With endorsement of union, Dean moves to mainstream

http://www.sunspot.net/news/elections/bal-te.dean06nov06,0,3704626.story?coll=bal-home-headlines

WASHINGTON - Howard Dean may have started his presidential campaign as an angry insurgent, an outsider from tiny Vermont with few resources beyond an anti-war message and a willingness to take on the Democratic establishment.

But today he all but completes his shift from boutique candidate of the Internet and Volvo crowd to a more traditional Democrat - and a front-runner - with considerable backing in dollars, organization and core constituencies.

In an achievement that would give his candidacy a boost, the former governor is expected to gain the endorsement of the Service Employees International Union, which, at 1.6 million strong, is the largest, fastest-growing and most ethnically diverse union in the AFL-CIO.

What's more, Dean, who has raised $25.2 million, more than any of his Democratic rivals, is considering rejecting federal matching funds to avoid limits on his spending during the primary season. A cash-flush President Bush has made such a move.
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I love it!

Vermont - where even the rednecks drive Volvos.

I'm trying to picture a confederate flag in a Volvo.:)

I think they drive pick ups like every where else. OTOH, Volvos stand up pretty well to road salt in long Vermont winters, when everything thing else rusts through. My winter car is a '92 Volvo. :)

:thumbsup:

'expected to' get the nod is misleading.
besides,i thought this was a new story.

It's my guess that it's a "done deal," otherwise it wouldn't have been released and the union would be raising holy hell.

This is just news on one of the candidates. Not pro or con.

Can't happen soon enough for me. I don't like all the assuming going on, even though the other campaigns were notified last night. I'm waiting until it's official to break out the champagne.

> I'm waiting until it's official to break out the champagne.

He's speaking at a college auditorium a mile or so from our
house so Jan and I will certainly be there; I expect this will
be a big topic of conversation.

Atlant

I'm sure you will, and maybe by the time you get back it will be a done deal. Here's hoping!

ya can! Atlant!

Big union to endorse Dean but holds off announcement
http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/11/06/elec04.prez.dean.labor.ap/index.html

The SEIU has already notified the other candidates of their decision.

Furthermore, as the article states:
"AFSCME's executive board has been summoned to a newly scheduled meeting for Wednesday to consider an endorsement, a union official told The Associated Press.

Dean is a major contender for AFSCME's endorsement. John Kerry and Wesley Clark also are being considered.

Intense rivals, SEIU and AFSCME and its leaders recently extended olive branches to one another after realizing that they had to unite if they had any hope of defeating President Bush in 2004."

And, this, which I think is a HUGE message:

"The endorsement is a blow to Dick Gephardt, who has staked his second try for the White House on the support of organized labor. In his 27 years in the House, the Missouri congressman has carried labor's banner on trade legislation and other issues. But for SEIU and other large service unions, defeating Bush in next year's election trumps loyalty. "

That means that this union believes that of all the candidates they COULD have picked, they picked Dean because he seems most electable. I think that sends a big message for those who want to follow Karl Rove's comment on how the Republicans can't wait to run against Dean. They should be shaking in their shoes today with the huge amount of support these unions will be giving Dean. They are hell-bent on getting Bush out of the White House.