Did BARACK OBAMA Sell America Out to the Teamsters ?

I can't wait for the Howard Dean and the Liberal media twist THIS into a racial issue. Today is the second day of Senator Obama's Teamsters Scandal. Yesterday the Wall Street Journal reported that the Junior Senator from Illinois promised the end of federal oversight of the teamsters in return for the Union's endorsement. Later in the day they NY Times reported that the Union admits the promise but says that their endorsement was unrelated.

Today, back at the Journal their is a transcript of each of the democratic candidates' presentations on the issue of federal oversight of the teamsters and we see major difference between Clinton and Obama. She promises a review of the Issue, he promises to get rid of the oversight. Senator Obama, who has already thrown his grandma under the bus, once again proves that he will sell out anyone including the citizens of the US just to get elected:

Clinton, Obama Trade Charges

On Issue of Teamsters Oversight

By BRODY MULLINS and KRIS MAHER

May 6, 2008; Page A6

WASHINGTON -- Hillary Clinton told a meeting of Teamsters officials last year that she was "open" to "looking at" reviewing the strict federal oversight of the union, but stopped short of saying it should be removed.

An audio recording of Sen. Clinton's comments was released by the Teamsters union Monday, following a Wall Street Journal article that said the union endorsed her chief rival for the Democratic presidential nomination, Barack Obama, after the Illinois senator had told the union he supported an end to the oversight board formed in 1992 to root out corruption inside the Teamsters.

BEFORE THE TEAMSTERS BOARD

From appearances before the Teamsters' 29-member executive board March 27, 2007, part of the union's standard endorsement process.

Illinois Sen. Barack Obama

Teamsters: Senator, this great union has been under a consent decree for almost 20 years. It's been humiliated, scrutinized, raked for millions and millions of dollars. In the beginning, when it all started, thanks to a gentleman by the name Giuliani …

Obama: You won't be endorsing him? [laughter]

Teamsters: This was a consent decree that was supposed to go on for four or five years and it was to rid [the union of] corruption. Enough is enough.

Obama: Right.

Teamsters: Sen. Clinton was here this morning and I asked her the same question. Her answer was we've got to turn the page on that, enough is enough. But we know what enough is enough. What are your feelings and thoughts on what's happening?

Obama: Well look, under the president in office and union leadership I think the union has been transformed. I think that's the assessment generally. The other problem is you've got an administration that hasn't been particularly friendly to unions period and this union in particular. I think that if you've got somebody in the White House who you know, who you trust and who you have got a history with then you're going to see a change in terms of how we evaluate these consent decrees. Now obviously there's a legal aspect to it. It's got to be run through the paces to make sure that all the t's are crossed and the i's are dotted. And so I don't want to talk as if I snap my fingers and suddenly it happens. But as president with the authority to appoint an attorney general who actually understands the law… [applause, laughter] Next.

New York Sen. Hillary Clinton

Teamsters: I would like to know your thoughts on the consent degree that this union has been under for the past 14, 15 years.

Clinton: The world's longest consent decree? [laughter]

You know, I am of the opinion that, based on what I've seen over years of observation, this union has really done a tremendous job in turning itself around. I mean that's my observation. At some point the past has to be over. Well, if you screw up in the future, that'll be a new day, right? That's the way the system works. But you gotta -- you can't go around dragging the ball and chain of the past. And I think that's true for anybody, any organization, any individual, you know, and so I would be very open to looking at that and to saying, what is it we're trying to accomplish here? And seeing what the answers were because at some point turn the page and go on. [applause]

Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards

Teamsters: For 18 years, the Teamster union has been under a consent decree. We have cleaned up this union and I think this board is representative of what our union is today. These are hard-working, honest, decent people that have come up the hard way. They've been elected by the members. We are the most democratic union in the world. We stand for election every time. And now after 18 years we still have a consent decree no matter how many improvements, no matter how clean our union is -- the answer is what will you do if you're elected to help us?

Edwards: Well, I know that you spend millions of dollars on this very issue. I know that the problems that were there originally have been eliminated. I don't know precisely what you have to do procedurally. But I will work with you to help you get out from under the consent decree. [applause]

The union also released digital audio recordings of remarks that Sen. Obama and another Democratic presidential candidate at the time, former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards, made in separate appearances to union leaders in March 2007 as all three presidential contenders were seeking an endorsement.

A union spokesman said the Teamsters didn't base their endorsement on what the candidates said on the matter. But all three were asked to discuss their feelings about continuing the Independent Review Board by union officials who were weighing which candidate to back.

On the recordings, Sen. Obama told the union that day that if he was elected, they would see a change from the Bush administration "in terms of how we evaluate these consent decrees." He added that because it is a legal matter under the auspices of the Justice Department, he couldn't guarantee a change, but said he would be "a president with the authority to appoint an attorney general who actually understands the law."

Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards, on the recordings, told the union's 29-member executive board, "I will work with you to help you get out from under the consent decree."

The Obama and Clinton campaigns traded charges over the issue Monday, accusing each other of being inconsistent on positions regarding the oversight board. Sen. Obama's campaign said Sen. Clinton's position was similar to his. A Clinton spokesman denied that.

Sen. Clinton's campaign said Sen. Obama was contradicting earlier promises when he said on ABC's "Good Morning America" Monday that he "wouldn't make a blanket commitment" to the union.

In the 16 years of the oversight board's existence, it has been unusual for politicians to weigh in publicly on what has largely been treated as a legal matter. As the number of Teamsters corruption cases that led to the oversight has declined, the union has been seeking more support from presidential candidates in backing an end to the rules.

The Journal article Monday said that Sen. Clinton had declined to take a stance on the Independent Review Board, which handles allegations of impropriety inside the union. The article quoted John Coli, a top Teamsters official who brokered the endorsement of Sen. Obama, as saying that Sen. Clinton was "wishy-washy" on the issue, while Sen. Obama "was pretty definitive" in his support of rolling back the oversight. Mr. Coli said that Sen. Edwards had also agreed to support the Teamsters' position.

Sen. Obama received the Teamsters endorsement in February, shortly after Sen. Edwards dropped out of the race.

In her remarks to the Teamsters board last year, Sen. Clinton said the union "has really done a tremendous job in turning itself around" and that "at some point the past has to be opened.... You can't go around dragging the ball and chain of the past." She concluded by saying, "So I would be very open to looking at that and to saying, 'What is it we're trying to accomplish here?'"

Obama spokesman Tommy Vietor said the "clear implication" of the Clinton audio recording is that Sen. Clinton favors doing away with the oversight, a position similar to Sen. Obama's.

Clinton campaign spokesman Phil Singer disputed that interpretation. Mr. Singer said Sen. Clinton has consistently said that she is "making no promises about lifting the consent decree."

The contents of the recording of Sen. Clinton's remarks were reported by Politico.com.

The March 2007 meeting wasn't the only time the Teamsters heard from the Democratic candidates about their views on oversight of the union.

Mr. Coli said he spoke with Sen. Obama and his staff a half-dozen times leading up to the Illinois Democrat's decision to side with the Teamsters. Mr. Vietor, the Obama spokesman, said the candidate agreed to support reducing the oversight of the Teamsters in July or August 2007.

In March 2008, the Obama campaign released a statement on its position. That statement, obtained by The Wall Street Journal and verified by the Obama campaign, says "it is time for the Justice Department to begin negotiations with the Teamsters regarding the elimination of the IRB and alternatives that will put the union's future back in the members' hands."

A statement given to The Wall Street Journal by the Obama campaign last week said: "Sen. Obama believes that the IRB has run its course."