Casino workers get to participate in the Nevada Caucuses after all.

A union with ties to Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton failed in court Thursday to block the state party's plans to hold caucuses at special precincts inside casinos on the Las Vegas Strip.

The ruling by U.S. District Judge James Mahan was presumed to be a boost for rival Barack Obama in Saturdays Democratic presidential caucuses because he has been endorsed by the union representing many of the shift workers who will be able to use the precincts.

''State Democrats have a First Amendment right to association, to assemble and to set their own rules,'' Mahan said.

Nevada's Democratic Party approved creation of the precincts to make it easier for housekeepers, waitresses and bellhops to caucus during the day near work rather than have to do so in their neighborhoods.

The state teachers union, which has ties to Clinton, brought the lawsuit against the special precincts 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.

The Clinton camp had no problem with the rules until the largest union of casino worker endorsed Barack Obama. Then they quickly went to work to try to shut out that union's members. So much for letting every vote count.

Fortunatley a judge put an end to that strategy.

Posted by: Greg at 11:15 PM | Comments (9) | Add Comment
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