Powerful California AFL-CIO endorses Bustamante option

Powerful California AFL-CIO endorses Bustamante option

(AP) Hedging its political bets, the powerful California AFL-CIO voted Tuesday to endorse Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante for governor in case Gov. Gray Davis is ousted in the Oct. 7 recall election.

The move was a significant strategic shift for the union, which had led opposition to the recall and urged Bustamante and other Democrats to stay off the ballot. But labor leaders said embracing the strategy was the best way to help the Democratic governor survive - not an indication they feared he would lose.

"It's a very tactical decision coming out here pretty united with the message 'no on recall, no on recall, no on recall and yes on Bustamante,"' Miguel Contreras, executive secretary-treasurer of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, said after the unanimous vote by about 600 delegates.

The union was the latest key Democratic group to throw its weight behind Bustamante's two-pronged approach to the recall. The state's teachers' union has also backed the strategy, as has California's Democratic congressional delegation and Democrats in the state Senate. (snip/...)

Published: Aug. 26, 2003

:bounce:

Schwarzenegger's move came after a Los Angeles Times poll published Sunday suggested that he is trailing well behind Bustamante, the only major Democrat on the ballot. "Bustamante is Gray Davis with a receding hairline and with a mustache," Schwarzenegger said. "It's the same person, same philosophy."

Bustamante's campaign strategist Richie Ross fired back today, saying: "Arnold's rattled. He's losing it."

(snip)

When he declared his candidacy, Schwarzenegger suggested that he would self-finance his campaign. "I don't need to take money from anybody," he said. Since then, his aides said that the candidate simply meant that he would not be politically influenced by any campaign contribution he receives. Schwarzenegger has given $2 million of his own money to his campaign.

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A50574-2003Aug26.html

Ross is saying the right things!

has no business to critique anyone else's appearance. :puke: :crazy: :mad:

Republicans weren't going to do negative attacks, Arnold was going to self finance, he misspoke about the non-endorsemnt of his campaign by CAA.

If this was a Democrat, the media would be destroying them and calling them liars and telling us all how people can't trust them.

Where is the liberal media when you need them?

From your Washington Post article:

(snip) At the statewide AFL-CIO convention here today, about 500 delegates representing more than 2 million union workers agreed that their most prudent course of action would be to vigorously fight the recall, but also to hedge their bets by endorsing Bustamante as the best backup candidate.

After the recent endorsements by unions representing teachers and government workers, as well as expressions of support from state and national party leaders, the AFL-CIO nod makes Bustamante the Democrats' standard-bearer. (snip/...)

Hadn't heard the California teachers and government workers had endorsed Cruz Bustamante already.

Looking good. :bounce: