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Politics : WHO IS RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT IN 2004 -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: stockman_scott who wrote (3661)	7/26/2003 4:52:45 PM
From: Glenn Petersen	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 10965

AFL-CIO Endorsement of Democrat May Wait story.news.yahoo.com By MIKE GLOVER, Associated Press Writer URBANDALE, Iowa - Because of the large Democratic field in 2004, it will be difficult for a presidential candidate to win the AFL-CIO's endorsement before a nominee is determined, a top union leader said Saturday. Even if the federation of 65 unions, which represents more than 13 million workers, makes no endorsement before the primary season, individual unions will be active in choosing sides, said Gerald McIntee, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. His union, the second-largest in the AFL-CIO with 1.4 million members, gave $9.5 million to Democrats in 2002, more than any other union. In an interview, McIntee urged Iowa activists to pick a favorite in the state's leadoff caucuses but said: "Electability is important. We just can't endure another four years of this kind of governance." McIntee said unions have suffered because of the stumbling economy, but AFSCME has been hit hardest because President Bush (news - web sites)'s tax cuts have hurt state and local governments, which has led to budget cuts and layoffs. Most top Democratic candidates are ardently seeking the AFL-CIO's endorsement, and McIntee is an important player in that decision. He is chairman of a committee of union political directors scheduled to meet next month in Chicago to discuss the candidates. He said the meeting probably will do nothing more than set a date for member unions to vote to decide if they want to endorse. An endorsement requires the backing of unions representing two-thirds of the AFL-CIO membership. With a large and active field of contenders and several candidates getting support, it will be difficult for a single candidate to reach that threshold, McIntee said. Al Gore (news - web sites) got the AFL-CIO's endorsement before the primary season in 2000, but that was a two-person race — his only opponent was former Sen. Bill Bradley (news - web sites) of New Jersey — and many in labor were leery of opposing a sitting vice president. One 2004 contender, Missouri Rep. Richard Gephardt (news, bio, voting record), has long nurtured ties with organized labor and probably would be best positioned for an endorsement, McIntee said. "Gephardt has the most labor support, but I don't think he's got to the two-thirds level yet, and I don't know that he can get there," McIntee said. Sens. John Kerry of Massachusetts and John Edwards of North Carolina and Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich (news, bio, voting record) have carved out some labor support, McIntee said. In addition, former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean got the attention of labor with a strong fund-raising performance last quarter. If the AFL-CIO should decide against making an endorsement before the primary season, it will have a ripple effect. State labor federations would be frozen in place, and their considerable assets would be denied to any candidate. Once the AFL-CIO makes a decision, however, individual unions would be free to endorse on their own. Getting the AFL-CIO decision out of the way relatively quickly would free those unions to get involved in the primary fight. McIntee was in Urbandale for the annual convention of Council 61 of AFSCME, which represents more than 20,000 state workers and is a major player in Iowa's Democratic politics.