Hoffa on Obama and Biden
WASHINGTON — Jim Hoffa, one of America’s top labor leaders, was filled with excitement about the Democrats’ political prospects on the phone call from Denver.
”The enthusiasm is at a record level,” Hoffa said, speaking from the Democratic National Convention, where he’s a super delegate from Michigan. “Everybody is excited about Obama, and about Biden.”
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters was among the first labor unions to endorse Barack Obama, during the contested primaries. Given John McCain’s appeal to some blue-collar voters on the basis of patriotism, Obama needs to make a strong case among these voters that he’ll fight for their economic interests.
Obama’s selection of Joe Biden as a running mate will help with the type of voters the Teamsters represent, Hoffa says.
“He’s a man who has close ties to organized labor. He’s really a strategic partner. He’s a person Obama can send to Capitol Hill and on the other hand can send to talk to Putin. He’s got that kind of reach,” Hoffa said.
“He can assist in the campaign by going to the battleground states, win those states over by talking to average Americans, asking ‘Are you better off than four years ago?’
“We’ve got the dream team on the field.”
Phil, I would like to know as a “union” writer, why you have never covered the fact that the Democrats are trying to get rid of the union’s secret voting process. You are in DC. Why haven’t you or the PD covered this story from Congress. Thankfully, the Republicans are trying to keep union voting private. Shame on you. God help this country if the Democrats win the presidency. The government is going to become so oppressive that it is going to feel like living in Russia, which reminds me of that Beatle song,
“Back in the U.S.S.R.” Perhaps they were prescient.