What's Wrong With the State of Connecticut-?
And, specifically the AFSCME and the State's Labor Unions-?
________
I cannot believe this, but according to the Boston Globe the AFSCME and other Labor Unions are overwhelmingly endorsing and backing Joe Lieberman -- despite disagreeing with him on nearly all their key & important issues: [ Iraq, Bankruptcy bill, Bush Tax cuts, Trade policy, outsourcing, etc.].
Why?
Don't they realize that they have a real choice and a real progressive advocate on their behalf in this year's U.S. Senate Election with Ned Lamont-?
I found this article very worriesome and possibly fatal to Ned Lamont's chances.
How can Lamont turn this around-?
Is there still time for him to court these Labor Unions and really lay it all out on the table for them -- so that they can't get it wrong and they reconsider and vote the right way-?
Why would these Labor Unions be endorsing the favorite Senator of: George W. Bush, Dick W. Cheney, & Karl Rove-? (and who supports their right-wing policies at every turn).
These guys are not voting in their own personal interest (I don't know what they think it is that they're voting for by "sticking with Lieberman").
So, how does Ned Lamont fix this problem-?
Below are excerpts from the article.
Link to Story: http://www.boston.com/...
Lieberman, Lamont vie for labor endorsements in close primary
By Susan Haigh, AP Political Writer | June 23, 2006
NEW BRITAIN, Conn. --Many union members strongly oppose the war in Iraq, and they were disappointed that Lieberman, Connecticut's junior senator, has so publicly supported it.
It's a position in which Lieberman has often found himself lately -- trying to convince traditional Democratic allies to support him in his first primary, against anti-war Greenwich businessman Ned Lamont.
Lieberman, a three-term senator, told members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees on Thursday night that he understands not everyone agrees with him on the war. But he stressed unionized workers shouldn't risk losing a strong supporter in the Senate because of a single issue.
"I'm not perfect, lord knows," Lieberman told the workers, who have endorsed his past three Senate bids. "But my heart and my head are with you. More importantly, you don't have to take it as a general statement. Take a look at my record."
The approach worked. Despite Lamont's vow to remove front-line troops from Iraq as soon as possible, support a universal health care system and fight unfair trade agreements, the unionized workers decided to stick with Lieberman after five hours of speeches and questions.
AFSCME's steering committee voted 12-2 in favor of recommending Lieberman as the union's endorsed candidate. The full union, which represents about 40,000 workers, votes July 7.
"He's made some mistakes," Keith Gatling, a member of the AFSCME Council 4 executive board, told fellow union members as they deliberated over who to recommend to the full union for an endorsement. "But his voting record -- he's been there for working families."
Similar scenes will play out in the coming days. The AFL-CIO, the umbrella organization that includes AFSCME as its largest union, is expected to endorse a Senate candidate at its convention next week.
Despite Lieberman's unpopular position on Iraq, he is winning the battle for labor endorsements.
Ray Soucy, chairman of the steering committee that interviews political candidates for endorsements, said although he opposes the war and might not even vote for Lieberman, it makes sense for AFSCME to back someone with clout in Washington.
"He's been there for us," Soucy said. "We need people who are able to do things. It's a fact of life: Seniority rules."
What's wrong with the State of Connecticut-?
What in the world would "sticking with Leiberman anyway" ever possibly accomplish for them and their own interests -- that supporting a progressive candidate like Ned Lamont would not-?
How can these guys be so stupid-???
Is it too late, or can the Ned Lamont campaign wake these guys up out of their braindead thinking -?
