John Edwards refuses to cross firefighters' picket line--cancels event.

[Lex]

Firefighters picket outside a hotel in Providence, R.I., where Democratic vice presidential candidate Sen. John Edwards, of North Carolina, was scheduled to attend a campaign fund-raiser, Monday, Sept. 27, 2004. Edwards canceled his appearance at the fund-raiser Monday, refusing to cross a firefighters' picket line staged because of the union's ongoing dispute with this city's Democratic mayor."

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/040927/480/rism10209272125
--------------------------------
Also, here he was picking up votes in Manchester, N.H. earlier in the day:




http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/040927/480/cr10209271830

[crispini]

1. Good for him!

Good Democrats don't cross picket lines.

Edited to add: Now that I've made that bold statement, though, I realize that I crossed a picket line once. They were an audiovisual worker's union picketing a keynote speech at a convention that I really wanted to hear. I had a real moment of indecision and then I justified it by taking a flyer and promising that I'd write the organizer of the convention... and I did so. Hm. Does that still make me a bad Democrat? Prollly.......

[Career Prole]

2. As a guy stuck in a southern "right to work" state I say

Attaboy, John! :thumbsup:

[Lex]

4. Me too!

I think it is a great signal about what Edwards really cares about--workers and their families.

[Career Prole]

11. (Re)organizing labor is probably our last best hope.

Since they've made it a global economy we'll just have to organize the whole world. Let's hope we can get some labor-friendly legislation in the near future. (Good-bye Mistress Chao!) :toast:

[eleanor]

3. Good for him

I wish this would get mainstream press coverage as it would solidify some wavering labor voters.

[oasis]

5. I'm copying the story for distribution at my next union meeting.

[Lex]

7. Cool!

Getting the word out is crucial.

The mainstream media barely reports stories like these.

[oasis]

14. Edwards spoke at my union's national convention in 2002.He walks the walk.

:thumbsup:

[tjdee]

6. He wanted to honor the NAACP boycott too...

John Edwards really is a dream.

He'll be an excellent president someday.

[Blue-Jay]

8. I crossed a picket line once.

I was 6 years old and the janatorial/cafeteria workers were on strike. I remember asking the lunch lady why she was standing outside the school with a sign, and she told me "Because they're not paying me enough money to go inside."

I replied "You get PAID to go to school?"

At any rate the dispute was settled later that week, and we all had some killer sloppy Joes to celebrate.

Good for John Edwards! He did the right thing.

[seabeyond]

9. hey then i ask you, why didnt i see pictures

of edwards down there on the line having a chat with the strikers, and talking to them about their grievences and who they are going to vote for this election

[tjdee]

10. What do you think, they'd show that on the NEWS?

What are you, some kind of pinko commie?

[seabeyond]

12. bah ha ha ha ha ha oh that was so cute

aaaaahhhhhhhhhhh, i needed a laugh. crinkles all around the eyes. thank you

[tjdee]

13. No sweat.

:)

[codegreen]

15. rate the link a 5

[Trajan]

16. John Edwards ???? ....

THIS UAW member salutes you ....

Isn't he simply grand ? ...

He is ....

[Arkana]

17. This sucks--Edwards would have been 15 minutes away!

I would have gone to see him today! It's good that he respected the picket lines, though.

[DeusExMachina04]

18. Thanks Iowa

It should be Edwards running. Here is a guy that has guts and fights. I hope to see him in 2008 fighting for us!

[blue neen]

20. This is the general election now; the primaries are long over.

Are you saying that Kerry doesn't have guts and doesn't fight?

Both Kerry and Edwards are fighting for us NOW.

[DeusExMachina04]

21. thanks for nothing Iowa

I think, and I am new here so forgive me, that Kerry has brought on the Clinton gang and dropped many of his Kennedy people or at least sidelined them. The Clinton people are proven electoral winners but come at a price. And that price is the liberal ideals that make our party great.
I will vote for Kerry of course, but dont hold out much hope at this point. Edwards is a fighter, and appeals to southerners and working classes also.

[CarolynEC]

22. Little bit late in the game for these musings, isn't it?

I mean, what's to be gained?

[Lex]

24. You can be ideologically pure and NEVER win an election

or you can compromise within the Democratic Party and have a shot at re-taking the White House.

Kerry and Edwards are a GREAT team to have in Washington DC and believe they will win in November, and I don't care whose ex-staffers they have utilitized to get a win.

[VOX]

19. Now THAT'S compassion: Edwards' action may have brought in more votes...

than his appearance at the fundraiser would have.

Compassionate, understanding and wise move on JRE's part. :thumbsup:

[blondeatlast]

23. UNION, YES!

I'm in the process of getting my job classification eligible for AFSCME.

[Rose Siding]

25. Stupid, selfish UNION

Is this one of the FF unions that support Bush, like NYC?

If not why aren't they picketing REPUB targets, rather than forcing a dem candidate to cancel a fundraiser? A FUNDRAISER! Election coming up, remember? And which party supports unions? You don't have to force them to lose campaign funds to know it.