Democrats Seek to Impress Labor Unions
From the Associated Press:
WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic presidential hopefuls on Monday brandished their labor credentials and tried to outdo one another with political promises as they competed for the support of two powerful labor unions.
Sen. Chris Dodd of Connecticut told the Service Employees International Union that he would get universal health care passed and signed in four years. Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois insisted he would immediately bring U.S. troops home from Iraq. New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton promised to stop outsourcing government work to private companies.
The SEIU endorsement would be a plum for any candidate. The organization bills itself as the nation's fastest growing union with more than 1.8 million members. It is also a major player in campaign financing, having given more than $25 million to mostly Democratic candidates since 1989, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.
Several Democrats shuttled from Chicago to Washington, appealing to the 500,000-member Laborers' International Union of North America in Chicago and then making their pitch to the SEIU later in the day...click to continue.
