Nation's largest union asks members to back Obama’s reelection

[Swede]

The National Education Association (NEA) has asked its members to support President Obama’s bid for a second term in the White House.

The move by the NEA — the country's largest union, with more than 3 million members — shows that labor, a traditional ally of Democrats, is gearing up for the 2012 election.

http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/obama-rerun/159687-teachers-union-asks-members-to-support-obamas-reelection

[gateley]

1. Boy, how could they even think of backing a Republican? nt

[proud2BlibKansan]

2. Unbelievable

I'm not even an NEA member and my email has been buzzing with this news all morning. 100% of the NEA members I know are irate over this early endorsement.

Really dumb move.

Also technically, this is just a request for an endorsement. The formal endorsement comes from a membership vote at the national assembly in July.

[patrice]

3. They should consider it, because that's the only way they are going to have any say in what

changes happen to the future of Public Education.

They can leave that up to Republicans/Libertarians or they can get strong and hang-in there against the President if necessary for what they know is right. Obama will at least deal with the truth. The other side? . . . not so much. Their lies are part of what has screwed public education.

[msongs]

4. spend more time/$ electing liberal/progressive/dmocrats at the local/state/congress level nt

[blondeatlast]

5. It goes largely unnoticed, but Labor Secretary Hilda Solis is a strong ally of

union rights.

It makes sense that educators would be aware of that fact.

[QED]

6. Arne Duncan is the Secretary of Education

Hilda Solis is Secretary of Labor

[madfloridian]

7. And Arne started going after unions right out of the gate.

[blondeatlast]

9. And yes, I agree with that. nt

[blondeatlast]

8. My mistake--you are of course correct. Fixed just under the wire. nt

[Brickbat]

10. I expect that many individual state-level organizations will not follow this. The UBC endorsed Bush

back in 2004. It happens.