Tim Reid, Mirage Casino, Las Vegas
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Bill Clinton today accused the union backing Barack Obama of illegally blocking its workers from backing his wife in an orchestrated campaign of "voter suppression" in Nevada's Democratic caucuses.
Mr Clinton, who spent 90 minutes at the Mirage Casino in Las Vegas today shaking voters' hands, was told by several workers that their union, which has backed Mr Obama, has told them they could not register to vote unless they supported the Illinois senator.
Mr Obama was endorsed by the Culinary Workers' Union, the biggest and most powerful trade organisation in Nevada. It carries particular clout in the casinos along the Las Vegas Strip.
Mr Clinton said: "They [the workers in the union] were told to sign up by Wednesday, and told it had to be for Obama, and if they had not signed up, that they had to wait until November to wait for Hillary." He told The Times: "It's really interesting that on the eve of Martin Luther King day we are seeing voter suppression.
He added: "There is a lot of voter suppression going on. Are you getting this?"
The Clintons maintain that caucus sites opened in nine casinos so that employees did not have to leave work to vote gave Mr Obama an unfair advantage because most cleaners, kitchen staff and bell-hops belong to the Culinary Union.
In recent days there have been allegations of the unions intimidating its largely Hispanic membership to back Mr Obama. Mrs Clinton's victory came with large Hispanic support and after many of the union's members broke with their leadership to back the former First Lady.
Outside the Mirage's caucus site, a vast ballroom near the casino floor, Mr Clinton met two dozen culinary union members who said that they were refusing to bow to pressure and were supporting his wife. Several told the former President that they did not think they could vote because they were not voting for Mr Obama.
Francesca Santiago, a casino porter at the Mirage, and a Puerto Rican, told The Times: "The union told everyone that they had to vote for Obama. They didn't tell us we could vote for Clinton. They told us if we registered, we had to go for Obama. The unions said we had to registering advance for Obama."
A spokesman for the Culinary Workers' Union told The Times: "We made it very clear to all the members that they could caucus for any candidate they wanted to, but that the leadership supported Obama."
But inside the caucus site, there were chaotic scenes, with Mr Obama's union supporters facing off against Mrs Clinton's backers. Many of the former First Lady's supporters had defied their union to back her.
As voters entered the caucus site, having registered, they were being physically pushed and pulled in both directions by Clinton and Obama supporters to join their camps. The noise was deafening as both sides aggressively screamed their candidate's name. One union member supporting Mr Obama said of the workers who had defected to Mrs Clinton: "We are going to deal with them when we get back to our respective hotels." Mr Clinton told a group of workers that it was illegal to stop members voting for his wife.
"They've been telling me that if they didn't sign up for Obama they couldn't caucus," he told the workers. "They can't do that", he added, and urged them to vote.
Mr Clinton's comments came before news of his wife's victory, and would clearly have been part of the campaign's post-vote spin if the former First Lady has been defeated.
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HMMM .... anytime we make progress, we're accused of cheating.... TYPICAL.
Jane Cook, Canterbury, England
obama is a Marxists.....not good for America...
Clinton 2008 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Things were Great when Bill was in the white house.
If you deny that, your not being honest.......
Brad, fredericksburg, USA
I think what Bill Clinton has done for America and part of the world is great, but I also think he does injustice to himself and his legacy by attacking Obama and speaking so harshly of him. He should let his wife speak for herself and her campaign - I thought she wanted to be President??
jon shawn, london,
Sick Willie is such a drama queen! He's always whining about something. I still can't believe that he ever got elected, much less reelected. It doesn't say much for our country!
Ace, Salem, OR
Once more, old Bill Clinton has proven what a hypocrite he really is. Voter suppression is something he should be familiar with as he has kept very silent about media biased and blatant non-coverage of Dr Ron Paul who is running as a candidate for Presidency. Hilary has got all the support she needs including biased media.
Ian, London, UK
Once again Bill Clinton turns to Dirty Tactics, first he accused wildly BARAK OBAMA of telling Fairy Stories and now last night allegations of vote rigging. I would recommend that Bill looks a little closer to home and his own record where TRUTH is concerned! - Hilary is arrogant and is treating this campaign with contempt, she is doing nothing less than acting, tears etc.
AMERICA needs CHANGE & HOPE and only one can UNITE and that is BARACK OBAMA
John B Sheffield, Newton, LA
"What a crock, nobody but nobody knows who you vote for! "
So when you're seen in the Clinton camp at a caucus it means nothing then?
Unions lying to their members is nothing new, as is intimidating them for their own political ends.
Sorry, Linda, but your post reeks of spin.
Tony Green, Peterborough, UK
Keep talking, keep whining that you and Hillary are being victimized. It just shows people who you really are. Keep up the good work.
sc, Dallas, t
As a caucus chair in Las Vegas, everyone knows who you are supporting. All of Hillary's supporters on one side and Obama's on the other. By the way, Hillary got 51 votes and Obama got 34. By caucus math this equals 4 delegates for Hillary and 3 for Obama.
Joe Ullom, Las Vegas, Nv USA
Yes,people do know who you vote for in Nevada, After casting your vote you go into a room and there is a different place for each candidates supporters. You are then required to sit in your candidates area. Those voting for Edwards were very few and later chose to sit in either Clinton or Obamas area.!!!!!!!! Unbelievable but true.
jennifer, NY, NY
Unions using physical and intimidation tactics to push their agenda? Who'd have thought it?
MD, Winnipeg, Canada
Peter, this happens on the Democrat side of the fence too. At least we are somewhat representative as to how the final votes go versus the Republicans that throw all their votes (per state) behind one candidate. That makes them Republicans fight like crazy to take the primary. Have to prepare for that because they will come out equally hard against the Democrat primary winner. You think it's dirty now, wait until the general election gets started. The fur will be flying! I did receive my union's (AFSCME) flyers suggesting Hillary Clinton. They don't pressure though. They suggest. I personally started in the Biden group and ended up in the Edwards group when my group wasn't big enough to get a representative. Elections every so often do make life interesting!
Wes Byrd, Iowa City, Iowa USA
What a crock, nobody but nobody knows who you vote for! Clinton was just trying to cry fowl to get his wife the sympathy votes. Dirty tricks as usual!
Linda Hepworth, San Antonio, TX
I don't agree with the comment above. It is clear that the union was trying to use their numbers instead of a fair, clean fight. In a perfect world, Senator Clinton and Obama have qualities that would make America shine for years; however, I don't believe they'd get along well enough to ever to come each others parter in the race to the presidency.
If Clinton won the Nevada caucuses fair (even with the union's skewed voting tactics for its workers), more power to her.
Bruce Walker, Prosser, Washington
The Clinton's have shown their true colors. When in doubt, accuse your opponent of everything you can think of and hope something negative reasonates with the voters. They are now using some of the same tactics Karl Rove is famous for advancing. Divisive? You haven't even begun to see divisive until Hilary is elected, then God help us all.
Peter Wedlund, Lexington, Kentucky