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"Scam" ads the norm Trail Mix: Hillary haters spam cyberspace Gunning for the center Democrats make Hillary legit The blundering pundit Don Giuliani Campaign video: |
Labor's lost love? | page 1, 2 But AFL-CIO California spokeswoman Sharon Cornu says a coalition with Buchanan doesn't make sense. "The paths of union members and Pat Buchanan cross on the issue of fair trade, but he's not traveling the same road," said Cornu. Buchanan, for example, doesn't share the AFL-CIO's support for an increase in the minimum wage or the need for collective bargaining. The Gore campaign, meanwhile, emphasizes the common ground the vice president shares with labor, and focuses on contrasting Gore with George W. Bush. "I think we've agreed to disagree on certain issues, like the WTO for example, but there are many issues where we agree. The major differences between George Bush and Al Gore on those issues couldn't be more stark -- from workers' right to organize to the minimum wage," said Hattaway. "These are key issues for working families, and Bush is off in right field."
With or without the Teamsters, union support is a linchpin for Democratic election hopes in November, both in retaking the House and holding on to the White House. "We may be outspent by the other side come November, but we sure won't be out-organized, and that's due in large part to the efforts of organized labor," Hattaway said. With the support of most labor leaders, Gore and his fellow Democrats are raking in campaign contributions. Two of the three top soft-money contributors in this cycle thus far are unions who have given to Democrats, according to records at the Center for Responsive Politics. Democrats have received more than $2.5 million in soft money from just two labor groups -- the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees and the Communications Workers of America, while hospital and health care workers have chipped in another $500,000. In addition to the soft money, so far, labor PACs have contributed $19.8 million to presidential candidates this cycle, with all but $2 million of that money going to Democrats. Topping that list, transportation unions have given more than $5.1 million thus far ($4.3 million to Democrats) while building trades unions have given more than $4.3 million ($4 million to Democrats). All told, unions have contributed $31.3 million during the 1999-'00 election cycle, with 93 percent of that money going to Democrats. But the problem for Gore is not with labor leaders and their money, it is with the rank and file members and their votes. Moan said a disconnect between union members and their leadership is a problem the labor union must confront. "The big corporations are selling us out," he said. "Until the union members wake up, the leaders are not going to feel any pressure to practice what they preach. If the Teamsters endorse Gore or Bush, what does that say about their attitude toward the rank and file?" For Gore, the problem is that there may be people on the left and right -- Green Party candidate Ralph Nader and Buchanan -- who appeal to portions of the Democratic base. In the latest Zogby poll, Nader and Buchanan took 8 percent between them, and seemed to hurt Gore's standing more than Bush's. Buchanan himself told Fortune magazine that he thinks his candidacy will hurt Gore more than Bush. He said he plans to focus his campaign in key union-heavy battleground states including Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania. "We're going right after Democratic voters and right after Al Gore," he said.
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