Gephardt Aide Under Fire For Threats -- Political Wire

Gephardt Aide Under Fire For Threats

Prominent union leaders accused Rep. Dick Gephardt aide Joyce Aboussie "of threatening retaliation against state employees if two prominent unions assist" Howard Dean in the 2004 Missouri primary, the AP reports. The unions called on Gephardt "to fire Aboussie from the campaign and issue a written retraction of her threats."

According to the Washington Post, Aboussie said "she would send a letter to the Republican leaders of the Missouri House and Senate... calling for the repeal of the governor's executive order providing state workers with collective-bargaining rights" if the unions continued to back Dean.

The New York Times says a Gephardt spokesman "did not deny the union leaders' account of the meeting."

Update: Aboussie apologizes in a statement: "I was not authorized by Dick Gephardt or his campaign to discuss the SEIU or AFSCME endorsements with anyone in Missouri. In a candid discussion of Missouri politics, I expressed my belief that people in Missouri Democratic politics were upset by the SEIU/AFSCME endorsements of Howard Dean. If anyone felt threatened by what I said, I apologize."

December 4, 2003

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Taegan D. Goddard is the creator of Political Wire, a political column updated around the clock with the most interesting news, buzz and commentary.

Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country, including the Washington Post, USA Today, Boston Globe, San Francisco Chronicle, Chicago Tribune, Philadelphia Inquirer and Christian Science Monitor.

This is a personal site and does not necessarily reflect the views of any company, political campaign or advocacy group.

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