I'm a GOOD 'RAT !
Posted on 10/12/2002 3:30:43 PM PDT by Ragtime Cowgirl
By LEIGH STROPE, AP Labor Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) - Organized labor's election priorities include defeating a governor named Bush, ousting a Colorado senator with an anti-union voting record and electing a Democrat from a new district in Nevada where Palm Pilots may help determine the winner.
With time and money dwindling as Election Day nears, labor is devoting its resources to pivotal races where it desperately wants Democratic victories.
The AFL-CIO is pouring out about $33 million into the 2001-2002 election cycle on top of that being spent by its 65 affiliated unions, many of which have their own political budgets and programs. Control of Congress and 36 governorships are at stake Nov. 5.
Labor is concentrating on 35 House, a half-dozen Senate and 20 governor's races, among them:
Florida governor:
In a state with about 500,000 union members and 140,000 union retirees, labor is working to get out the vote for Democrat Bill McBride, a Tampa lawyer, in his race against GOP Gov. Jeb Bush.
More than 300 coordinators from the Teamsters, iron workers, service employees and teachers unions are involved. Members' voter registration is up almost 25 percent from 2000.
Voters are getting phone calls and fliers in the mail. The mailings take on Bush for Florida's education budget, tax cuts for business and the elimination of state jobs through budget cuts and privatization. One shows a picture of Bush and says, "Why is Jeb Bush smiling while working families are struggling to make ends meet?"
Unions are urging members to vote early "because you never know what can happen in an election in Florida," said Cindy Hall, Florida AFL-CIO president, harking back to the state's voting problems in last month's primary and in the 2000 presidential election. Voters can vote before Nov. 5 using an in-person absentee option.
Nevada's new 3rd Congressional District:
Union members are using Palm Pilots to build their voter lists and tailor messages to specific voters in support of Democrat Dario Herrera, a county commission chairman running against Republican Jon Porter, a former state senator.
Union members have knocked on 35,000 doors, and using Palm Pilots, have stored union voters' information and the issues they consider most important. That information is downloaded daily into a voter database.
"We're able to look at that data, and we know the score every day," said Danny Thompson, secretary-treasurer for the Nevada AFL-CIO. "We're able to see if somebody's running an ad, whether that's making an impact."
If a voter speaks Spanish and his top issue is crime, he will get in the mail as quickly as the next day a flier in Spanish that details Herrera's plans to combat crime, Thompson said.
Nevada has about 165,000 union members, most of whom live in the district, which encompasses Las Vegas.
Herrera's campaign has had some problems. For example, Las Vegas Housing Authority officials have acknowledged that $36,000 paid to Herrera for consulting last year violated policies that require competitive bids.
Thompson said that has hurt the campaign. Union members are talking instead about the high costs of auto and health insurance and reminding voters that Porter is a district manager for Farmers Insurance.
Minnesota Senate:
A friend of labor might be in trouble in Minnesota, and union members are rushing to help.
Democratic Sen. Paul Wellstone is in a tight race with Republican challenger Norm Coleman, and that is energizing union members, said Steve Hunter, secretary-treasurer for the Minnesota AFL-CIO.
"He's consistently voted our way on issues such as trade, organizing rights and extending unemployment benefits," Hunter said. "He's not shy about stating his opinion and staking out a position on things. That straightforward honesty probably has hurt him with some people."
Minnesota has about 400,000 union members. In "intense member-to-member communications," they are talking about points privatizing Social Security (news - web sites), the economy and corporate accountability, Hunter said. The effort includes worksite leafleting, mailers, phone banks and knocking on doors.
Union members still are energized after a two-week strike last year by state employees
"We're seeing more activity than we've seen for a long time in terms of volunteers and people participating," Hunter said.
Colorado Senate:
Colorado's 140,000 union members can expect before Election Day nine to 12 phone calls or visits at work or home from their union or the AFL-CIO. Counting mailings, that number jumps to 15.
Unions are backing Democrat Tom Strickland over GOP Sen. Wayne Allard (news, bio, voting record), who has earned a zero by the AFL-CIO for his votes on working-family issues.
Labor knows that constant contact works. In 2000, the same union plan helped Democrats take control of the state Senate for the first time in 40 years.
"Union members who heard from their union or another member more than seven times were 80 percent more likely to vote for our endorsed candidate," said Ellen Golombek, president of the Colorado AFL-CIO.
The state federation is so serious that it has a tractor-trailer in the parking lot with 18 stations of computerized phone banks working almost constantly, helping members get early ballots and talking about issues such as Social Security, the economy and retirement security. The national AFL-CIO has run television ads on prescription drugs and pension reform.
What AP- Gannett is not telling Florida voters about Jeb Bush.
Voters are getting phone calls and fliers in the mail. The mailings take on Bush for Florida's education budget, tax cuts for business and the elimination of state jobs through budget cuts and privatization. One shows a picture of Bush and says, "Why is Jeb Bush smiling while working families are struggling to make ends meet?"
The flyers should say:
"Bill McBride's "class-size" bill would cost every Floridian, from seniors to single working fathers, to students, everyone.....with little to no return. Why is McBride pushing the "class-size" amendment even though a similar measure failed to help children learn in Ca. and was a disaster for poor students?
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If passed, the Amendment to Reduce Class Size could:
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©2002 Coalition to Protect Florida
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More McBride-Union plans to help "the little people" - that don't: 
We're doin' our part to that end in Texas !!
http://www.nbc5i.com/politics/1707582/detail.html
The poll was conducted from Sept. 30 through Oct. 6 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.1%.
US Senate"who do you think you would vote for if the election were held today?"
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State |
North Texas | East Texas | South Texas | Central Texas | West Texas | |
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| Democrat Ron Kirk | 30% | 33% | 28% | 29% | 33% | 20% |
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| Republican John Cornyn | 56% | 55% | 57% | 51% | 55% | 66% |
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| Undecided | 14% | 12% | 14% | 20% | 12% | 14% |
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State |
Male | Female | White | Hisp | Afri-Amer | |
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| Democrat Ron Kirk | 29% | 26% | 33% | 24% | 43% | 77% |
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| Republican John Cornyn | 56% | 61% | 51% | 63% | 30% | 9% |
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| Undecided | 15% | 12% | 16% | 13% | 26% | 14% |
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State |
North Texas | East Texas | South Texas | Central Texas | West Texas | |
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| Democrat Tony Sanchez, Jr. | 29% | 31% | 28% | 32% | 26% | 15% |
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| Republican Rick Perry | 56% | 52% | 59% | 50% | 56% | 70% |
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| Undecided | 15% | 16% | 13% | 18% | 18% | 12% |
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State |
Male | Female | White | Hisp | Afri-Amer | |
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| Democrat Tony Sanchez, Jr. | 29% | 26% | 31% | 24% | 43% | 70% |
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| Republican Rick Perry | 56% | 60% | 51% | 63% | 32% | 12% |
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| Undecided | 15% | 13% | 17% | 12% | 26% | 19% |
Rat handiwork.
Stay home, they win.
I can think of a few states that I wish there were spreads like that poll with GOP leading....
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