CA union leadership tries to endorse Hillary; members say "hell no"

The California Teachers Association is one of California's most powerful unions.  According to their website, they serve over 340,000 education employees in the State of California.

Well, today at the Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles, the leadership of the CTA tried to force through an endorsement of Hillary Clinton in advance of the California Primary on Super Tuesday.

Mind you, the CTA is an extremely powerful union in California.  The endorsement of the CTA is, in my limited experience, nearly as meaningful to California as the Culinary endorsement is to Nevada.  The CTA was widely expected to endorse Hillary Clinton.

And what did the rank-and-file membership have to say about that?  Well, I wasn't there, but I think "Hell No, we want Obama!" would adequately sum it up!

More below the fold...

From the CA Majority Report:

Score a big behind the scenes victory for Obama’s California campaign today. Word is leaking out that CTA’s membership staged an outright mutiny at Los Angeles’ Bonaventure Hotel and bucked its own Board’s attempt to railroad through an early endorsement for Hillary. CTA’s elites apparently got a big wake up call when their effort to crown Hillary as the official choice of California’s teachers was upended by overwhelming resistance from rank and file Obama supporters. The vaunted pre Feb 5th CTA endorsement – which was widely expected to go Clinton’s way – appears to now be postponed to April (when we will all be on the edge of our seats, I am sure).

This is pretty big news, for a couple of reasons.  First, it prevents the CTA from using their huge influence on behalf of Clinton in the last week before the February 5th primary.  But second, it shows that Obama is gaining major strength.  If he has enough support from rank-and-file members of the CTA that they can actually scuttle a major endorsement that was going to his main opponent, then it's pretty clear that he's gaining widespread support and momentum in advance of Super Tuesday--or at the very least, that Hillary is leaking support in CA like a sieve.

Not that either would be all that surprising in light of the South Carolina vote and all the events leading up to it.  I was just talking to someone today who was thinking about voting for Hillary all the way up until South Carolina, but is now going to vote for Obama.  His actual quote was:

You know, I really didn't think Bill was that stupid.

As the brief mentions, Obama does have a superior ground game in California: The Obama campaign has, I believe, over 5,000 precinct captains here in California, and each of them has access to the the voter file in their precinct.  And just yesterday, Obama volunteers made over 100,000 calls off their lists to voters in California.

Will it translate into Obama winning California on February 5th?  Hard to know, but it sure beats campaigning in Florida right about now!

•  tips

  if you feel inclined.

  My blog. Come visit.

  by hekebolos on Sun Jan 27, 2008 at 06:56:41 PM PDT

  •  Hey, thanks for sharing!

    Just so you know, however, Michigan has 1/3 the population and more than 6,000 precincts. I hope the ground game is as organized as you say it is - if not better!

    by ScottyUrb on Sun Jan 27, 2008 at 07:01:35 PM PDT

    •  California

      has over 33,000 precincts.  A lot of candidates don't even try to run a precinct-based field operation in CA, and just run ads and top-down field from their offices.  Obama's campaign is the only one that's trying this hard to actually run field in CA.

      My blog. Come visit.

      by hekebolos on Sun Jan 27, 2008 at 07:11:58 PM PDT

      •  Which is a great indication of his

        strength on the ground.

        Thanks for the diary...California is going to be interesting to watch.

        by Morgan Sandlin on Sun Jan 27, 2008 at 07:21:04 PM PDT

  •  he's got my vote

    "Can we fix it?  YES WE CAN!"

    by G2geek on Sun Jan 27, 2008 at 07:44:48 PM PDT

  •  Not just 100,000...200,000!

    And just yesterday, Obama volunteers made over 100,000 calls off their lists to voters in California.

    My Regional Field Organizer for Obama in my CD was told by the state campaign office that, not only did we make over 100,000 calls yesterday on behalf of Obama, we actually were only about 700 calls shy of 200,000 calls for the day!

    by Jeff in CA on Sun Jan 27, 2008 at 08:31:11 PM PDT

    •  Damn, they missed my house!

      I would have loved to talk with someone on why I support Obama.

      by sand805 on Sun Jan 27, 2008 at 08:36:14 PM PDT

•  Hillary has really taken it on the chin...

  ...the past 48 hours.

  Couldn't happen to a nicer campaign.

  Go Obama!

  by turnover on Sun Jan 27, 2008 at 07:01:29 PM PDT

  •  This isn't NEARLY over, yet

    Read between the lines of the story...

    The LEADERSHIP of all these groups, from CTA, to the NAACP, etc,etc, are ALL in the Clinton's pockets.

    So are many of the SUPER-DELEGATES..

    Thier have been HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS of dollars pledged for one purpose, and ONE PURPOSE ALONE, electing Hillary...

    And every one of these "leaders" is expecting payback for that support, in spades.

    If you think the Outside-The-Party organization that the Clinton's have built is just going to roll over and play dead, you are sadly mistaken.

    These people will drag the Party down in flames before they surrender thier DC Mansions...

    by IndianaDemocrat on Sun Jan 27, 2008 at 07:17:32 PM PDT

    •  The voters themselves will have something to say

      about this . . .

      by Bill White on Sun Jan 27, 2008 at 07:20:58 PM PDT

•  No link to substantiate?

  by phoenixdreamz on Sun Jan 27, 2008 at 07:01:48 PM PDT

  •  Here ya go!

    http://www.camajorityreport.com/...

    by haruki on Sun Jan 27, 2008 at 07:02:58 PM PDT

    •  Thank you

      by phoenixdreamz on Sun Jan 27, 2008 at 07:06:27 PM PDT

•  Wow.

  This is amazing.

  by chicago minx on Sun Jan 27, 2008 at 07:02:39 PM PDT

•  Makes sense

  Far as I know Obama is the only teacher-candidate out there. Why shouldn't they pull for Obama?

  by frankzappatista on Sun Jan 27, 2008 at 07:03:56 PM PDT

•  This is the 3rd Or 4th Major Instance

  Of Endorsements by Major Democratic groups that were pledged to Hillary have been forwarded by the Leadership, and then rejected by the Membership...

  The Clinton's have spent YEARS and millions upon millions of dollars buying the leaderships of these groups.

  This doesn't bode well AT ALL for anything good happening at Convention...

  by IndianaDemocrat on Sun Jan 27, 2008 at 07:10:19 PM PDT

  •  Yes

    Just like Obama spent YEARS and millions upon millions of dollars buying the leadership of Culinary Local 226, right?

    by jxg on Sun Jan 27, 2008 at 07:23:52 PM PDT

  •  Culinary Workers

    How about the Culinary Workers Union leadership that supported Obama, but the rank and file all voted for Hillary in the Nevada precinct caucuses?

    by tailor324 on Sun Jan 27, 2008 at 09:26:22 PM PDT

•  The Clinton quote story was a hit job.

  He was asked specifically about black candidates.

  by BoringDem on Sun Jan 27, 2008 at 07:11:04 PM PDT

  •  He is a big boy and should know enough not

    to get tripped up by such stuff.

    by Bill White on Sun Jan 27, 2008 at 07:19:01 PM PDT

    •  Nice politics of hope there.

      by BoringDem on Sun Jan 27, 2008 at 07:27:08 PM PDT

      •  X.

        by huckleberry on Sun Jan 27, 2008 at 07:29:22 PM PDT

  •  Really, that's not what I took from it

    by Drewid on Sun Jan 27, 2008 at 07:19:39 PM PDT

  •  BoringDem, there will still be a seat for you

    on the O-Train when you get around to climbing aboard.

    Meanwhile, your spin is tired.

    by broui on Sun Jan 27, 2008 at 07:24:26 PM PDT

    •  Well, I know you never cared about facts.

      by BoringDem on Sun Jan 27, 2008 at 07:26:38 PM PDT

      •  Sooo ...

        Could you point out where exactly in the video above Clinton was asked specifically about black candidates?  As far as I can tell, the question was "What does it say about Barack Obama that it takes two of you to beat him?"

        I didn't think my hearing was that bad, but I'm certainly open to corrections involving explicit comparisons of black candidates.

        by L Boom on Sun Jan 27, 2008 at 07:40:09 PM PDT

      •  The only thing I heard

        What does it say about Barack Obama that it takes two of you to beat him?

        Was there another question other than that?

        by Drewid on Sun Jan 27, 2008 at 07:41:33 PM PDT

•  here's the link

  http://www.camajorityreport.com/...

  the tide is shifting quite quickly.

  by johnviking on Sun Jan 27, 2008 at 07:11:44 PM PDT

  •  I hope so!

    Obama taking california would be the end of the clinton-bush dynasty!  Delegate count at that point would be meaningless

    by soros on Sun Jan 27, 2008 at 08:07:45 PM PDT

•  It's big. Definitely.

  I started my teaching career down in Los Angeles.

  My experience with the CTA was that they are deeply entrenched with the establishment.

  They weren't much interested in what their membership wanted, needed, or said.

  So, this is pretty big.  Somebody, or many made them listen.

  There must have been enough of a groundswell.

  by broui on Sun Jan 27, 2008 at 07:22:46 PM PDT

  •  yes

    I've heard it said that the CTA basically owns the California Democratic Party.  They definitely have a lot of influence.

    My blog. Come visit.

    by hekebolos on Sun Jan 27, 2008 at 07:24:24 PM PDT

    •  That's about right.

      by broui on Sun Jan 27, 2008 at 07:28:12 PM PDT

•  Funny more then anything..

  Not sure what difference it will make.

  by bdr4981 on Sun Jan 27, 2008 at 07:30:19 PM PDT

•  This is encouraging news

  I was always wondering why did the teachers so quickly move to endorse Hillary... Have they not read Obama's Proposals?

  Recruit Teachers: Obama will create new Teacher Service Scholarships that will cover four years of undergraduate or two years of graduate teacher education, including high-quality alternative programs for mid-career recruits in exchange for teaching for at least four years in a high-need field or location.

  Prepare Teachers: Obama will require all schools of education to be accredited. He will also create a voluntary national performance assessment so we can be sure that every new educator is trained and ready to walk into the classroom and start teaching effectively. Obama will also create Teacher Residency Programs that will supply 30,000 exceptionally well-prepared recruits to high-need schools.

  Retain Teachers: To support our teachers, Obama's plan will expand mentoring programs that pair experienced teachers with new recruits. He will also provide incentives to give teachers paid common planning time so they can collaborate to share best practices.

  Reward Teachers: Obama will promote new and innovative ways to increase teacher pay that are developed with teachers, not imposed on them. Districts will be able to design programs that reward accomplished educators who serve as a mentor to new teachers with a salary increase. Districts can reward teachers who work in underserved places like rural areas and inner cities. And if teachers consistently excel in the classroom, that work can be valued and rewarded as well.

  Obama himself was a Teacher, a Constitutional Law Professor.... What has Hillary ever taught????

  by Steven R on Sun Jan 27, 2008 at 07:34:19 PM PDT

  •  And his sister is a teacher.

    by barath on Sun Jan 27, 2008 at 09:35:54 PM PDT

•  That quote about Bill sums it all up, stupid and

  Past his due date. What an a$$ Bill is making of himself.

  Another nail to the Clinton coffin.

  Heave ho!
  Drop em into the sea!

  I despise that couple

  by wuod kwatch on Sun Jan 27, 2008 at 07:40:55 PM PDT

•  Keep dreaming folks. Hillary will win the CA

  primary.  It won't be close.  

  by khyber900 on Sun Jan 27, 2008 at 08:34:52 PM PDT

  •  wait and see

    california is a mercurial place.

    by wu ming on Sun Jan 27, 2008 at 08:39:42 PM PDT

    •  Polls are what they are

      Obama has not led in one poll in CA.  I don't think he's even been above 35% in any poll.  

      by khyber900 on Sun Jan 27, 2008 at 08:48:59 PM PDT

      •  i live in CA

        and the election is just barely getting started. the polling isn't going to be worth shit until right before the election, if at all. and as we have seen time and again, modeling turnout is a fool's errand.

        by wu ming on Sun Jan 27, 2008 at 09:25:32 PM PDT

        •  Just Getting Started?

          I've read that almost 20% of the people have already sent in their absentee ballots in Cal.

          by tailor324 on Sun Jan 27, 2008 at 09:28:33 PM PDT

          •  that leaves 80%

            and that's not even getting into regular old registered democrats and DTS'ers, of which there are millions in CA.

            that 20% also includes a disproportionate number of old white republicans, if past elections are any measure.

            wide open.

            by wu ming on Sun Jan 27, 2008 at 10:39:23 PM PDT

  •  Hillary Will NOT Win California

    Watch the California endorsements this week.  EMK's endorsement of BHO will sever the hold Billary thinks she has on the Latino vote.  I'm in the Bay Area and Billary will get whomped here, even though my candidate  won't be the beneficiary.

    What I'd like to know is if there are any other Democratic Party decisions the Clintons disagree with, and if they will air those disagreements now or just wait to see if they can attempt to change the rules at the last minute again.

    by rocric on Sun Jan 27, 2008 at 09:34:41 PM PDT

•  as a non Hillary supporter

  there's something disgusting about all this gloating on taking her down.

  It is just so misogynistic.

  And teachers, overwhelmingly women, distancing themselves from another woman and wanting to back the "cool guy," who stands for nothing that we know of...

  as a member of CTA I found this post very troubling.

  by laurenc on Sun Jan 27, 2008 at 08:56:06 PM PDT

  •  it has nothing to do with her being a woman.

    it has to do with her politics and her campaign style.  The fact that she's a woman means nothing to me.

    My blog. Come visit.

    by hekebolos on Sun Jan 27, 2008 at 09:58:31 PM PDT

    •  yeah, that's the sad part:

      no one cares about having a woman finalist for President.
      And I speak as someone who's not voting for her.
      But since Obama is essentially the same on the issues, I repeat: this is misogyny.  Widespread.
      Internalized oppression, we used to call it.
      Hating the person who's like you.

      by laurenc on Sun Jan 27, 2008 at 10:03:28 PM PDT

      •  Obama's not the same on issues

        that is why you fail.

        /yoda

        My blog. Come visit.

        by hekebolos on Sun Jan 27, 2008 at 10:56:47 PM PDT

        •  what issues are they different on?

          by laurenc on Mon Jan 28, 2008 at 05:56:11 PM PDT

      •  and

        "hating the person who's like you"

        That would imply that I hate young white men.  But in general, I don't.

        My blog. Come visit.

        by hekebolos on Sun Jan 27, 2008 at 10:57:53 PM PDT

      •  And no...she's not like me.

        I don't advocate voter suppression if it benefits me. I don't support an "anything to win" strategy, leaving behind all ethics and morals.

        I stopped supporting Hillary (she was my second choice) in November - when she started attempting to suppress college students caucusing in Iowa. Her behavior these last few months caused her to go from being my second choice to being my last.

        by Elise on Sun Jan 27, 2008 at 11:06:07 PM PDT

  •  Stop right there!

    I don't support Clinton and I do take pleasure in badc news for her campaign. But, Goddamn, if your gonna say that I can't dislike her politics and her role in my party because she is a woman. She gets no special protection or consideration. Just learn to deal with the fact that some people do not like what she represents in Democratic politics, and it has nothing to do with whether or not she has a Y chromosone. I've seen plenty of threads where people did go misogynistic on her, and I deplore that, but this ridiculous victimization routine in a thread where no poster did any such think is complete bullshit.

    So if I think Al Sharpton is a total self-aggrandizing clown I must be racist right? Damn! Didn't know I hated myself so much.

    I don't like Hillary Clinton as candidate for President, deal with it.

    by vaughan on Sun Jan 27, 2008 at 10:11:29 PM PDT

  •  The "cool guy" who stands for nothing?

    I see two candidates here. One of them has a long record of organizing and moving progressive legislation through Republican-held majorities as well as Democratic-held majorities. One of them made campaign promises like, "I'm going to clean up Washington DC." - and then DID that by passing an ethics bill - just to give one out of the many examples. This one is talking about the future and cleaning up the various messes that have been made these last years - and is talking about doing that by building coalitions of Americans to help.

    I see another candidate who has no record of change. I've asked this candidate's supporters for a bill that said candidate has written and moved through Congress - no one has yet to mention one...and it's been four months. This candidate takes money from lobbyists and doesn't apologize. They voted for the Iraq war and see no problem with that - they don't even call it a mistake - there's apparently no need to even apologize for that vote. This candidate is the status quo. This candidate wants more of the same.

    There's nothing misogynistic here. I'm voting for the candidate who has a record of accomplishments. Who says he believes something and stands by it. I'm voting for the candidate who will stand up for ME and who will as ME to be a part of making change in this country. I'm not voting for more of the same. I reject more of the same on its face. I've had it up to my ears with more of the same.

    People everywhere are choosing to support Obama - not because they hate Hillary because she's a woman...but because HE has a message and a record. Her message? "I have 35 years of experience." Her record? "I worked on healthcare."

    Where are these 35 years? Doing what, exactly? And she worked on healthcare? She failed on health care.

    There's no pleasure in seeing any candidate fail. In fact, I feel a lot of sympathy for all the candidates - Republican and Democrat - who lose this race...because their hearts are in it...they are in it 100% - and it isn't easy. But I'm not going to support her just because she's a woman and I'm a woman.

    And frankly, if you want to talk misogyny? Drop an email to Bill Clinton...who has done more to overshadow Hillary in the past 2 weeks than any other person or group in the country.

    by Elise on Sun Jan 27, 2008 at 10:16:28 PM PDT

•  100,000 Calls in California?

  Come on, anybody who knows anything about California knows that 100,000 calls in the state doesn't even qualify as a drop in the bucket.

  And, as another reader pointed out, 5,000 precinct captains is barely a drop in the bucket, with more than 33,000 precincts in the state.

  The is nonsense to the Nth degree.

  by tailor324 on Sun Jan 27, 2008 at 09:23:47 PM PDT

  •  first, it was actually 200,000 calls

    and secondly, I, the author, was the one who pointed out that there are 33,000 precincnts in the state.  Of course, quite a few of those are rural and have only a few voters each.

    Trying to organize a precinct-level field operation in California is a massive undertaking.  But the decentralized organizing the Obama campaign has done here will count for something.

    My blog. Come visit.

    by hekebolos on Sun Jan 27, 2008 at 10:00:12 PM PDT

  •  How many calls have Hillary supporters made?

    And how many precinct captains does she have in CA?

    by Elise on Sun Jan 27, 2008 at 10:31:05 PM PDT