Obama: Clinton Backers Didn't File Any Lawsuits Before I Won Culinary Union's Endorsement

[ProSense]

Obama: Clinton Backers Didn't File Any Lawsuits Before I Won Culinary Union's Endorsement

By Eric Kleefeld - January 14, 2008

Barack Obama is apparently taking the new legal controversy in the Nevada caucuses, and turning it to his rhetorical advantage. The recent lawsuit was filed by the Nevada state teachers union, against the at-large precinct caucuses that would allow Vegas Strip workers to easily participate.

Curiously, the lawsuit was filed just a few days after the Culinary Workers Union, which represents workers on the Strip, endorsed Barack Obama. On top of that, the teachers union's leaders and attorneys have ties to the Hillary Clinton campaign.

"Ever since I got the support of Local 226, the lawyers decided to get involved. The rules were OK when the other campaigns thought they would win the Culinary endorsement," Obama told a union rally. "As soon as you decided to support the outsider, the working people instead of the big shots, all the sudden they decided they wanted to change the rules."

Interesting comments at the second link.

[Bullet1987]

1. Obama will expose their little voter disenfranchisement scheme

believe you me!!

[ginnyinWI]

4. I like how he handles these things.

When they try to pull something, he just explains what they are doing to the people via the same media outlets--a great way to defang them. You can't fool the people if you get exposed every time, time after time. It works on Karl Rove too--just expose their tactics and the tactics lose their power. Never let a dirty trick stand.

[MethuenProgressive]

2. see this comment:

http://www.lasvegassun.com/blogs/early-line/2008/jan/13/obama-blasts-strip-caucus-controversy/



Obama's just playing the race card, to make people in and out of the public eye afraid to criticize him.

As evidence the Obama campaign had pushed the story of racial prejudice against him, Clinton advisers have pointed to a memo written by an Obama staffer compiling examples of comments by Clinton and her surrogates that could be construed as racially insensitive. The memo later surfaced on a handful of political Web sites.

----
People in LV aren't as dumb as ObamaNation Hopes.

[ProSense]

3. More:

The Clintons should be ashamed of themselves. Their philosophy is: if you can't win by the rules, change the rules. This is a disgrace and any politician who doesn't denounce it, is condoning it. Union members unite for Obama.

This lawsuit is certainly a miscalculation; it is (almost) shocking that the Clinton camp would go so far to suppress the vote. I completely support the union’s endorsement of Obama.

As a retired lifelong teacher and member of teacher organizations, I am embarrassed that the teacher union in Nevada is participating in the effort to shut down the at- large caucus sites. Particularly offensive is the statement that it makes it "too easy" to vote. That is what teachers should be about. If teachers believe that it gives unfair advantage, it seems to me that the better effort would be to ensure easy voting for those citizens they feel are being disenfranchised. At the base of a public school teacher's life is to serve justice and equality. I would ask that you think about your participation in this suit. Does it foster equal voting rights? Does it serve the needs of all citizens of Nevada? Does it really foster Democratic principles?

[Bullet1987]

5. This will blow up in the Clinton's face...

[Rosa Luxemburg]

9. you would think Karl Rove was behind it?

I don't think anyone should try to suppress the vote!

[Hello_Kitty]

11. That last comment by the teacher was spot-on

If people are being kept from voting due to the caucus system and can't participate in the at-large caucuses they should sue about THAT and not to get rid of the at large caucuses. Sue for more at-large caucuses in other places, or so that no one can be required to work (in a non-essential job) during caucus time.

[Adelante]

6. Obama is playing the voting rights card

Yay :)

[Lurking Dem]

7. So how is it

that 4 of the people filing this suit voted in favor of the at large districts? They were for them before they were against them? So they sue? wtf?

[Hello_Kitty]

12. Someone got an endorsement who wasn't supposed to get it. nt

[gaiilonfong]

8. you mean like richarson played the Latino card?

is that what you mean?

[madrchsod]

17. never let the facts cloud your "race card" arguement

[Justyce]

10. Has the setup regarding the Strip changed since the previous election?

Or was it like this in 2004?

[tammywammy]

13. It's a change

And some of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit voted for the change. The democratic party is trying to be more inclusive of the Strip workers that can't get the day off to caucus.

[no name no slogan]

14. They went to a caucus system this year

Before that it was a primary

[Adelante]

16. Was it?

I thought it was caucuses before, too. Thanks for the information.

[no name no slogan]

18. I take that back

I think they did have a caucus to elect convention delegates in 2004. Their primary was in September of that year-- after the convention, which leads me to believe that they did use the caucuses to choose convention delegates, and the primaries for selecting candidates for the general election.

ON EDIT: Here's an article from the LV Sun about NV's caucus history:
http://www.lasvegassun.com/politics/voterguide/2008/caucus/background/

[Adelante]

15. It was set up about a year ago

The caucuses previously were a party insider thing. Once the DNC moved Nevada forward on the schedule in order to counterbalance racial imbalance in the two earliest states, as well as a party building effort, the Nevada caucus design underwent this redesign. The workplace caucuses are new this election, because of the 24 hour nature of Nevada's gambling industry and the large minority component of the work force who couldn't otherwise participate. That's how I understand it.