Barack Obama, the U.S. Democratic Party's presumed presidential
nominee, has won the endorsement of one of the country's largest
teachers' unions.
Members of the American Federation of
Teachers, meeting Sunday in Chicago, voted to urge all of the
union's more than one million members to support Obama in the U.S.
general election in November.
Obama, a U.S. senator from
Illinois, spoke by satellite to the union delegates afterwards to thank
them for their support and discuss his education policy. He said
current U.S. government policy on primary education, the so-called "No
Child Left Behind" program, has been hampered by inadequate funding,
and he also called for greater attention to special education programs
aimed at helping children with developmental difficulties.
Obama
also is due to address the National Council of La Raza, a leading
Hispanic civil-rights group, later Sunday. His presumed Republican
opponent, Senator John McCain, will travel to San Diego, California, to
address the same group on Monday.
The candidates' speeches to
the La Raza convention will mark the third time in three weeks both men
havbe addressed major Hispanic organizations. Political analysts say
Hispanic voters could play a pivotal role in this year's presidential
contest.
Some information for this report was provided by Reuters.
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