The endorsement of the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) is a political plum, as the union works harder to put out political fires for its candidate harder than any other.

Firefighters are constant companions when a candidate is endorsed, showing up at events and providing cover from the some of the most well-regarded of all public employees. Bill Clinton, Al Gore and John Kerry relied heavily on IAFF members, especially in red states, where the union is well organized.

This year, the 290,000-member IAFF had no great taste for Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama as candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination this year -- thee union endorsed Connecticut Senator Chris Dodd early on, while giving a warm nod to Delaware Senator Joe Biden.

On Thursday, however, the firefighters finally signed on with the Obama campaign, officially endorsing the presumptive nominee at its convention in Las Vegas. Obama addressed the firefighters via a video message.

But Biden was at the convention, addressing the crowd of 3,500 on Obama's behalf -- and sounding very much like a vice-presidential running mate might.

Biden is now somewhere on most short lists of prospective vice-presidential running mates for Obama. But there was little doubt that he ranked at or near the top of the IAFF list of people they would like to see on the Democratic ticket.

The firefighters cheered wildly as Biden told them that, "Barack Obama will be the best friend fire fighters have ever had in the White House. He comes from your ethic. He understands the middle class is shrinking and that you are the middle class. He understands that labor is the reason there is a middle class. Barack Obama respects you. You say ‘what the hell? Everybody respects us.' Wrong."

"Don't tell me (the Bush-Cheney) administration respects you. Don't tell me Barack Obama's opponent respects you. Don't take away my collective bargaining rights and tell me you respect me. Don't tell me you respect me," Biden shouted in a speech that brought the delegates to their feet again and again.

Making the link that a senior senator can after years of working with a union, Biden vouched for Obama.

"We've fought and succeeded (to keep you out of Social Security). We've done it together. In every instance, Barack Obama has voted with us," Biden said. "You guys have... stuck with me. I'm here to tell you that Barack Obama will stick with you."

Like many unions, IAFF comes to Obama late in the game, and with a little uncertainty -- rooted less in specific concerns about issues (Obama's labor record is generally good, especially on issues of concern to public employees) than in a lack of familiarity.

Biden did not say as much. But it was reasonably clear that, were he on the ticket, the comfort level would rise dramatically.

The would probably be true of an Obama-Clinton ticket, or a number of other variations.

But the fact that Biden was the surrogate drawing the cheers from the firefighters adds a little muscle to the argument that he is under serious consideration as the Obama camp readies its most important announcement.

Comments (11)

1. It's too bad Biden was one of the proponents of the so-called Bankruptcy Reform bill, a piece of draconian legislation that sticks it to anyone unfortunate enough to go broke, and hardly shows empathy for the middle class. (Pure coincidence that a major credit-card processing company is based in his state of Delaware.) Don't tell me you respect the middle class, Joe.

   Posted by Citizen54 at 08/16/2008 @ 1:22pm

2. By the way, why is nobody talking about whom Governor Blagojevich (D-IL) might select to replace Obama when he wins the election?

   After careful consideration, I can tell you what Senator Obama will N OT do: He will not choose Joseph Biden (D-DE) or Evan Bayh (D-IN) or any other currently sitting Democratic senator. We have a majority to uphold and expand, not diminish. Get yer heads outta yer arses and THINK. If I can do it, and I'm just an observer, why can't you professionals?

   Posted by nancylizza at 08/16/2008 @ 2:13pm

3. Here's a math problem for "2Happy" - and for anybody else who's game.

   Calculate the amount of money contributed to candidates for public office by members of IAFF, AFSCME, SEIU, and the AFT.

   Now divide this amount by the number of working people these organizations represent.

   What do you get? A staggering sum? I predict that you will get an amount so small that it will make "2Happy" sneeze.

   The Realtors' and Big Pharma lobbies, of course, are of a different league altogether, since they represent a lot of investors in addition to workers.

   ***

   "Citizen54" makes some excellent points. Credit-card companies: Now, THERE'S a lobby that's loaded with some serious lucre. Alas, no politician with a career as long and successful as Biden's can claim to have kept very many principles intact.

   My preferred Vice President would still be Bill Richardson, but you know I'll settle for Joe Biden. This is no time to be picky.

   Posted by JakobFabian at 08/16/2008 @ 2:51pm

4. "non-partisan"? I report, you decide! Posted by 2HAPPY at 08/16/2008 @ 2:09pm

   Hmm. Who did they endorse before Kerry? Just curious. Just because an organization has endorsed two Democratic Presidential Elects in the past two elections doesn't make an organization partisan Happy. Have you thought that maybe the reason they endorsed them s because those two people would have best served their union? You have to look at it this way. They can be non-partisan but at the same time, what union would ever back a Republican who wants to dismantle unions?

   Posted by Cccomfo1 at 08/16/2008 @ 3:03pm

5. Posted by 2HAPPY at 08/16/2008 @ 5:07pm

   Well if a Republican stepped up who didn't want to knock them down they could endorse him. That's the hole. So find a Republican who doesn't want to destroy them and that's a Republican they could support. Being bi-partisan means you are talking about certain issues not parties. They aren't endorsing Demo's because they are Demo's, they are voting Demo's because they support the union. You can be bi-partisan but usually endorse one party. It just depends on how you view your support.

   Posted by Cccomfo1 at 08/16/2008 @ 5:20pm

6. Posted by 2HAPPY at 08/16/2008 @ 5:07pm

   Actually I am doubtful of that. If you consider union membership amounts. If you have a union of 290,000 members and each person contributes just 2 dollars, thats almost 600,000 dollars. So the union as a whole may contribute say 2 million dollars to a candidate which for a union the size of the IAFF is only 6 dollars a person.

   20 million = 68 a person.

   200 million = 689 a person

   Those aren't staggering sums per person. Where as you have a company that contribute 200 million to a candidate it's only coming from the companies coffers. That's why union contributions can be huge because spread over each member the sum per person isn't very much. How much money has the IAFF contributed to Obama? I bet it's not very much per person.

   Posted by Cccomfo1 at 08/16/2008 @ 5:30pm

7. Stop digging! Posted by 2HAPPY at 08/16/2008 @ 5:25pm

   It isn't digging Happy. It's making sense. To be partisan in the sense you are talking about is to support only one party. If you aren't supporting a party but just the candidate who best supports your union then you are not being partisan.

   Posted by Cccomfo1 at 08/16/2008 @ 5:33pm

8. two years, ten months, and twelve days.

   Posted by frosty zoom at 08/17/2008 @ 12:27am

9. Biden would always be one gaffe away from embarrassing Obama and hurting his chances of winning.

   Why in the world would you want that, John Nichols?

   Posted by Metteyya at 08/18/2008 @ 6:30pm

10. looks like we will know who the VP pick will be tomorrow morning!

    Posted by Metteyya at 08/18/2008 @ 7:09pm

11. At least according to Drudge we will know tomorrow morning or Wednesday by the latest.

    Posted by Metteyya at 08/18/2008 @ 8:13pm