The American Postal Workers Union today announced their endorsement of Barack Obama for President. In their endorsement press release, it was noted that:
“We are most impressed by Sen. Obama’s commitment to eradicating the undue influence of special interests in the political process,” he said. “Our current political system does not allow for the voices of average citizens to be heard over the demands of lobbyists and big-money campaign contributors."
The APWU's endorsement comment on special interests was timely.
Currently, the Clinton Campaign is on both sides of a special interest issue; the Colombian "Free Trade" agreement.
Hillary Clinton publicly claims to be against the "Free Trade" agreement. Meanwhile, her husband, former President Bill Clinton, has taken $800,000 in fees from a Colombian Business Group:
In 2005, the former president was paid $800,000 by Gold Service International, a Bogota-based business development group, for four days of appearances in Mexico, Colombia and Brazil. The group supports, among other things, the Colombia Free Trade Agreement.
In addition to the Clinton family accepting fees from Gold Services International, Hillary Clinton's Chief Campaign Strategist, Mark Penn, is also a lobbyist for the Free Trade Agreement.
The PPWU's Press release essentially mirrored the more detailed remarks of Teamsters President Jimmy Hoffa, who stated last Friday:
"How can we trust that a President Hillary Clinton would stand strong against this trade deal when her top adviser is being paid by Colombia to promote it?"
Barack Obama has come out against the Colombian "Free Trade agreement. In his comment, Obama alludes to the fact that labor organizers are routinely assassinated in Colombia.
Obama noted his opposition to the Colombia deal Tuesday when he spoke to the Communications Workers of America. He said he opposes the treaty "because when organizing workers puts an organizer's life at risk, as it does in Colombia, it makes a mockery of our labor protections."
If we take Hillary Clinton's claims at face value, this then begs the inevitable question. If Hillary Clinton becomes President of the United States, will Bill Clinton and other officials within her administration continue to actively lobby for positions that Hillary Clinton publicly claims to reject? This would be extremely confusing to the American People.