Update: The Iron Workers did not endorse Daylin Leach and are instead supporting state Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-Phila).
Business Manager Sam Mallone said he had mistakenly authorized a press release about Leach.
“I thought it was a different call for a different guy,” Malone told PoliticsPA. “I was just passing through the office and got asked about it quickly.”
Was the Leach campaign being disingenuous to claim the endorsement?
“No, no, it was my mistake,” Malone said.
By far, Boyle has attracted the most support from building trades unions in the race for Congress in PA-13. In a subsequent letter from Malone that was forwarded to PoliticsPA he wrote, “Brendan is the clear choice for us. His passion for fighting for working families in this troubling economic time makes him the best candidate. We put our full support and backing behind Brendan.”
Leach Campaign Manager Aren Platt said the endorsement press release had been thoroughly vetted with the Iron Workers before it was distributed.
“On Friday November 1, the Senator talked with union President Ed Penna. On Wednesday November 6, someone from our campaign talked with Sam Malone to confirm and to get a quote for the press release.”
“At the end of the day, in politics all we have is our word. If they are going to break their word, that shows who they are.”
Here is the earlier version of the story:
State Senator Daylin Leach (D-Montgomery/Delaware) received an endorsement today in his race for PA’s 13th district. The Iron Workers Local 405 is backing Leach’s candidacy in the Democratic primary in the election to replace retiring Congresswoman (and gubernatorial candidate) Allyson Schwartz.
“It is with great pride that the Ironworkers Local 405 endorses Daylin Leach for Congress,” said Sam Malone, the Business Manager for the Iron Workers in a Leach campaign press release. “Daylin has demonstrated that he will always fight to grow the middle class and that’s exactly what we need in Congress.”
“I am thrilled to have the endorsement of the Iron Workers Local 405,” Leach said. “I have worked with Sam and the Iron Workers on major building projects across Southeastern Pennsylvania – I’m proud of the jobs we have worked to create together. In Congress, I will work to make sure that our Federal government invests in major building and infrastructure projects, protects the right to collectively bargain for every American, and make it easier for workers to organize for fair pay and safe working conditions.”
The support of the labor union should aid Leach’s case that he is the most progressive candidate in the Democratic primary. The State Senator has often expressed pride in the fact that he is portrayed as a liberal and he has frequently used funny and unconventional online videos to get his progressive message across.
Other Democratic candidates in the race include former Congresswoman Marjorie Margolies, State Rep. Brendan Boyle, and physician/activist Valerie Arkoosh.
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12 Responses
Carl, I am just a little person, a citizen who is concerned about economic and social justice, who can spot a fraud a mile away. That fraud is Daylin Leach.
Go ahead, go fact check the blog. There are hyperlinks posted. You are just a shill for Leach who will only believe what you want to hear, rather than the whole truth.
“Politics Is Serious Business, We Need A Congressperson, Not A Clown”
-Liberals Against Leach
Liberals Against Leach – As if your handle doesn’t give it away, your characterization of Daylin’s view on LGBT rights as “myopic” displays your obvious partiality toward either the Republican candidates or one of Daylin’s primary challengers.
I have a great deal of respect for each of the candidates running for that seat, but I defy you to point out one that has been more out front on LGBT issues than Daylin.
If you are, indeed, representative of an actual organization, you should probably have your intern do a little more research before (s)he posts your statements.
Ugh, figures, Dutch Laroo would never get union support because he is truly a moderate Republican at heart. And I’ve met Aren Platt, he seems like a clueless dum-dum.
PS: Check out this blog post about how Dutch Laroo really doesn’t care much about LGBT issues.
http://liberalsagainstleach.wordpress.com/2013/11/06/daylin-leach-is-a-fraud-on-lgbt-issues/
“Politics Is Serious Business, We Need A Congressperson, Not A Clown”
-Liberals Against Leach
I’m not sure where my vote’s going in the primary, but to imply that Arkoosh isn’t up for the job just because she hasn’t been in elected office before is silly. Abraham Lincoln served one term in the Illinois State House before being elected President, and clearly that worked out.
I’m not saying Arkoosh is Lincoln, clearly, but the idea that somehow you have to have served in office before being elected to office is a bit of circular logic.
To Observer: I can’t help but believe that you have mis-identified the culprit behind the 405’s “mistake.”
I see Bob Brady’s greasy hands all over this retraction – bringing his union puppets back in line, with the usual threats and promises. As for Margolies – look at her donors, ALL longtime Clinton backers. As for somebody being an “activist” – what the heck does that mean? Ever run for office – EVER? Unless you have done that somewhere along the line, and put yourself on the line, all the “activism” in the world doesn’t qualify you to claim a sure seat in Congress. Even now, the only ones you see out stumping (other than private fundraisers) are Leach and, to his credit, Boyle. We want a real politician for this seat, not another dilettante.
If this is how effective they are at communicating, leach is better off without them. Wonder how they communicate at non union worksites? No backstory there.
Daylin Leach is by far the best candidate—a real Democrat—not a puppet for corporate interests like the 2 women in this race.
How do you accidentally endorse one guy when you meant to endorse the other? How many Daylins are there that he could have looked at the quote and approved it thinking it was someone else? There is a really juicy backstory here and I bet we never hear it.
I’m a Leach supporter too, but I think Observer is mistaken to say Margolies is “totally controlled by the Clinton Machine.” Hillary has been in the Philly area rather frequently, with the Liberty Medal ceremony and the Women’s Conference. Has she even mentioned Margolies, even as she praised Allyson Schwartz? No. And this is her daughter’s mother-in-law, for crying out loud.
Margolies clearly doesn’t have the support of the Clintons. Nor should she. The Clintons are smart — they probably support Daylin too!
I am Leach supporter and am looking forward to seeing him in Congress. But Bashing Val Arkoosh for taking part in the Democratic process after she has long been a Democratic activist is completely classless. Get a life ‘observer.’ Supporting one person does not have to mean denigrating everyone else. She has done nothing to deserve that sort of treatment.
Let’s see. One is someone totally controlled by the Clinton Machine, and hasn’t done anything for 20 years. Another is joined at the hip with Bob Brady, whose “leadership” has given us 2 red state houses and the worst gerrymandering in the country. The third has never gotten elected to anything, but must have a giant ego to think she can just Go To Congress because she has money. I’ll take Leach over the others, any day.