In addition to picking up the IAFF endorsement today, Al Franken was also endorsed by AFSCME Council 5. The IAFF endorsement is nice, and will certainly help, but the AFSCME endorsement is HUGE in the battle for the DFL nomination. Aside from the Education Minnesota, AFSCME is the largest union in Minnesota and is among the most politically active.
The best measure, however, of the value of a union endorsement in the context of a caucus battle is the union’s ability to get its members to the polls and to support the endorsed candidate. By that measure, AFSCME is the most valuable union endorsement in Minnesota. Anyone who has ever attended a precinct caucus can tell you, those AFSCME folks stick together and they vote their union. Also, an AFSCME endorsement brings with it the organizing skills of Jim Niland, who is among the most talented operatives in the state.
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AFSCME: We’re endorsing you
IAFF Local 21: Us too
Al: Cha-Ching!, Send Eliot Seide over to smell my feet
Don’t over estimate Jim Niland. At one time I too had a lot of respect for him.
Thanks for the mention of Eliot Seide, Ioannes. I found this Seide quote from AP, made in the context of Lori Swanson firing an attorney in the AG’s office for signing up colleagues for the union: “Eliot Seide says he’s ‘disgusted’ that his union endorsed Swanswon last fall. He says — quote — ‘Lori Swanson is not walking her talk.’”
I wonder how often that happens…that a union endorses a frontrunner who isn’t actually that favorable to the union’s goals. Or that the union endorses a frontrunner who, like Swanson’s former boss Hatch, ends up losing the election.
It seems to me that there are certain dangers for a union in jumping on a bandwagon too quickly. One is that they bet on the one who loses. The other is that they bet on the one that isn’t really on the same side as them.
Charley, AFSCME endorsed Steve Kelley in the primary. After September 12th, Swanson was the DFLer and said all the right things at her candidate screening, which, at that point, they didn’t have much reason to disbelieve. The alternatives were to marginalize themselves by endorsing Papa John Kolstad or the IP (Irrelevant Party) candidate, or really going against their interests and endorsing Jeff Johnson.
Thanks for straightening me out, Another Chris.
I guess I got all riled up about unions endorsing the wrong person, so I picked on AFSCME. Instead, I should have mentioned the Carpenters Union pivotal support of Hatch during the state convention, followed soon after by Hatch’s loss and Swanson’s win and Swanson’s problems with AFSCME for her apparent union busting.
I also noticed that MNpublius endorsed Hatch on June 13 of last year. The reactions to the MNpublius endorsement were filled with concerns about Hatch’s temper and Pawlenty’s charisma. Sadly, the comments proved more prophetic than the original endorsement.
But thanks, Other Chris, for straightening me out. Now please tell me how AFSCME lost more credibility by endorsing Swanson than (say) Kolstad. Is it more credible to support a winner working against you than a loser working for you?
Afscme should not even exist!! What a waste of taxpayer funds. Yes, taxpayer, as we pay the salaries of these workers. No government worker should have union representation. Talk about a major conflict of intrest!
Well Big Kahuna, you’re always welcome to come to work in the public sector and vote to disband the union. Last time I checked, the constitution still allows for association between individuals. If you don’t like the way the game is going, get into it. Don’t just sit there and scream at the TV.