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AFT HEARTS HRC.
Emphasizing the Hillary Clinton campaign's continuing theme of consolidating support, today the American Federation of Teachers made a well-timed, though long-expected, announcement that it is endorsing Clinton. The move was long expected for three reasons: Clinton's historic commitment to and advocacy work around the education of children have given her deep relationships in the education community; the largest AFT affiliate is based in New York; and more than three-fourths of teachers are female. Democratic and Democrat-leaning women favored Clinton over Barack Obama by a whopping 42 percentage points in the latest Washington Post-ABC News poll. Clinton campaign women's outreach director Dana Singiser e-mailed "opinion leaders" the news:
today’s news is VERY exciting – on the heels of yesterday’s news that Hillary raised $27 million from over 100,000 donors – just this morning, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) voted to endorse Hillary! The AFT has more than 3,000 local affiliates nationwide, 43 state affiliates, and more than 1.4 million members. We are thrilled that Hillary’s commitment to quality education has been recognized by the leadership and members of the AFT.
This brings the number of national unions endorsing Clinton to five, the others being: the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers; the National Association of Letter Carriers; the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace workers (IAM); and the United Transportation Union.
--Garance Franke-Ruta
COMMENTS (8)
“today’s news is VERY exciting”
Did you fear the teachers union would support a Republican candidate?
Or a candidate like Edwards who is a distant third in the polls?
Posted by: Fever | October 3, 2007 2:54 PM
The AFT used to be a real union, but today it is pro-business reactionary. Its "organizers" are authoritarian and are merely out to secure their next pay check.
Posted by: Anonymous | October 3, 2007 3:08 PM
The more interesting endorsement will be NEA's.
Posted by: corinne | October 3, 2007 3:17 PM
Great. Somewhere Rudy is clapping. I'll eat crow with crap gravy on Nov. 5, 2007, if HRC wins. I hope all the boosters who think the U.S. is one big Upper East Side bordered by Burlington, Vt., and will vote in a woman, will do the same if she doesn't.
Posted by: Nick | October 3, 2007 6:37 PM
I wonder if One-Note Nick saw yesterday's poll which had Clinton crushing Giuliani 51-43 nationally.
It's only a poll, but you sure wouldn't expect to see results like that if the only place that would consider voting for a woman for President were the Upper East Side.
Posted by: Steve | October 4, 2007 8:32 AM
"I hope all the boosters who think the U.S. is one big Upper East Side bordered by Burlington, Vt., and will vote in a woman, will do the same if she doesn't."
Her main problem is not that she's a woman. (That's not to say that the woman in question is HRC is not a problem). But, really, they didn't vote in John Kerry either.
Posted by: Anonymous | October 4, 2007 11:28 AM
More proof GRF doesn't really understand politics. The AFT is a minor union that it really conservative and its endorsing the most conservative Democrat.
Posted by: Rob | October 4, 2007 4:16 PM
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Posted by: Anonymous | July 15, 2008 1:53 PM