- [AFSCME's] Take Back Ohio program has been in the works for two years and has already involved the participation of more than 10 percent of AFSCME Ohio's 120,000 members. AFSCME's goal is to get 80 percent of AFSCME's members registered, 80 percent of those registered to say they support Kerry, and 80 percent of those who say they support Kerry to actually vote.
More than 2,000 AFSCME members have already knocked on doors. (Overall, at least 5,000 AFL-CIO members have done the same.) More than 570,00 pieces of mail have been sent; more than 240,000 leaflets were distributed at workplaces.
How does this compare to what organized labor did in Ohio in 2000?
"There is no comparison," says Joseph P. Rugola, an AFSCME international vice president heading GOTV operations in Ohio. " In 2000, You could measure the total of activists in the hundreds."
Ohio AFL-CIO Bill Burga has spent the better part of three years putting this machine together.
The AFL-CIO's efforts don't include America Coming Together's top-secret targeting of middle-of-the-vine fruit. With those weapons in their arsenal, no one wonder the Dems are at least somewhat confident that if it's neck-and-neck in the state on election day, they have a good chance to win.
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