And one wonders why this is a discouraged topic of conversation at work
. Also for the sake of everybody else, this is long, so PLEASE do not quote this post in it's entirety.
So does anybody ask "Why are labor Unions and Democrats usually good bedfellows?"
Well Hoaxter was close to it, it really goes back to the start of Unions in this country when Unions and Democrats were anti-immigration (to the extent of discriminating against Chinese workers at the turn of the century). Republicans and Big Business were in favor of immigration and as a result lined up. The lines have pretty much remained the same throughout the years.
Samuel Gompers, the founder of the American Federation of Labor, on the longest standing union organizations in the country, (The AFL part of the AFL-CIO) was a strong supporter of Democrats personally for these and other reasons.
There were a number of other unions that were radical and leaning socialistic, hence the near demise of the labor Unions during the McCarthy days because of the Communist Witch hunts going on in our country.
Mike's logic on Hoaxter being a racist for not supporting Obama is an interesting one. Who emancipated the slaves? A Democrat or Republican? Which party had a higher percentage of votes for Civil Rights legislation, despite being in the Minority during the 60's? I'll give you a hint; it was the Republicans with generally 20% higher votes in favor of Civil Rights legislations than the Democrats, despite being in the minority.
Fast-forward to 2008. The economy is in the tank, believe it or not, this has not so much to do with President George W. Bush and a lot more to do with policies enacted by people like Alan Greenspan, who Bush kept around for a fifth term as Chairman of the Federal Reserve.
The Dot.com bust, 9/11, Enron (which resulted in Sarbanes-Oxley) and a number of other events have also contributed to the current economic situation.
Bush is not innocent here people, he then appointed people like Ben Bernanke, and Henry Paulson. This in part led to the rise and fall of sub-prime mortgages. He also has not been fiscally conservative, in part because of our conflicts and commitments abroad.
Bush’s position towards the bailout is further left of the Party's platform in this area, which typically lends towards Free Market Principles and ideals. A let the market fix itself ideal. The party platform
does not jive with the bailout proposal. That's why there were more Republicans opposing it than Democrats. It finally only passed after adding another $100 Billion in pork barrel spending and folks on both sides of the aisles calling those who voted 'NO' and telling them to vote 'YES'.
What does all this have to do with Labor Unions? A fiscally conservative President is a
GOOD THING FOR LABOR UNIONS. They generate jobs, get rid of big government (and big brother who regulates to the hilt), look to stimulate economic growth through tax cuts and encourage businesses to stay in the United States.
So what about John McCain? Well the good Senator has said it himself; he is a "Maverick" from the party. He is considered by many to be a moderate, not necessarily fiscally or socially conservative.
So would John McCain be good for Big Labor? Not necessarily. Would Barak Obama, a Democrat, be good for Big Labor? At this point, I'm not sure either. He seems to be looking to reduce the size of the National Debt and the number of Government Employees, is looking to rescind trade agreements with other countries, but at the same time was also in favor of the bailout and additional regulation across the board.
So is either candidate a really great person to have? Not really. Do I understand why the Teamsters waited this long? It's better to have the party you've also been in bed with than to have somebody you don't really know to support.
This is going to be an interesting election for sure.
Re: Teamsters Endorse OBAMA 
If you are the christ child then come on Obama walk across my swimming pool. 
DON'T GET CUT 
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