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Published Thursday, Jan. 17, 2008 | 5:08 p.m.
Updated Thursday, Oct. 30, 2008 | 2:14 p.m.
Given the heated debate in the comments section, we think it's important to highlight the key portion of the original posting about this incident:
"After the Sun worked the story for two hours, this much is clear: What exactly happened this afternoon at Paris Las Vegas depends on whom you talk to. To hear Clinton’s campaign and her supporters tell it, the union intimidated a member into caucusing for Obama, demanding that she sign a pledge card or face exile from the caucus.
"To hear the alleged victim tell it, it was much more of a misunderstanding."
After speaking with several Culinary members -- at the suggestion of the Clinton campaign -- the Sun cannot substantiate widespread voter intimidation on the part union organizers. What is clear, however, is that Culinary organizers are pushing Obama hard in the run-up to Saturday's Caucus.
It's also clear that some members in some cases have felt intimidated by the pushy approach of some organizers. According to labor experts, a vigorous back-and-forth is the norm in these types of situations -- and the tactics don't cross the legal line unless workers are overtly threatened.
None of the Culinary members interviewed by the Sun claim to have been threatened.
Worst case scenario: Organizers are telling members they must caucus for Obama -- or they can't caucus. While experts say that's unethical, it also is an outlier in the cases examined by the Sun.
Most of the members interviewed by the Sun say they are Clinton supporters who have taken issue with either the Culinary's endorsement of Obama or the endorsement in general.
The situation is not as black and white as liberal blogger Taylor Marsh says it is. Marsh did not respond to an e-mail seeking an interview. Here are some questions the Sun sought to ask her.
1) Marsh did not identify the eyewitness to the Paris incident as a Clinton supporter. Why not?
2) Marsh did not include any interview with the actual alleged victim, Sylvia Antuna. Why not? In an interview with the Sun, Antuna said the incident may have been more misunderstanding than intimidation.
3) Did Marsh attempt to reach the Culinary Union to get its response to the allegation? If not, why not?
4) Last year, Marsh accepted money from the Association of Federal, State, City and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), to blog at a Democratic event. AFSCME has endorsed Clinton and is a longtime ally of the Clinton family. Has Marsh taken payment from AFSCME recently? If so, how much?
We Must Not Blame The Source! Clearly Something is Amiss
Tisk tisk Taylor Marsh...is it any wonder she can't get a national radio talk show?
It seems pretty clear that the Obama campaign has resorted to dirty Southside Chicago Machine strong arm tactics to intimidate caucus-goers. This is not surprising as Obama got his start as a community organizer for the Southside machine. The Obama campaign may also want to explain to gay Nevadans why he has chosen to use anti-gay bigot and gospel singer Donnie McClurkin to drum up support from the black evangelical community in South Carolina. McClurkin was a part of the 2004 Republican National Convention and used his anti-gay rhetoric to stump for George W Bush. Obama may want to explain why he has choosen to make such a divisive anti-gay figure a part of his campaign strategy. He is saying he is the candidate of unity, but when when it comes to wim over black voters in South Carolina.. he has seen fit to play the anti-gay card.
The Las Vegas Sun reads their comments - which is great and takes the time to clarify the issue - which is also great
Why can't some people (ObamaTruth) read what is written?
And to stinammm - likely you were never in a blue collar union - they are all a little pushy
Why else did Edwards, Clinton and Obama fight so hard for their endorsement?
You do not see any of this garbage from Edwards -even though he is a great friend of labor - he is working his crowd -- this is CLASSIC CLINTON
If they spent 1/2 as much time talking about their own true achievements than always trying to tear others down - the political scene would be better off
As Obama said (to paraphrase) "seems like Hillary is more interested in saying why I would not be a good President thsan in explaining why she would be a good President"
Being a woman does not give Sen Clinton license to slam everyone else and they cry when she is "piled on"
She is a big and very capable girl - and as a self proclaimed micro manager she knows EXACTLY what her campaign is doing and what her surrogates are saying
Thank you LVS for setting the record straight - must of us absorb the content of what we read
Did anyone ever ask this alleged victim what she thought of the Clinton's trying to take her vote away?
"Worst case scenario: Organizers are telling members they must caucus for Obama — or they can’t caucus. While experts say that’s unethical, it also is an outlier in the cases examined by the Sun."
Worst case scenario is an unacceptable scenario. If this has been the case with even one voter, then there can be no integrity in this process.
Whats happening is this.
IN a Casino/Hotel. Workers are given at most a 30 minute break, So the Idea that any worker can go caucus during a break is simply not possible.
What the Union is doing is coercing its members to caucus for Obama, telling the others the will not be able to caucus otherwise. And they are seeing to it that they dont.
The Union leaders are taking Obama supporters, and arrainging with their bosses in the Hotel/Casino for them to get 2 hours off to caucus. They are probably sending an extraboard (Non citizen) to cover the shift workers area while the Obama supporters caucus. They are not worried about disenfranching thier fellow union members right to caucus if they support anyone BUT Obama.
I do know that it is the Union who is working the schedules out with the Hotels, and they are the ones asking for "certain" union members to be allowed to caucus.
Anyway you look at it its ugly and corrupt.
“To hear the alleged victim tell it, it was much more of a misunderstanding.” THAT STATEMENT SHOULD CLEAR THIS UP OK?
It was YET ANOTHER CLINTON LIE to the people of Nevada.
The woman was being told by two Culinary members that she needed to change from Independent to Democrat in order to caucus.
THAT'S ALL. SHE SAID HERSELF THAT IT WAS A MISUNDERSTANDING.
CASE CLOSED.
PLEASE, NEVADA - GIVE US OBAMA.
He's our LAST CHANCE for us to have our voice.
Obama '08
Please go caucus for Obama and tell everyone about Clintons and their record.
Anyone who wants to see the true Hillary, ask her or her supporters why she waffled after initially supporting NY GOV. Spitzer's plan to grant Drivers Licenses to illegal aliens in NY State; remember that terrible debate answer and then the aftermath in which she received a lot of negative airplay. The former President Bill Clinton asked the Governor to pull his plan so Hillary would not have to answer any more questions about it to get her off the hook. Look it up. That is the big supporter of Latinos.
Please call out Obama on his comments in the debate and check with any relatives or anyone else you know in Chicago to see if he has that kind of record there of saying anything to win the moment and move on with your vote to the next audience.
The Clintons record in the White House is they never stayed around to fight for us. They caved in on Affirmative Action and Welfare Reform, and most importantly, their Crime Bill that they brag put so many more officers on the street is also singularly responsible for a generation of historically high incarceration rates for black and brown people in this country. We also have the Clinton years to thank for the mandatory sentencing guidelines, eliminating the discretion of judges, and the disparity in sentencing between crack/cocaine sentences.
We Democrats mobilized to rally around them in 1998 and defend them from attacks, and that was entirely appropriate then. But they are the attackers now, attacking our Union and Obama just to make some kind of triumphant return to the White House; and we have to let them know that we love them but we need bolder, bigger cajones this time around. We need a homerun to sweep in majorities in both Houses of Congress with a message of hope and unity; and then we can claim a mandate to enact sweeping changes in legislation.
The truth that everyone reading this knows in his/her heart is that:
1. Any of our three Democratic candidates CAN win in November.
2. Only one could just as easily lose. (HRC is the only candidate with higher negative ratings than favorable one among all DEM and REP candidates)
3. And only one could win HUGE. (Obama has the biggest margin between favorable and negative ratings among all DEM and REP candidates)
We gotta go for it! This is why the female Senator McCaskill from MO and Gov. Napolitano from AZ along with Native American Sen. Nelson of Nebraska all endorsed Obama last week. No one wants the name Clinton on top of the ballot in their state, except the Republicans.
So please don't stay home. Everyone must go out Saturday and share your views with your neighbors. Go For It. And Ba-Rock the Vote!!!
Taylor Marsh is on a mission to destroy Obama. Read all the articles she has written about Obama and Clinton and then ask yourself why anyone would believe anything she says.
I believe Taylor Marsh.
"After speaking with several Culinary members — at the suggestion of the Clinton campaign — the Sun cannot substantiate widespread voter intimidation on the part union organizers."
That is where the story begins and that's where it should have ended.
If you want stories of intimidation, talk to donors who were strong-armed to give money to the Clinton machine, or the lawyers for Paula Jones, or the craven members of the Black Caucus who were strong-armed into endorsing Hillary.
The Clinton campaign wanted the Culinary worker's Union endorsement bad - and didn't get it. So now they are crying foul, trying to block the right of workers to vote with a last-minute lawsuit, and now planting stories about voter intimidation. It's sickening. Team Clinton doesn't care about stemming home foreclosures, or bankruptcy reform, or the struggling middle class. They care only about winning at any cost.
Taylor Marsh alerted us to what was happening and nobody is denying what happened --
"Worst case scenario: Organizers are telling members they must caucus for Obama — or they can’t caucus..." -- this is not America as we know it.
I wonder who put the reporter up to go after Ms. Marsh?
listen to the candidates and watch what they are espousing. For example Obama's remarks about Reagan were very telling as no self respecting true democrat would ever say that...and his health plan is far from all inclusive....Edwards and Hillarys are far better....and his trade policies etc etc etc...the list goes on and on....I am an old style democrat that got out as a youth and demonstrated for equal rights and for human rights and against Vietnam....Obama's beliefs offend me....My vote goes for Hillary...
Perhaps it is time for Taylor Marsh to make a financial disclosure. We all know, however, that she will not. We all know that Hillary has blogger surrogates all over the Internet. How many of you know that top Hillary advisor Kelly Craighead helped set up Media Matters?