By KEN RITTER, Associated Press Writer, 17 January 2008
LAS VEGAS – Democrats with ties to Hillary Rodham Clinton failed in court Thursday to prevent casino workers from caucusing at special precincts in Nevada.
“State Democrats have a First Amendment right to association, to assemble and to set their own rules,” Mahan said.
The state teachers union, which has ties to Clinton, brought the suit against the special precincts shortly after local 226 of the Culinary Workers Union endorsed Obama for the Democratic nomination. The union is the largest in Nevada, with 60,000 members. The Clinton campaign said it was not involved in the suit.
But the judge said, “We aren‘t voting here, we‘re caucusing. That‘s something that parties decide.”
The Democratic National Committee ratified the state party‘s rules in August.
Opponents of the strip precincts said they could be more valuable in the delegate count than some sparsely populated counties, giving them too much clout. The Culinary Union said the suit was an attempt to disenfranchise its members. “Backers of Hillary Clinton are suing in court to take away our right to vote in the caucuses,” a union flier said.