How did SEIU get to this place? After hearing on Monday from candidates who spoke to delegates at a conference in Washington, D.C, a straw poll was taken of delegates. John Edwards had the most support. But, the executive board, then, met to consider the matter, per the internal process in the union.

 Board members are going to go back to their locals to discuss the status of the process and get feedback.  The executive board will meet again on Monday, with representatives of the top three candidates, and could make an endorsement at that time or afterwards.

  One interesting question: how does this decision influence other unions in the Change To Win federation, which has a convention next week in Chicago right after the SEIU board meeting? The Carpenters have already endorsed John Edwards; I still believe UNITE-HERE will follow suit fairly soon. I suspect an SEIU endorsement leading into the CTW convention next week might have influenced at the very least the timing, if not the actual decision, on endorsements coming from the other CTW unions: the Teamsters; United Food & Commercial Workers; and the Laborers.

  For the most recent scorecard on labor’s endorsements, you can read my most recent diary here, which links to previous ruminations.

UPDATED: I just spoke to someone in the know. As this person puts it, the straw poll was very clear–"there was an adequately large gap between first (edwards) and the rest of the pack" and "there is no less chance that the union will be with Edwards in a week or two than there was today." I also should have made clear what maybe is obvious–the top three under consideration are Edwards, Obama and Clinton.