Kitzhaber wins AFL-CIO & Teamsters endorsements
Kari Chisholm
On Friday, John Kitzhaber won the endorsement of the Oregon AFL-CIO:
“John Kitzhaber understands the pressures union members and all middle class Oregonians are under,” said Oregon AFL-CIO President Tom Chamberlain. “Of all the candidates he has the strongest plan to create jobs and help lead Oregon out of the recession. We are looking forward to playing an active role in the campaign.”
From Willamette Week:
Former Oregon Secretary of State Bill Bradbury, who’s running in the Democratic primary against Kitzhaber, had hoped in the battle for union endorsements that the AFL-CIO would remain neutral. Kitzhaber also has been endorsed in the gubernatorial primary by several other unions, most recently including Boilermakers Local 500, the Bricklayers & Allied Craftworkers Local 1 Oregon, the Heat & Frost Insulators Local 36 and the Roofers, Waterproofers & Allied Workers Local 156.
Also on Friday, Kitzhaber picked up the endorsement of the Teamsters:
“Our members trust John and they know that he has spent his entire career in public service standing up for the rights of working families,” said Lynn Lehrbach, Political Coordinator for Teamsters Joint Council 37. “John fights on the frontlines for workers and our workers are going to fight on the frontlines for him.”
According to the AP, Kitzhaber "has won every union endorsement so far". The O's Jeff Mapes runs down the list of remaining labor endorsements:
The Oregon Education Association, which is not affiliated with the AFL-CIO, will make its endorsement decision Saturday. This will be followed by endorsements in the next few weeks from Service Employees International Union, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees and the American Federation of Teachers (which recently merged with the Oregon School Employees Association).
Discuss.
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11:15 p.m.
Mar 5, '10
Full disclosure: My firm built John Kitzhaber's website. I speak only for myself.
6:09 a.m.
Mar 6, '10
Have you ever posted anything negative about a client of yours?
Mar 6, '10
JackBog: good point, I've never seen Kari make a negative post toward any of his clients. I'm sure most readers understand, and accept, he has some built-in bias. But, then again, don't we all?
In Kari's defense, I haven't seen him shut off posters who disagree with him on factual matters, like other local bloggers sometimes do.
9:37 a.m.
Mar 6, '10
You seem to be under the mistaken impression that I strive to be unbiased. I do not. I am very biased.
I do strive to be fair-minded. That's why we have multiple contributors and multiple editors. That's why, when we're in a primary campaign, I make sure that the campaigns that are opposing my clients are in touch with other editors (that are either neutral or favor their position) - so that the news can flow through people other than me.
This post, of course, is pretty much straight news. I had hoped that another contributor would post the big Oregon political news of the day (precisely because this sort of reaction is so tired and predictable) but by 11 p.m., no one had - so I posted.
What's the alternative? Ignore the biggest Oregon political story of the day on a blog about Oregon politics?
9:41 a.m.
Mar 6, '10
This is a bit off-topic, but as long as you're here, Jack, I have one question: Which L&C law professor owns three dachshunds?
Mar 6, '10
Sorry Kari, but your link to anonster is priceless. Apparently neither he nor you can tell the different between a collie-terrier mix and a daschund.
and of course the Teamsters and AFL-CIO would endorse Dr. Kitzhaber. They and their membership did very, very well under his previous two administrations.
Mar 6, '10
Hilarious. On the same day that the American Federation of Teachers endorses Kitz and the Education Assoc endorses Bradbury, the OregonLive.com headline is "Bradbury picks up endorsement from Oregon teachers' union". You have to read further to learn that Kitzhaber has the endorsement of nearly all unions. The story then tells us that this indicates a serious split in the labor movement.
Mar 6, '10
Yet there was a BIG TURNAROUND today as the Oregon Education Association, after lots of caucusing and deliberation, voted to endorse Bill Bradbury over Kitzhaber--by almost 18,000 votes. Bradbury marshaled 49,448 votes, and Kitzhaber actually came in third at 31,607 votes, with 36,303 votes for "No Recommendation." Wow, almost 5,000 more votes for "Nobody" than for John Kitzhaber? Wonder how Kari will spin this for his client!
Mar 6, '10
OEA has the bad judgment to get on board a losing candidate.Frankly I would rather have AFL-CIO and Teamsters. Their endorsement means much more and they actually have some clout.
Mar 6, '10
Diogenean, you have the vote totals wrong for "No Recommendation". It was 49,448 for Bradbury, 31,607 for Kitzhaber, and 3,603 for No Recommendation. There were only about 85k total votes, so your 36k figure isn't right.
Still, I expected that Bradbury would get the recommendation, but I thought the vote was going to be a little closer...
Mar 6, '10
Harry Esteve's article reports that Bradbury won endorsements today from the OEA, and from the American Federation of Teachers, and from the Oregon School Employees Association.
DeanOR's comment above appears to be inaccurate ("On the same day that the American Federation of Teachers endorses Kitz...").
This is big news for Bradbury. Kitzhaber's comments at the debate in Lake Oswego last month made it clear he's not focused on education. And, really, that he's not very focused, period. His track record as governor, where the Republicans repeatedly increased education spending over Kitzhaber's budget proposal (as Jack Roberts noted in his Oregonian op-ed) does not help.
Democrats...take another long look at this race, and don't presume it's over and all that's left is a coronation for Prince John Albert K. Bradbury's a better team player, with fresh energy, and willing to be bold (i.e. supporting Ballot Measures 66 and 67, while Kitzhaber hid on the sidelines, fearing such support for tax increases might hurt his chances in November). He'll make a better governor.
Mar 7, '10