Dean Over the Top(Winning Andrew Stern’s SEIU backing was big. But With AFSCME backing, That’s huge)

The American Prowler ^ | 11/7/2003 | The Prowler

[nickcarraway]

Just how big is news that Howie Dean has locked up the endorsement not only of the 1.6-million-member Service Employees International Union led by Andrew Stern, but apparently also of the 1.4 million-member American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees led by Gerald McEntee?

"Kerry? A goner. Edwards? A goner. Gephardt? I don't know," says an AFL-CIO lobbyist in Washington. "That Dean has managed to get both unions locked up is remarkable given that four months ago, one of them seemed to be in Gephardt's pocket and the other was in Kerry's."

Perhaps what is even more remarkable is that Dean has managed to bridge the bitter divide between McEntee and Stern, both of whom have spent the past six months warily circling each other trying to outplay the other on the Democratic campaign trail.

McEntee liked other candidates. He was a huge early booster of Sen. John Kerry. Then he was in love with his pal Bill Clinton's stalking horse, Wesley Clark. In the end, his membership's love affair with Dean won out. And it appears that McEntee's request to Stern to delay the formal announcement of the Dean endorsement so that the two unions could do it together next Wednesday is a power play to shake up the Democratic Party.

"The elections on Tuesday, losing in Mississippi and in Kentucky, neither of which were big on the union agenda, were still big for the national party," says the AFL-CIO lobbyist. "Both Stern and McEntee want a larger voice in the party, more influence. Crowning their candidate now puts them in a very influential position inside the party because the party leader, Terry McAuliffe, is looking weaker as the days go by."

Never mind the Democratic Party, which by now has already been bought by organized labor and the $350 million it will use to help Democrats next year. Stern and McEntee's joint endorsement is also big inside the big-tent AFL-CIO. Even union folks say that while Dean's big union backing perhaps puts him over the top, Gephardt remains in the picture.

"Dean has two big fish, but Gephardt has 18 fish already in the basket. This thing isn't over yet," says the AFL-CIO lobbyist, who notes that it isn't the size of the unions a candidate has endorsement, but the sheer number of AFL affiliate endorsements. Gephardt still trumps all of his competitors on that front, which is why the former party leader in the House remains more competitive than others right now.

Reading the press reports about Dean's labor coup, it's clear that pundits are writing off some of the candidates -- Kerry and Edwards to be most precise. Under normal circumstances that would be surprising, given the kooky election cycles we've been seeing. But the union hold on the Democratic Party is now so strong and influential, it's difficult to see any candidate without strong labor backing successfully winning the nomination.

In the meantime, rumors were swirling in Washington late Thursday that Stern and McEntee were trying to get DNC chairman McAuliffe to somehow play a role in the endorsement proceedings, perhaps in a bid to further co-opt the party to their whims.

[cars for sale]

easy to know what Dean did to get the union vote
(and that silent whisper you don't hear on the
liberal news ). An old agage here is good: Listen
to what you don't hear and what you don't hear is
the power twist of Dean versus Hillary .

This is the ole Dean in the corner(N.E.)
to block. Charlie Weaver shaved the mustache
changed names and walla Hillary,the 800 pound
bitch in the corner.

Who has a future Dean or Hillary in the unions eyes?
Hillary is me first old contacts and loser elections
flat out fact period. Dean however is all Hillary is,
has (media,union) and new. Today new but the real biscuit
is the tomorrows.Like 8 years of them. Hillary said
no so far and that was an out to go full bore Deanorooo.

Bet your azz if Dean wins Hillary dirt will surface
like a hurricane on Homestead.

[republicanwizard]

Dean is a reaction against Clinton. Bush has split the opposition in two.

[cars for sale]

it's deeper my friend...Dean is the only one not a Hillary/DNC sock puppet. The only one.

[EGPWS]

But the union hold on the Democratic Party is now so strong and influential, it's difficult to see any candidate without strong labor backing successfully winning the nomination.

A boatload from a sinking ship(Democratic party) grasping onto a life raft (the union's) with a gaping hole in it. I can't help but chuckle over that one!

[PJ-Comix]

Support mental health or...I'LL KILL YOU!!!

[PJ-Comix]

Then he was in love with his pal Bill Clinton's stalking horse, Wesley Clark.

BTW, has anybody else noticed how rapidly Clark has faded? A few weeks ago he was hailed as the savior of the Demmycrats. And now he is running neck and neck with Breck Boy.

[jmaroneps37]

This is a great turn of events. For a while, how-odd?'s stupid mouth was (is still I guess) really hurting his campaign. Now, all of that is behind us. how-odd? is back on track and all's well!