Steelworkers Endorse Obama/ Gore Endorsement Rumoured

From the Frontrunner The Wall Street Journal (5/16, A4) reports, "Sen. Barack Obama on Thursday received the backing of the United Steelworkers Union, which boasts some 600,000 members." The endorsement "came a day after former rival John Edwards offered to support the Illinois senator -- who also picked up five of Mr. Edwards's delegates."  The AP (5/16, Holland) says "the union tide is turning toward Democratic presidential front-runner...Obama, but cracks are showing inside the labor movement as its leaders grapple with internal and external strife as the nomination race drags on." While "more and more labor unions are lining up behind the Illinois senator," there is "still a major union plum to be had, the AFL-CIO, the nation's largest labor organization." The AP adds, "The AFL-CIO and its 56 unions expect to spend an estimated $200 million on the presidential and congressional elections. However, the labor federation is still nowhere close to making an endorsement, focusing its energies instead on presumptive Republican nominee John McCain." The CNN (5/16) said the endorsement gives "a big potential boost" in Obama's "bid to attract blue-collar support."

Gore Rumoured to Back Obama?
In a column in Post Chronicle (5/16, Zito), Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reporter Salena Zito writes, "There is a rumor among those close to the Obama camp that this weekend will bring a big endorsement for the Illinois Senator. We can scratch John Edwards off that list, he is yesterday's news. Probably the only thing 'bigger' than Edwards would be former Vice-President Al Gore -- who will be in Pittsburgh this Sunday (May 18) to give the commencement speech at Carnegie Mellon University."

Comments

[mary]

Jimmy Carter is still out there.

[tony]

i think we can look for gore next week, Wednesday after Kentucky... I think I saw that Obama will be in FL on Wed. and could see him rolling out Gore there ala the Edwards in Michigan incident. This would help negate any PR Clinton may get from winning KY... just a thought...