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.

Comments

[feelfree]

You can read the complaint here:

http://vegaspundit.typepad.com/vegas_pundit/files/filed_complaint.pdf

The Teacher's Union has a problem with the at-large caucuses that are to take place at the Bellagio, the Luxor, the Mirage, the Rio, Caesar's Palace, the Paris, the Flamingo, Wynn Las Vegas and New York, New York which would allow shift workers to caucus away from their home precincts because of their work schedules. They will be allowed to caucus during earlier hours and they will be the only people allowed to caucus at these at-large precincts.

No other workers in Nevada will be able to caucus outside their home precinct except these specific workers.

The complaint says that these at-large precincts are in violation of Nevada law and goes on to site specific law. There is also a problem with the formula to allot the number of delegates and that each at-large precinct is being treated like a separate county and these sites will receive more delegates than other precincts in Clark County.

In my opinion it sounds like the Teacher's Union has a legitimate beef. It sounds unfair to other workers who will not be able to caucus because of work and it gives an edge to the candidate the union endorsed.

I don't know why the Culinary Union has so much clout in Nevada, it must be the numbers because the food in Las Vegas isn't that good.

[Kane]

Not to worry. Give the Clinton machine 24 hours, and somehow they will turn it around to be Obama's fault.

[Spookcatcher]

Clinton in no uncertain terms, unequivicably, and with a smile on her face (no tears) looked straight into the eyes of Tim russert and said without caveat that she, nor her campaign was not party to or per(suing) this issue! If there is evidence to the contrary should npt this public testimony by Hillary Clinton be inclusive of the Lawsuit? And if this proves to be a lie should not this be important for consideration by all Americans towards the choice as to her being anypart of pur Democracy as an elected official, much less a Senator, much less as a Presidential contender? The prove by this commentary should be also considered in a Grand Jury. This election of President and Senators in 2008 must be vigilant to assure there will be a Republic left after the votes have been cast. All scrutiny must be employed by us a Americans regardless of party or special interest. Best route: Clean the
slate in 2008,! No incumbants or their Family members.

[xrayman]

I believe the teacher's union is not supporting anyone. Also, your link is bad. I did make my way to the article and it said the suit is being brought by the Teacher's Union which has no ties to the Clinton campaign.

"Little brown people?" Did you really mean to say that? And all those bad bad white middle class teachers. OMG! What are we to do with them?

[LeeScho]

How dare you think that white, economically secure, socially isolated people would ever do anything to deny and restrict the participation of brown people in America! How preposterous! What is your source, your frame of reference for this absurdity?

What?

History?

Oh.

Never mind.

[EspressoAtNoon]

Goes to show just how much the Clinton machine resembles the Rove machine. They'll both supress votes or do whatever it takes to win.

[clevelandchick]

Thank you Mr. DeZengotita -

You are the only blogger on HuffPo and anywhere else frankly, to pick up on this story. What's even more disgusting is that in New Hampshire HRC mocked Obama's voting demographic that was supposedly more well off and/or in college as 'people who don't need a president' because her's was the working middle-class.

Cut to the following week in Nevada where the working folks want a chance to caucus and vote but because they support her opponent I guess they don't 'need a president either'. What total bunk.

Frankly I'm disappointed that the teachers union would pull this, especially seeing that it's being held on a Saturday. Should teachers of all people back disenfranchisement of those who work in the service industry? Gee, it's not like those folks don't have kids in school and normally it's those same working folks who vote for the taxes to keep schools going.

Talk about biting the hand that really feeds you.

[onlinesavant]

Where are all the Hillary defenders on this one. What I have observed and am observing is that the vast amount of attacks are coming from The Clinton camp and Obama's people are simply responding to those attacks.Counterpunching as it were. So to sum things up so far. Clinton's people introduced "Shuck and Jive","He's a kid". Intimations that Obama is a cocaine user, and that MLK's work, and that of the people involved in the civil rights movement, meant nothing without a president to validate everything they did.

[GoodwithWood]

Do you have evidence that Clinton controls the Teachers Association?