Courting support Democrats compete for union's backing in 2008 race

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.seacoastonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070512/NEWS/705120332/-1/NEWS

CANDIDATES, FIREFIGHTERS MEET IN CITY
Courting support
Democrats compete for union's backing in 2008 race

By Michael Mccord
[e-mail]
May 12, 2007 6:00 AM

PORTSMOUTH — After giving a personal campaign speech, Democratic presidential contender Joe Biden said "I love you" to delegates at a national firefighter's convention Friday.

But the longtime senator from Delaware — like the five other presidential hopefuls who addressed the union leaders Thursday and Friday — will have to wait until later this summer to find out if his affection will be returned in the form of an all-important endorsement, and major organizational support, by the International Association of Fire Fighters.

In addition to Biden, the other Democratic hopefuls showing their appreciation and courting the support of the firefighters Friday were Sen. Christopher Dodd of Connecticut, Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York, former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina and Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois, who called in from a campaign stop in Iowa. Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico touted his pro-union credentials Thursday in a keynote address to the convention.

All of the candidates speaking Friday to about 75 delegates from 32 states talked about their own experiences with the firefighting fraternity and made tough attacks on the policies and priorities of the Bush administration, including the war in Iraq and federal budget cutbacks for first-responder equipment purchases for better communication systems, training and personnel increases.

Biden talked of how first responders saved his two sons after a horrific car crash that killed a daughter and his first wife — and then later saved his life when he suffered a brain aneurysm by driving through a snowstorm from Delaware to Washington, D.C.

"I'm tired of it," he said of the current White House occupant. "It's time to elect a president who can say the word union."

FULL story at link.

[Rydz777]

1. The first thing totalitarian governments do is destroy labor unions,

and strong labor unions are one of our best guarantors of a free society and a strong economy. Both are presently in danger.