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Mark Murray, NBC Deputy Political Director

Domenico Montanaro, NBC News Political Reporter



Obama backers blast AFSCME flier

Posted: Friday, December 21, 2007 4:06 PM by Mark Murray

From NBC/NJ's Aswini Anburajan and Carrie Dann
The controversy continues over those anti-Obama mailers paid for by Hillary-backing union AFSCME. As reported by NBC/NJ on Wednesday, the direct mail piece going out in Iowa slams Obama's health-care plan as "yet another Band-Aid solution" that leaves "15 million Americans uninsured." That's the argument made by the Clinton campaign, which has criticized Obama's plan for its lack of a universal mandate requiring coverage for all Americans.

But in a conference call sponsored by the Obama campaign, two AFSCME members -- Henry Beyer, the executive director of Illinois' AFSCME chapter, and Carter Woodruff, a former state treasurer of AFSCME in Iowa -- criticized the mailer on the grounds that AFSCME has had a long-held position against mandates for healthcare.

Beyer said he was "dismayed" to see the direct mail piece. "We've always opposed individual mandates. We were very concerned about the Massachusetts plan," he said referencing the health-care plan passed under Gov. Romney in Massachusetts, which required state residents to purchase health insurance. 
 
Woodruff had harsh words for his international union, calling the mailer a "desperate attempt to attack" Obama and "hypocritical" considering the union's previous stances on mandates. He attributed the attack on Obama's gain in the polls. "Senator Obama has gained with Senator Clinton here in Iowa, and in some polls he was in the lead. Currently they are still neck and neck, and I think they are scared."

The AFSCME flier also caused controversy earlier this week because it quotes Edwards -- not Clinton -- as a critic of Obama's policy. The Edwards campaign yesterday responded by decrying the reference as a misleading attempt by AFSCME and the Clinton campaign to disguise the source of the negative attack.

AFSCME's backing is a key element of Clinton's ground game in Iowa, with its launch of massive independent expenditure efforts and its mobilization of volunteers in the state.  

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Wrong about Reagan and wrong about Obama???

You can't always trust a democrat, but you can NEVER trust Kristol and Will - neocon frontmen if anyone ever was.  See Eric Alterman of Media Matters for his (liberal) democratic view of both of these jokers and an assortment of other neoncon commentators.  He doesn't seem to mind Obama, but is all for truth in reporting....something you will never get from the right-wing media as everyone should know by now.

I would personally deeply mistrust their endorsement of any democratic candidate (based on presumed ulterior motives)..... and I personally don't care who wins as long as it's not a republican.  

Too bad Kucinich doesn't have the looks or the money -he's probably the most honest one of the bunch.  

dale, what one or 20 black ministers say about barack obama or any other candidate doesn't reflect what the black population as a whole is thinking or will do. blacks aren't ones that polls can closely reflect what black america would do as whole. not even community to community can you poll a black community and know how they are going to vote. you can bet that the the majority of blacks won't vote republican.

the black culture is not that different in political philosphy, views and goals than any other.



to point out something about the black american community you may not realize. the black american is not as likely to follow their minister, pastor, reverend, priest or any other representaive of a church just because they endorse someone or say something.

blacks are very independent of thought because the divisive tactics used to divide and conquer years ago. something used on most oppressed cultures throughout history(speaking of the past only).

as decades moved on that divisive imposed strategy became a strength of charachter that developed into self independence.

some blacks are liberals, some are conservatives or independent's. blacks are as diversified in their thinking as the rest of america.

no longer can anyone say because the naacp says something all of blacks will follow. no longer can anyone say because andrew young, al sharpton or jesse jackson say something all blacks will follow. no one can say blacks wil follow someone because an endorsement came from the pulpit.

most blacks are independent and progressive in their thought process today. we can't be bundled into a structure of thought or pattern of blind allegiance.

for those who think that a majority of blacks are going to support hillary because some ministers, andrew young, al sharpton, or any other agency or person supports her is to absolutely fool themselves.

blacks don't just do because someone says to. within blacks own families you may find a hillary, edwards, obama, biden and richardson supporter. blacks are that strongly independent in personality and thought.

  just thought it may be something to consider.
there are a lot of independents still sitting on the fence. i am one. we are narrowing our choices. i would say that sometime after the iowa caucus most of us will have decided. some will vote republican. the majority will vote democrat depending who the dem's nominee is.

anyone interested in what the majority of independent's will do should go to the various sites that independent's interact on.think you should before counting on the support of the independent voteto boost your party or candidate.

also remember this, we can vote in a primary or caucus and then swing our support if we don't like the nominee of either party.

there is definitely truth to who we will likely not support as a nominee in both parties. in the republican party john mccain and ron paul get the strongest support among independent's.

in the democratic party the polls has given you a pretty close account of the consensus as to how the independent vote will swing. i would pay attention to that.

independent's are very serious about change. we will sway the fact of which party wins. it will depend on the nominee. there are democrats that will garner the majority of the independent vote no matter what republican is nominated. i know there are almost fanatical supporters in the republican party that will get emotional about that, but it is true.it is more so because it is the republican party than anything else.

however, if the democratic party makes the wrong nomination the independents will carry the majority of their votes in a direction that will cause them the nomination. i know there are those who will get emotional about this as well, but it is true.

you guys figure it out. polls usually can't be trusted. when it comes to the independent vote the polls have given a close estimation of which party indy's prefer to support and which nominee's it will most likely give the majority of it's support to.

some are going to vote republicans or democrats no matter what. some will vote for a certain candidate no matter. don't let those who talk the loudest fool anyone into thinking that the majority will carry favor to a certain candidate.

we aren't talking about independents that are fanatics for a certain candidate. we are talking about a majority that have more in mind than just experience, libertarianism, big money, liberalism or conservatism.

the majority of us want change for a whole nation not just a group that has specific views. we want morals and ethics. we don't want dirty politics. we don't want the same old establishment nonsense.

go online and interact with some independent's. both parties could lose big if you don't pick the right nominee.

again, you can't win without the independent vote.

for the majority of independents it is about healing all of america. it is about someone that everyone will work with. look at electability and when it comes to independent's don't think the polls are lieing to you on the indepedent vote.

all you folks have a great christmas, hannakah and the other celebrations that americans have this time of year. got to go. the boss says it is time to shop.
Yep Blame Hillary. That's what the news media is all about. Anything that happens to Obama or Edwards campaign, they all go and blame Hillary. I have never seen a candidate that is so scrutinized, abused by the media than Hillary. It's crap like this that will drive me to the polls to go vote for Hillary.
Carol, Syacuse, NY (Sent Saturday, December 22, 2007 1:31 PM)

=================================================
Yep Carol it is just because she is a woman that they beat on her for every thing under the sun.
So the more the blame the madder women are getting.  So we will vote for Hillary because she is the best woman candidate!
We are the majority we will vote in huge numbers and it will be for Hillary Rodham Clinton, she will win!
65% of women vote.
62% of men vote.
82.5 million mothers (mothers hate war)
152 Million women
148 Million men.
We are the majority and we vote!!
Who authored the "AFSCME flier" ??? Was it indeed some geek at AFSCME ? *** Or did this dreck originate at a candidate-research operation, specifically the Clinton operation ? *** This is Nixon dirty tricks at its worst. Election fraud that masquerades as "toughness" or some other euphemism for soft fascism.


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