Union backing Mike Huckabee

Press Release: Mike Huckabee Wins Support from Machinists and Aerospace Workers
August 30, 2007

LITTLE ROCK, AR-Former Governor Mike Huckabee (AR) won the support of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) today. The IAM, for the first time in its 119 year history, endorsed candidates in both the Republican and Democratic primaries.
Huckabee welcomed the IAM endorsement stating, “I’m proud to have the support of the workers who bring prosperity to America on a daily basis.”
Huckabee spoke before over 700 members of the IAM in Orlando, Florida on Monday about jobs, globalization, health care, and other 21st century domestic issues.
During his conversation with IAM workers, Huckabee stated, “In order for this country to be free, there are three things we must do: feed ourselves, fuel ourselves and fight for ourselves. That means we need to be manufacturing our own means of defense and making it a national security issue.” During his speech on Monday night, Huckabee outlined his program to improve the lives of working Americans, including his support of the Fair Tax. Under the Fair Tax, he said, “American companies are far less likely to move overseas and foreign companies are far more likely to come here, hiring Americans to build and work in their new plants.”
Huckabee also said he believes in fair trade. “Free trade has to be fair trade. We are losing jobs because of an unlevel, unfair trading arena that has to be fixed. Behind the statistics, there are real families, real lives, and real pain. I'm running for President because I don't want people who have worked loyally for a company for 20 or 30 years to walk in one morning and be handed a pink slip and be told, ‘I'm sorry, but everything you spent your life working for is no longer here.’"

Huckabee received the historic endorsement this morning during the final day of IAM’s National Staff Conference. Shortly after receiving the news, Huckabee thanked President Tom Buffenbarger on a phone call : “I appreciate the unprecedented opportunity to participate in the IAM meeting this week and to receive this historic endorsement.”

From Reuters via Yahoo:

• WASHINGTON (Reuters) - One of the biggest U.S. trade unions made an unusual dual presidential endorsement of Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Mike Huckabee on Thursday, while Democrat John Edwards won the 2008 backing of the carpenters' union.
• The machinists' endorsement was made at the union's national conference in Orlando, Florida. Huckabee, the former governor of Arkansas, was the only Republican to address the labor group.
  Huckabee has lagged behind the top Republican 2008 contenders in national polls and fund raising but received a boost earlier this month with a surprise second-place finish in the Iowa straw poll.
  "Mike Huckabee was the only Republican candidate with the guts to meet with our members and the only one willing to figure out where and how we might work together," Buffenbarger said in a statement.

Click to read the full article.

From Time Magazine:

• Huckabee, a former Arkansas governor, was the lone Republican to address the conference. "Mike Huckabee was the only Republican candidate with the guts to meet with our members and the only one willing to figure out where and how we might work together," said Buffenbarger. "He is entitled to serious consideration from our members voting in the upcoming Republican primaries."

Click to read the full article.

From Miami Herald:

• It is the first time the union has done a dual endorsement. It chose to do so this year to encourage all members to participate in the election.
  About 35 percent of IAM members are registered Republicans.

Click to read the full article

Disclaimer; I did add everything that was said about Mike Huckabee. Everything else in these articles are about Clinton and Edwards.
With this endorsement, perhaps there will be an invite from UAW, when Mike comes to Michigan? I don't like the UAW, but I think the UAW members would "Like Mike."