"Clinton claims union intimidation by Obama backers"

Newsday:

ELKO, Nev.--Hillary Rodham Clinton spent her final day of campaigning in Nevada launching blistering attacks on Barack Obama, culminating in a charge that his most powerful union backer is intimidating members who support her.

Speaking to supporters in this mile-high mining town, Clinton accused Obama's organizers from the 60,000-member Culinary Workers Union Local 226 of seeking to keep those in the union who support her from participating in Saturday's caucuses.

"We know there are some unions in the South who are telling people who to caucus for and if they're not going to caucus for who they choose, don't come at all," said Clinton, who offered no direct evidence. She cited press accounts, a phone-in caller to a local radio show, blogs and "anecdotes" from her campaign workers.

"I'm afraid some people may feel that they can't come or can't support the candidate of their choice," said Clinton, who challenged Obama and John Edwards to pledge their union supporters wouldn't intimidate members. "I don't think that's right, I don't think that's the American way."

"There's absolutely no evidence," said union spokesman Chris Bohner, citing a Las Vegas Sun newspaper investigation that found no proof of coercion. "This is a tactic that many anti-union companies use against unions to baselessly accuse them of intimidation."

Clinton also intensified her criticism of the caucus process itself, claiming that nine union-stronghold caucus sites in casinos on the Las Vegas strip are unfairly weighted to give Obama an advantage.

The union, which endorsed Obama hours after Clinton won the Jan. 8 New Hampshire primary, is a major asset for Obama because it can flood casino-based polling sites with his supporters.

Clinton's surrogates sued unsuccessfully to halt balloting, charging the "at-large" casino sites violated the one-person, one-vote rule by apportioning too many delegates to union strongholds.

For his part, Obama has accused Clinton of distorting his Social Security proposals in a flier to Nevada Democrats.

As Clinton and Obama traded accusations, their operatives intensified efforts to mobilize supporters, particularly Hispanics, to attend the caucuses. Both sides admit it's impossible to predict a winner.

"Caucuses are notoriously hard to predict and turnout is the big unknown, the biggest wild card," said Clinton spokesman Howard Wolfson.

No caucus has ever been quite as unpredictable as Nevada's: In 2004, only 9,000 Democrats participated. Estimates this year range from 20,000 to 120,000.

Nevada is a vital, if not essential, prize for both candidates. An Obama win would blunt Clinton's upset victory in New Hampshire and help erode her leads in big Feb. 5 states, especially neighboring California.

A Clinton victory would salve the pain of a possible loss next week in South Carolina, where Obama enjoys a double-digit lead buoyed by overwhelming support among black voters.

Both campaigns are fighting hard in Nevada, though neither has invested the tens of millions poured into the first two contests, say sources in both camps.

Clinton leads Obama, 41 percent to 32 percent, according to a poll this week of likely caucusgoers by the Las Vegas Review Journal. She has an advantage over Obama among Hispanics, women and older Nevadans.

That advantage might be erased by union muscle. Clinton strategist Mark Penn said the culinary workers' endorsement gives Obama a 5-point bump not captured by polling.

Howie P.S.: This article in the Rolling Stone explores the charges by the Clinton campaign.