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Machinists union endorses Clinton and Huckabee for primaries; Carpenters endorse Edwards
The Associated Press
Issue date: 9/4/07 Section: News
WASHINGTON - The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers on Thursday endorsed Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton and Republican Mike Huckabee in the presidential primaries, while John Edwards picked up the backing of the carpenters' union.
Edwards' courting of labor finally paid off with his first national union endorsement from the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America. The union has 530,000 members, one-third who say they are registered Republicans, and was friendly with President Bush although it stayed out of the 2004 race.
Carpenters President Douglas McCarron said in a statement that the union believes the former North Carolina senator will have broad appeal in the general election and that his strong stand on trade and his active work on picket lines "made him the obvious, and to our leadership, only choice in this election."
Asked why Clinton didn't get the union's support, spokesman Monte Byers said: "We don't have anything against Senator Clinton, but we are concerned that she's surrounded by the same economic advisers who created NAFTA," the North American Free Trade Agreement opposed by labor.
Clinton's endorsement from the Machinists was her second major union backing this week. She secured the endorsement of the 125,000-member United Transportation Union on Tuesday. Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd earned a major boost to his candidacy, winning the backing of the 281,000-member International Association of Fire Fighters.
The Machinists union has 700,000 members and estimates a third of the membership votes Republican. It is the first time the union has done a dual endorsement. It chose to do so this year to encourage all members to participate in the election.
Clinton, a New York senator and former first lady, beat out Edwards and Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich for the endorsement. The union only considered candidates who appeared before members during its conference this week at the Walt Disney World Resort.
Edwards' courting of labor finally paid off with his first national union endorsement from the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America. The union has 530,000 members, one-third who say they are registered Republicans, and was friendly with President Bush although it stayed out of the 2004 race.
Carpenters President Douglas McCarron said in a statement that the union believes the former North Carolina senator will have broad appeal in the general election and that his strong stand on trade and his active work on picket lines "made him the obvious, and to our leadership, only choice in this election."
Asked why Clinton didn't get the union's support, spokesman Monte Byers said: "We don't have anything against Senator Clinton, but we are concerned that she's surrounded by the same economic advisers who created NAFTA," the North American Free Trade Agreement opposed by labor.
Clinton's endorsement from the Machinists was her second major union backing this week. She secured the endorsement of the 125,000-member United Transportation Union on Tuesday. Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd earned a major boost to his candidacy, winning the backing of the 281,000-member International Association of Fire Fighters.
The Machinists union has 700,000 members and estimates a third of the membership votes Republican. It is the first time the union has done a dual endorsement. It chose to do so this year to encourage all members to participate in the election.
Clinton, a New York senator and former first lady, beat out Edwards and Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich for the endorsement. The union only considered candidates who appeared before members during its conference this week at the Walt Disney World Resort.
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