Democratic presidential hopefuls on Monday brandished their labor credentials and tried to outdo one another with political promises as they competed for the support of two powerful labor unions. Sen. Chris Dodd of Connecticut told the Service Employees International Union that he would get universal health care passed and signed in four years. Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois insisted he would immediately bring U.S. troops home from Iraq. New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton promised to stop outsourcing government work to private companies. The SEIU endorsement would be a plum for any candidate. The organization bills itself as the nation's fastest growing union with more than 1.8 million members.
See "Democrats Seek to Impress Unions", Jesse J. Holland, San Francisco Chronicle, September 17, 2007