and geographically, firmly ensconced in tenured security.
The Culinary Workers Union, on the other hand, represents all the little brown people who clean hotel rooms in Las Vegas and Reno. Living and working from day to day.
If the Clintons don't repudiate this lawsuit, Obama and Edwards have a giant, gaping opportunity to nail them to the wall of cynical win-at-any price entitlement. There is no way they want to be in this position on the national screen. It's a short term stop-gap, a sign of fear, that they are even doing this. If they don't repudiate this lawsuit, it will be an albatross around their necks that will be dangle like a leaden anchor into super-duper Tuesday on Feb the 5th -- if only Obama surrogates and supporters can keep it in the public eye.
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It really doesn't matter who is president in this country. The Corporate Machine will rule each and every one of us. They will set policy, write laws, evade enforcement, corrupt legislators and slime opponents. This country has, and will continue to, operate by the golden rule, he who has the gold rules. This whole election is a sham. Nothing will change. America will continue on the road to destruction. And finally, when the other nations of the earth have had ENOUGH of America, they will slap up upside the head and we will fold like a cheap umbrella. Remember, you read it here first.
Is there no end? Everyday the clintons drag this lower and lower. Enough already. The Democratic leadership needs to strongly comdemn the clintons before they're allowed to tear the party apart (although it may be too late for that). As each day passes the Republican's chances grow stronger and stronger to hold the white House and retake the Senate. Hillary Clinton cannot win the general election. A Clinton nomination would greatly energize the Republican's voters, disinfranchise may Democrats...and boatloads of independants. The Clints are not just trying to win the nomination at all costs they're also trying to destroy the Democrat's chances should she not be nominated (If I can't be President neither will you).
Shouldn't the issue for the Democratic Party be one of helping all those who wish to participate in the voting process gain access? Didn't we have enough of attempts to suppress certain blocks of voters with Rove and Bush/Cheney?
Had the Culinary Workers endorsed HRC, you can bet there would be no suit.
Bob Shrum quotes Kerry as saying:
“The only thing the Clintons care about is themselves and power.”
Sounds pretty accurate to me.
So what is wrong with asking for equal treatment of all the people of Nevada, in this disenfranchising caucus?Oh, it is only OK to provide preferencial treatment for the Union that has endorsed Obama. I saw the Iowa Caucus, and the function of the Union endorsements on both sides was to get their people to the Caucus, and wear there shirts showing their support of the candidate. In Nevada, it is to make sure that their group has special voting sites while the rest of the state groups have been ignored.
THE TEACHERS UNION HAS NOT ENDORSED HILLARY. It does not make any difference what they have done in the past. If past counted, then Obama's drug use should count also. You speak as though she has a moral obligation here. Why did not Obama have a moral obligation not to bus Iowa Students back to Illinois. The rest of the candidates told their workers not to Caucus, although under the rules we could have. Did these students live, vote, and pay taxes in Iowa? Richardson had over 300 volunteers in the state and had they voted, it could have made a difference.
Again, why are the standard so high for one person and not the rest. That is right, we need to get back to IRONING SHIRTS.
Teachers always know how to get to the poles and get in their votes. Likely the culinary workers arrive at work by bus, probably don't have a car. Many would would pass up the chance to vote.
The Clintons will do anything to win even if it means destroying the democratic party. Should Mrs. Clinton win the nomination many democrats will not vote in the general election or vote for the republicans. McCain has many faults including his love of wars but he is 10 times more honest than Mrs. Clinton.
Imagine this, Hilary vs. McCain. Where's the change in that. If there was ever a cynical, business as usual election that would be one. And you can bet it would turn off a large portion of the electorate. Why vote at all since nothing would change. We'd still be in Iraq, the middle class and working class would still be being screwed by the investor class and corporate America, universal healthcare would never pass, and the grid lock, left/right war would continue ad nauseum.
How f**king depressing. That's what we're going to get I'm afraid.
The unions agreed on this in March, but that was before the Culinary Union endorsed Obama. Way to go Clintons!
When will ANYONE hold HRC accountable for the magical act of turning $1000 to $100,000 trading commodities in one month. A public audit showed that HRC won the money because all of Tyson Food's winning trades were assigned to her and all the losing trades were kept in the Tyson column. When will this holier-than-thou candidate be asked to account for this episode that occurred when she was an ADULT?
*applause*
Thinly-veiled accusations of racism instead of addressing points of constitutionality is surely a winning scheme!
(hint: allowing some workers to vote from work, but not others, is unfair-- no matter how brown they are.)
Yup, you nailed 'em. It's those privileged school teachers, scions of the upper class, trying once again to keep the black man down.
Or maybe it's a violation of equal protection.
Let's see what the court says about all this. If the setup is legal, then OK. But if it's not, then it's better to find out now than after the votes are cast and deemed illegal.
Hopefully, Nevada will change to a primary system in the future. People should be able to vote in private and be able to go to the polls throughout the entire day. That's the best way to prevent voters from being disenfranchised.
Democrats suing to make it harder for other dems to vote...
... yeah, a winning tactic if I ever saw one.
This stinks of the establishment.
I completely agree...now can we all get back to Iraq, the economy and jobs, Univeral Medical, Global warming and oh...sustainable living?
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