Sen. Barack Obama won an endorsement from the powerful Teamsters union on Wednesday, critical labor support for the Democratic front-runner with upcoming contests in Ohio, Texas and Pennsylvania. "There was very, very strong support for him" among the union's members, James P. Hoffa, president of the 1.4-million member union, in an interview with The Associated Press.
Hoffa planned to meet with Obama on Wednesday in Texas, the site of the next Democratic primary against Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton. The Teamsters endorsement is expected to help Obama there and in Ohio on March 4, as well as in Pennsylvania on April 22.
The Teamsters have 80,000 members in Pennsylvania, 60,000 in Ohio and 17,000 in Texas, Hoffa said. In addition to those members on the ground, the Teamsters plan to have their members and their families from around the country work for Obama, Hoffa said. "We're going to say, 'Yes, yes, we can elect Barack Obama,'" Hoffa said. " ... He's got the best chance to win in the November elections."
When asked about the unions endorsement, Hillary Clinton was heard to mutter something about "sleeping with his old man". |