Maria Elena Durazo on Barack Obama

Los Angeles labor leader Maria Elena Durazo had this to say about her support for Sen. Barack Obama:

"My passion is the labor movement, and I believe very strongly that Sen. Obama is very clear about his support for workers who want to organize, workers who want to lift themselves out of poverty, and also protect good middle-class jobs."

"On a personal level, he really embodies the slogan we use a lot, Cesar Chavez's 'Sí, se puede.' (Yes, we can.") He has proved it by the way he inspires voters, the way he mobilizes."

Fernando Guerra, director of the Center for the Study of Los Angeles at Loyola Marymount University says Durazo "symbolizes the new power in Los Angeles and in California -- the marriage of Latinos and labor."

"And when you have those numbers, that organization and those volunteers, it makes an impact. There is no person in all of California who could get more people out to the street to go do something, either to march or get the vote out."

Durazo's son, a senior in high school, played a role in her final decision. "He said, 'In the end, Mom, it's the chance of a lifetime.' For him to say that means a lot. It's true."

Barack picks up more key support

The Top of the Ticket blog of the Los Angeles Times is reporting that Maria Elena Durazo, executive secretary-treasurer of the powerful Los Angeles County Federation of Labor will endorse Barack Obama's candidacy for president.

Mo Denis, one of three Latino state legislators in Nevada, endorsed Obama this morning after meeting with and questioning the Illinois senator. Denis had formerly supported Gov. Bill Richardson.

The Statesman Journal reports two important endorsements from Oregon, Randall Edwards and Susan Castillo:

Barack Obama is the right person to heal this country and restore America’s standing in the world,” said Edwards, who is completing a second four-year term as treasurer this year. He is barred from running for a third term.

Castillo, the first Hispanic woman in statewide office, said she is endorsing Obama for his commitment to education. She has been a state schools chief, a nonpartisan office, for five years; she was a Democratic state senator for six years before that.

Of Oregon’s top Democrats, Gov. Ted Kulongoski and U.S. Rep. Darlene Hooley have endorsed New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, and Oregon House Speaker Jeff Merkley and Oregon Senate President pro tem Margaret Carter have endorsed former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards. Others have made no public endorsements.

In Ohio, Mayor Jay Williams of Youngstown endorsed Obama saying "I admire his ability to inspire; he’s seen as an agent of change."

More endorsement news

I learned yesterday that there is a lot of very important support waiting in the wings for Barack Obama if one of the present candidates drops out. There are a lot these supporters for this candidate already working behind the scenes to support the Illinois senator. Unfortunately there is no reason yet to think this candidate will drop out before Nevada.

In the meantime, the United Association, an international labor union, just endorsed Obama. Here is there press release:

United Association (UA) Becomes First International Union to Endorse Barack
Obama for President

  WASHINGTON, Jan. 9 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The United Association (UA)
of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry of the
United States and Canada today became the first International Union to
announce its endorsement of U.S. Senator Barack Obama for President of the
United States.
  "Barack Obama is the UA's choice because he has always fought for working
people throughout his career and will do the best job of bringing badly-needed
change to Washington," said UA International President William P. Hite.
"Senator Obama will help us keep existing jobs and work to develop new higher-
paying jobs here in America, reform our health care system, fix our ailing
schools and make sure that the pensions of our retirees are safe."
  "Throughout my career as a community organizer, Illinois State Senator and
U.S. Senator, I've fought to help working Americans get better health care,
higher wages and a more secure retirement," Obama said. "I'm honored to
receive the endorsement of the United Association, and look forward to working
with them to bring big changes to Washington that will help working people
meet the challenges we face in this changing economy."
  The UA is a multi-craft union whose members are engaged in the
fabrication, installation and servicing of piping systems. There are
approximately 340,000 highly-skilled United Association members who belong to
over 300 individual local unions across North America.
  Founded in 1889, the United Association is one of the most respected and
influential building trades unions in the U.S. and Canada today. It serves as
a collective voice for workers through negotiation and collective bargaining
with employing contractor groups, such as the Mechanical Contractors
Association of America and the National Association of Plumbing-Heating-
Cooling Contractors. The UA is also a key member of the Building and
Construction Trades Department, the AFL-CIO, and the Canadian Federation of
Labour.
SOURCE  United Association

Obama Update

Reports of high turnout in the New Hampshire primary today should be good news for Sen. Barack Obama whose base consists of many young, first-time voters.

In addition to the possible Culinary Workers Union endorsement, the word is out that Unite Here, a broader labor coalition that includes Nevada's culinary workers may give Obama his first national union support.

In South Carolina, former Lt. Governor and State Rep. Robert Barber announced his endorsement of the Illinois senator today.

Hillary making Super Tuesday last stand?

According to some reports, if Hillary Clinton loses tonight she may for all practical purposes pull out of Nevada and South Carolina for a last stand in the two dozen Feb. 5 states.

Reportedly she's running out of money and doesn't want to waste resources on small states like Nevada and South Carolina were momentum is building for Obama.

Marshalltown UAW endorses Barack Obama

Local #893 announced its support of Barack Obama for president following the recommendations of Region 4 conference in Dubuque last month.

“The Washington lobbyists and special interest PACs have been in charge for too long. This week, here in Iowa, their desperate attempt to control the political process is all over our televisions,” Dennis Stewart, president of UAW Local #893 said. “Now more than ever before, working families know Barack Obama is the only candidate in this race who’s not getting any help in Iowa from Washington lobbyists, special interest PACs, or the shadowy outside organizations known as 527s. That’s why working families can trust Barack to change Washington, tell the truth and win in 2008."