Powerful Las Vegas union cedes endorsement decision to icebound Yankees on other side of continent

The Culinary won't endorse a presidential candidate until after the union learns who wins the New Hampshire primary, in yet another example of the bold leadership for which Nevada's progressive community is so well-known. The Sun's Michael Mishak, aka that one reporter who covers organized labor in Nevada, has a good rundown of the union's predicament in all its agonizingly hand-wringing and bandwagon-obsessed glory.

The Culinary in Las Vegas is the most successful example of organized labor's strength, growth and positive economic influence on a community in America in the last, oh, 25 years. As we've written time and again, gambling/hotel corporations don't pay livable wages or provide some of the nation's best health care plans out of the goodness of their hearts (for one thing, corporations are not human, so no hearts). The Culinary union is the reason that Southern Nevada has a middle class and is not a just a couple gated communities surrounded by vast swaths of high desert ghetto.

That makes it all the more disappointing that the national UNITE HERE people are reportedly pushing for an Edwards endorsement on the basis that they like his policies and approach best, whereas the Culinary appears consumed primarily with being on the side of the winner (i.e., probably Obama). Always ground zero for optimism and hope, the Gleaner wishes it were the other way around and that it was the local that was swinging principles around while the international was coldly waiting to side with a winner all Otto von Bismarck like. Oh well.

The union's silly dithering aside, it would be great if the Culinary went with Edwards — not just because the Gleaner has endorsed Edwards, but also because it would set up a truly fascinating contest between Culinary's formidable organizing capacity and the Obama tsunami of personality. And who doesn't want to watch an immovable force meet an unstoppable object? The same dynamic would be set up in the unlikely event that the union goes with the Borg, s'pose.

Speaking of the Borg, she has always led in every poll of Nevada support for more than a year, and by flashy double digits in all but one of them. It wasn't that long ago that the Clinton campaign was basking in the glow of polling that showed the former first lady sporting support from a glitzy 51 percent of Nevada likely caucus-goers. And that's why if and when she loses here, it will be a devastating setback to her chances as the Clinton Collective (updated image courtesy of the Gleaner's favorite blog) careens toward Feb. 5. No matter what the Culinary does.

Comments

[texexnv@yahoo.com]

C'mon, Hugh, show some mercy here and quit putting that picture up and leaving it. The grandkids are having nightmares already...

IMO SuperTuesday is the decider.Can Obama sustain his Obama wave-Not if he continues to make Bush-like first strike statements about Pakistan. If his young supporters were more aware of that stance some of that support would dry up. Clinton has been far more reasoned on this issue.

The Culinary's endorsement (if it comes) will be mix things up quite abit. But will the culinary opt out and let it's membership chose on it's own who to support. It's getting very late in the game and many of it's membership have already committed to various candidates.The real question will be if the Culinary doesn't endorse the pollfront runner will they be able to deliver? There's not alot of time to get the members together to find out the consensus of the membership and those already heavily engaged in campaigns are going to be very upset if the decision only comes from the union leadership.

[kickboxermomma]

Sorry, anon at 12:55 is my comment.

[kickboxermomma]

Just read McGovern's call for the impeachment of Bush and Cheney in the Washington Post. Masterful.

[MikeZ]

The powers here are praying for low turnout 1/19 to seal HRC win here, so let's get out and cut and kill that cancer once and for all. The higher the turnout, the greater chance she loses NV.

I don't think 226 will endorse. Harry putting big pressure on 'em for HRC, JE needs 'em badly, and their members either hate D, or Pilar, or both, and vote whichever way they please.

She's 60, and yesterday, Barak is tomorrow, so is JE. If she loses Tuesday, it's almost impossible for her to recover and that would be the best news for the party and America

Fernley storm indicates troubles that could occur anywhere here on 1/19. Let's get people out to caucus!

[Bored]

The Culinary's leadership again shows how cowardly it is -- its lack of courage to take its own stand in the Nevada caucuses is like when it refused to endorse the Democrat versus Guinn in 2002. Wimpy!

And Nevada still has its too-complicated caucus system instead of a primary because Reid wanted to placate the likes of the Culinary union in the first place!!

By the way, did the (Stephens Media-owned?) El Mundo newspaper just endorse Clinton for President?

Oh, che las ti ma! Will some copesas roll?

[Johnathan L. Abbinett]

"MZ" I hope you're out walking neighborhoods and knocking on doors and working the phones - I spent the past two days in AD #3 doing so for John & Elizabeth Edwards with another volunteer, a stafer and my Assemblywoman Peggy Pierce (and man, can that little lady walk - she marches like a soldier)!

You know the field better than most Mike, so I'm hoping you'll be stepping up to do the work and walk the talk for Edwards?

[kickboxermomma]

El Mundo is owned by Eddie Escobedo who was one of the first Hispanic leaders to declare support for Hillary and is in Hillary's Hispanic Leadership Group. So the endorsement is no surprise.

[MikeZ]

JLA, you know Susan and me, we don't take direction and just go out and do the damn work and have never said 'hey, look at what we have done, please appalled us now or die!.!'. We never need to list, nor nevder will, accomplishment, or take bows...we are modest, but can always show results and effort when challenged by others...we don't do that though. From Opp Village work to Dem stuff, its not about us...never was...never will be, that's just not how we were raised and not what we're about.

Anyone who has ever asked our personsal help and assistance always, always, getsit...quiet..behind the scenes...effort and arm twisting always working for the greater resolution. You can fuck with me, but my sister...you will answer to me and I never forget you selfish, self absorbed, condesecending racist shitheads.

And people shit on us both regularly and with effluent diarrhea. No harm, no foul. But you JLA, have been in our inner-circle, you know what the real deal is.

You'll be happy to know she left HRC and will be JE on 1/19. I'm with OB. 95 yr old Grandpa will caucus for FDR, and Ma, will be supporting JFK...again.

And life goes on and all things are bigger and better than us.

That's the Zahara, Ford and all associated family folks around the USA.

[Jed]

I'm sure they are just waiting to hear what Tweety and Mrs. Alan Greenspan have to say about John Edwards on Tuesday night.

Meanwhile, this twilightzone of a primary continues.

[Johnathan L. Abbinett]

Mike, I DO know you and your wonderful sister Susan (who is a sister of mine also as a Navy Vet) - and I DO know you too don't take direction - you lead!

I was just asking where you guys are at and what you're doing - I, most certainly, was NOT in any way questioning your committment or integrity!

I met no offense...

...Tell your Grandpa and Ma that John Edwards is the closest guy running like FDR and JFK!

And Mike, don't let these cowardly critics get to you - people in the know do know who is walking the walk and speaking out for someone other than just themselves - and you have a lot more friends and supporters than these few critics do!

The good old boys and go along girls that have disrespected our party, our women, our clubs and caucus groups are going to regret the day they did - justice is coming and there will be a day when they have to hang their heads in shame and answer to the entire membership - I promise you that!

I'm not in this for me either - but, I'll be damned if someone is going to stand up publicly and disrespect minorities, then blame our women and the ERA movement for the problems of the Democratic Party, then disenfranchize over a hundred members only because they supported Dina Titus, then make up a bunch of arbitrary and ridiculous rules for the clubs and caucus groups (and not even fully include leaders from those groups, until after the fact) and not even allow a grace period to achieve any basic standards, only to attempt to disenfranchize us, AND then call themselves DEMOCRATS?

The progressives are taking over the NSDP and Clark County - and we will "Crash The Gates" in KOS style if need be...John Edwards is right, there is no negotiating power away from the corrupt - we must take it, and I, and many others, intend to do just that!

The corrupt clique started a fight they never should have started - and now they are going to regret it (and it's going down in history so we don't have to worry about these D.I.N.O.'s for a few years anyway)!

[anonyMOUSE]

Sure you are JLA... Sure you are... Where have we heard this before?

[Johnathan L. Abbinett]

Hey "anonyMOUSE" you're hoping that, as time passes, your dirt will get swept under the rug and forgotten - that isn't going to happen! Change is always way too slow, but look where we are since Liz Foley and Tom Collins we TEMPORARILY in power?

Clark Count is now turned in the right direction and the progressive have won many leadership and key positions! We are very, very patient and time is on our side!

It's the good old boys and go along girls that will slowly fade into history as we move the party forward for the people!

MikeZ- could we have less of the angst and life history. Boring. I don't think Culinary will endorse. I think they lost their window of opportunity. But they can show their strength for caucus turn out on the strip.

[MD Girl]

Culinary's leaders are so power hungry they have no concern with which candidate best supports labor. It's not about the members, it's all about power for the leaders. If I were a member, I would sue the union for wasting my dues and not representing my work and benefit interests by supporting the best candidate--John Edwards. But the weak power-hungry leaders are puckered up for the winner--even if it's a Republican who wants to ban unions. Shame! Shame!

[anonyMOUSE]

Awww isn't that cute JLA is getting mad now... Poor little guy!

[Johnathan L. Abbinett]

"anonyMOUSE" I don't get "mad" - when you have to work against prejudice people who trash talk behind your back and support stereotypical labels like "crazy vet" and "ticking time-bomb" (and all the other crap people say behind vets back) - we don't have the luxury of getting "mad" - so, we make it a point to use our personal discipline to control our anger and convert it into puposeful passion.

I am passionate - and I do get justice!

[David]

Toxic Waste..Hillary! If the Culinary's leaders endorse Hillary, I think they should be the first ones to start working at the New Nevada storage site. A picture on the wall with hillarys picture could motivate them as well.

No to Hillary and double standards