In 2004 I had a the great pleasure of being posted to Las Vegas by the Kerry Campaign to work in the Nevada Democratic HQ as I speak English and Spanish. Here is my original post on DKos as I packed my bags in Sydney Australia and head to Las Vegas.

This time allowed me to meet and work with many key Nevada politicians including Shelley Berkley, Harry and Rory Reid, Ruben Kihuen and many others. We worked very closely with all the unions and union leaders. Therefore, I got a very first-hand training of how Las Vegas and Nevada politics work. Harry Reid was also running for re-election, and his office was right next to ours.

During this time I broke the Rethug Voter Registration Scandal on DKos in a diary entitled:Thousands of Nevada Dem Voter Registrations Destroyed by Repugs.  This was my first diary ever on the Rec List and the fall out from that scandal resonated throughout Nevada and adjacent states.

So with this knowledge I am providing an analysis of why I feel Hillary will do well in Nevada and probably win the caucuses by 2-3%.  I am also a Hillary partisan, as most Kossacks will be aware.

On the eve of the Iowa Caucus with the New Hampshire primary right behind, Hillary Clinton has amassed a mammoth list of Democratic and Progressive Forces who have endorsed her epic and historic run for president.

With the support of unions with memberships totaling over 5.5 million workers, Hillary Clinton goes into the Primaries with the largest number of endorsements this early in any hotly contested primary season in the history of presidential elections in the United States of America.

Endorsements now include, 1 former Vice-President, 10 Senators, 67 members of the House of Representatives, 8 Governors, 25 other statewide officials, 82 State Senators, 175 State Representatives, 100 Mayors, 47 former senior office-holders and 27 major celebrity endorsements and 22 major newspapers (18 in New Hampshire alone) (see full list below).

Celebrate more under the fold.

This breaking diary started when Rudi was taken to hospital but in the meantime right next door near Gisbourne, New Zealand, they have had a 6.8 quake as well (see more on quake underneath Rudi story)

Giuliani taken to hospital with flu-like symptoms

(CNN) -- Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani was taken to a hospital in St. Louis, Missouri, with flu-like symptoms and is spending the night there, a Giuliani spokesman confirmed to CNN early Thursday.

The CNN breaking statement goes on to add that Giuliani "had been campaigning in Missouri on Wednesday -- became ill and then felt worse after his plane took off to return to New York".

It then continues that Giuliani "decided to return to the airport, consulted his personal physician, and then went to Barnes-Jewish Hospital, where he was admitted."

LINK

Updates as story unfolds.

An interesting situation has developed this evening concerning the Georgia Attorney General.

The tantalising mystery unfolds below the fold:

With the coveted endorsement of Iowa's Des Moines Register and Vinton Eagle and with the support of unions with memberships totaling 5,177,500 workers, Hillary Clinton goes into the Primaries with the largest number of endorsements this early in any hotly contested primary season in the history of presidential elections in the United States of America.

Endorsements now include, 1 former Vice-President, 9 Senators, 65 members of the House of Representatives, 8 Governors, 21 other statewide officials, 81 State Senators, 171 State Representatives, 90 Mayors, 42 former senior office-holders and 25 major celebrity endorsements (see full list below).

In addition to this, Hillary has put together impressive state coalition in the second tier of primary states.

Celebrate more under the fold.

With the endorsements of Service Employees International Union Local 1199 (300,000 members), the Service Employees International Union Local 32BJ (100,000 members) and the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (100,000) members, Hillary has now amassed a grand total of 5,177,500 in worker membership of unions endorsing her historical candidacy for President of the USA.  This is millions of boots on the ground across the USA to elect Hillary.

This is addition to the great news today that Iowa Congressmen Leonard Boswell has endorsed Hillary as well as Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski endorses Clinton and 11 New Hampshire Newspapers.

Can our lady fight back or what?  With 5 million workers, you bet she can!!

Celebrate below the fold.

With the endorsements of the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU), and the Office and Professional Employees Union (OPEIU), Hillary now has the endorsements of Unions totaling 4,561,500 members.  Over 4.5 million workers to help Hillary to boldly fight in her campaign to be the first woman president in USA history.

Hillary is truly solidifying her status of the candidate of the workers and the descamisados.

Hillary has had a great few weeks with endorsements.

She has now crossed the 4 million mark in members from unions endorsing her with the endorsement of the 1.4 million American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. That's well over 4 million pairs of boots of our nation's great worker's on the ground fighting hard for Hillary.

UNIONS
American Federation of Teachers (1,400,000)
International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers (100,000)
Public Employees Federation (57,000)
National Association of Letter Carriers (300,000)
Transportation Communications Union (65,000)
International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (700,000)
United Transport Union (125,000)
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) (1,400,000)
International Union of Operating Engineers Local 324 (Michigan)
United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1500 (New York)
Dolores Huerta (United Farm Workers Leader)

Total Members 4,147,000

Early October has been another great period for Senator Clinton in both the polls but especially in picking up another swathe of endorsements from committed, dedicated and knowledgeable Democrat and Progressive Leaders around the USA.  Here are some of the highlights.

This period was led by key endorsements from Senator George McGovern, Progressive Leader Rob Reiner, and Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums.

Acting on behalf of its more than 1.4 million members, the executive council of the American Federation of Teachers today endorsed Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination for president, citing her proven ability to advance our nation’s key priorities, and her bold plans for a stronger America.

This now swells the ranks of members of unions endorsing Hillary to 2,747,000 of our nation's finest workers; pushing her clearly way out front in terms of total number of endorsing unions and total number of union members.

Here is the list of union support:

UNIONS
American Federation of Teachers (1,400,000)
International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers (100,000)
Public Employees Federation (57,000)
National Association of Letter Carriers (300,000)
Transportation Communications Union (65,000)
International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (700,000)
United Transport Union (125,000)
International Union of Operating Engineers Local 324 (Michigan)
United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1500 (New York)
Dolores Huerta (United Farm Workers Leader)

Hillary has chalked up her sixth major union endorsement by adding the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers, which include 100,000 workers.  This brings her total membership number of approximately 1.35 million members for unions endorsing the New York Senator.  Union support is now as follows:

I am sitting in today for Lineatus, who is out banding raptors.  Lineatus asked me to write a diary about our Bird Explorers Project.  This is a conservation and environmental education project created by my partner, Polish Chef, and I to promote birds and wildlife generally through digital photography with a particular focus on endangered species and species in very remote areas.  Allow me to start at the beginning.

Critically Endangered Black Stilt, South Island, New Zealand

Hillary Clinton has just received the endorsement of the Public Employees Federation (PEF). The PEF is a union representing 57,000 professional, scientific, and technical New York State state employees and a member of the AFL-CIO.

She now is the lead candidate in the number of union endorsements with 5 unions plus two locals for a total of approximately 1.25 million workers.  

These include:

UNIONS
Public Employees Federation (57,000)
National Association of Letter Carriers (300,000)
Transportation Communications Union (65,000)
International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (700,000)
United Transport Union (125,000)
International Union of Operating Engineers Local 324 (Michigan)
United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1500 (New York)
Dolores Huerta (United Farm Workers Leader)

Here is the PEF endorsement letter:

The The Detroit Free Press has just published an exclusive that Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow will endorse Hillary Clinton Saturday afternoon.

The last two weeks have been great for Hillary with a slough of new endorsements from elected Democratic and Progressive officials around the country from town mayors to senators bringing her number of endorsements to 345 sitting elected Democratic leaders.  In addition she has the support of 4 major unions, 2 locals and a key union activist bringing her union total to around 1.2 million union members (active and retired); 19 key former elected officials, and 17 other persons of note.

Here are some highlights.

The National Association of Letter Carriers plans to announce its presidential endorsement of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton at an 11 a.m. press conference at its Washington headquarters today.

   Clinton also has been endorsed by the United Transportation Union and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.

   Earlier this summer, the AFL-CIO’s member unions failed to reach a consensus agreement on backing one candidate. Likewise, the Change to Win Federation of seven unions—including the Teamsters—is not backing one candidate.

   As a result, unions have been splitting their support among Democratic hopefuls.

The nation of Belgium is facing one of its greatest crises in its 170+ year history. Without a real Government since June and bitterly torn in twain between French-speaking Wallonia and Dutch-speaking Flanders, the demise of the nation of Belgium is now being openly debated throughout the country.

Born in 1830 in a largely Catholic-led revolt against Dutch rule within the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, Belgium was legally solidified in the 1839 Treaty of London. Interestingly it was the German violation of the Treaty of London through their invasion of neutral Belgium which was the legal trigger that led the British  to declare war on Germany in 1914 resulting in part in WWI.

Here is the updated state-by-state master list of elected Democrats and other key people supporting Hillary Clinton for President. This is being done to make an easy-to-use resource for Democrats Abroad for Hillary, but I thought I would share it with all of you as well.  

The list (in order of inclusion by state) includes US Senators (7), US Representatives (53), Governors (4) and other significant statewide office holders (11), State Senators (50)and State Representatives (121) and mayors (67). That is over 300 senior elected Democratic state and federal officials many of whom are front line progressives who have endorsed Hillary's candidacy very early in the primary campaign. And particularly on the state and mayoral level, these include many new Democratic leaders who were ushered in the 2006 blue wave in which many Kossacks were so active.

That is followed by any former office holders of note (17).  I have also included Unions (2 unions, 2 union locals and 1 union leader) and other interesting persons (15).  I have not included county and sub-county officials as the data collecting for that is too difficult, and the list would be too long.