Amazing! But I only caught on to the incredibly low percentage turnout at the Iowa caucus when the Daily Howler (see below) talked about it in early December. You NEVER read the turnout figures or predictions in percentage terms (what will it be, 1-2% of registered voters) in the mainstream press.

The anti-democracy of caucuses is interesting. Interested in talking about it, and in killing off the bad idea?

Daily Howler reference: http://dailyhowler.com/dh120607.shtml

I would be interested, so far, I have seen no evidence of this.  I don't understand how the union would be able to prevent anyone from going to the cacus.  Other than someone the union magically became managment by placing the word "boss" after the word "union"

The LV Sun sums up their investigation.  

Is the union pushing their program hard, yes.  When I was a union steward at UCLA, I can tell you I had a lot of heated arguments with fellow members before a strike, but I can tell you I never had any power over them.

That's what unions DO, of course. Get their members fired.

< / snark>

Wow, naivete showing. Here's a current headline:

GM To Offer Buyouts To 46,000 More UAW Members - 01/18/08

General Motors is expecting low auto sales this year and in anticipation 46,000 workers will be eligible for early retirement buyouts. If the trend continues, the company has not been shy about suggesting capacity could be cut resulting in more plant closures. The company is finalizing details with the United Auto Workers.

So that's on who gets retired early and who does not. Specifically on 'getting fired' with the help of a union, here are more relevant headlines:

Fired Catfish Workers Start Their Own Union

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1 295/is_5_63/ai_54468919

After Wildcat Strike Against Concessions, Freightliner Workers Fight for Their Jobs

http://www.labornotes.org/node/1454

Corrupt Officials Scatter, Workers Say, "Not Wanted"

http://www.fightbacknews.org/2001fall/74 3scatter.htm

And the following is relevant because many Hispanic workers' understandings of the power of union officials is derived from experience and stories from Mexico:

Mexico faces job drain of its own

http://www.thehawkeye.com/Story/Mexico_j ob_drain_010208

When Jose Enrique Morales, 35, was hired at the Johnson Controls plant in Puebla six years ago, he was unfamiliar with such details. He thought his life had turned around. He was working for a foreign company in the auto industry, which is considered a step up by most Mexican workers. And he liked training new employees.

Morales worked at a large, modern-looking plant, one of 90 parts supply firms that serve a Volkswagen facility nearby.

But after a few years at Johnson Controls, Morales noticed that his pay and benefits were barely growing. Yet he did not speak up. "I am not a man of words. I am a patient man," he explained.

Then last June he went to a union meeting where he and others raised some questions: Why hadn't they seen their contract? Why do they rarely see union officials? Why haven't they received better pay increases?

These issues were on their minds because they had been talking about forming an independent union at the plant.

That day his colleagues joked that he would be fired soon.

A month later that's exactly what happened to Morales and five others who spoke up. Morales and some of the fired workers say they were told by a company official that they had been let go at the union's request. . . .

I believe there are roughly 70,000 Jews in Nevada.

I read an article in the LV Sun the other day where they talked with some of the rabbis.  The general attitude seemed to be that lots of people get screwed by the caucus every year and can't attend, this year it's our turn, oh well!  This might be a sign of a good attitude or it might just be that we've never had a serious problem with the franchise in this country and thus have less of an axe to grind.

Of course, it's only a fraction of Jews who are observant and can't caucus on Saturday.  The article said that at least some of them are trying to convince the less observant Jews to caucus in their place so their vote will still count.