AFL-CIO ATM? WTF?

Something interesting happened in Arkansas this week. An incumbent US Senator barely squeaked to a runoff win, despite having a hefty initial fundraising advantage and the support of a lot of the Democratic establishment (including the not-so-tacit-support of the state party, and the anything-but-tacit support of a certain former President from Arkansas).

That it was even close, that it even forced a runoff at all, is a testament to the power of two powerful groups that are, lately, anything but establishment. Lincoln’s opponent, Bill Halter, was heavily supported by progressive organizations, like MoveOn, and by organized labor.

Unions had every reason in the world to support Halter, and even more reasons to oppose Lincoln. She was second only to perhaps Joe Lieberman when it came to hijacking the health care bill, and had spent the better part of two years doing everything she could to keep the Employee Free Choice Act from even getting a vote. So, the AFL-CIO did exactly what it should have done – they invested in Halter, to the tune of millions of dollars in advertising, and more importantly, on-the-ground organizing.

And they were vilified for doing it.

Lincoln and her Democratic surrogates attacked organized labor, playing the hackneyed “special interests” card every time they opened their mouths. By the end, the Democratic primary looked an awful lot like a typical general election, with one candidate backed by union money (Halter) trading shots with a candidate backed by Chamber of Commerce money (Lincoln).

In the end, Halter came up short, by a mere 10,000 votes or so. And far from making peace, it looks like Lincoln’s friends are more interested in gloating. An unnamed White House source said:

Organized labor just flushed $10 million of their members’ money down the toilet on a pointless exercise. If even half that total had been well-targeted and applied in key House races across this country, that could have made a real difference in November.

More on that one in a second.

Senator Chuck Schumer, a guy I normally like, congratulated Lincoln on her win, and for, “[f]ighting Wall Street with one hand, unions with the other.”

And Senator Bob Menendez, who chairs the DSCC, put out a memo patting Lincoln on the back as well, saying in part:

Tonight Arkansas Democrats nominated Blanche Lincoln, a proven independent voice for her state.  In this race Blanche took on powerful special interests in Washington and won.

So my question is this: When did our party leadership in DC decide that organized labor was the enemy, to be excoriated during an election and mocked afterward?

Well, it was probably around the same time that organized labor decided to make it abundantly clear that they are not the lapdog of the Democratic establishment, there to open up their checkbook every couple of years and shut up when Democratic leaders sell them to the likes of Joe Lieberman on issues like a public option and EFCA.

Despite what the DC Democratic establishment might believe, labor isn’t there to be their personal campaign ATM machine. They’ve got a membership to look out for, and when the interests of that membership collide with the actions of the party in power, then labor’s choice is clear, as it was in Lincoln vs. Halter.

Let’s go back to our unnamed White House official again:

Organized labor just flushed $10 million of their members’ money down the toilet on a pointless exercise. If even half that total had been well-targeted and applied in key House races across this country, that could have made a real difference in November. [Emphasis added.]

Oh, well that explains it. Democrats still want your money, organized labor, as long as they get the right to tell you where to spend it.

I should also note that President Obama’s record on looking out for working people is good. His heart’s in the right place. But he ought to have a stern talking-to with some of his staff, who are clearly still a little power-drunk.

Personally, I like the new assertiveness out of the unions. Democrats shouldn’t get to take labor’s support for granted. The AFL-CIO ought to pick and choose which races they want to support, based on the principles of the candidates. I doubt we’ll see many, if any, examples where labor would support a Republican over a Democrat, but the AFL-CIO has every right in the world to support one Democrat over another in a primary. They should exercise that right whenever and wherever they choose.

And Schumer, Menendez, and certain unnamed White House sources should probably learn to play nice, because when you get right down to it, the AFL-CIO is holding better cards than they are.

For example, Bob Menendez and the DSCC have taken nearly half a million dollars in union money in  just the past twelve months. (They spent $90,000 on Lincoln’s race, by the way.) I don’t know about you, but if I were the AFL-CIO, I might be asking for my money back.


Posted

in

,

by

Comments

6 responses to “AFL-CIO ATM? WTF?”

  1. Mel Avatar

    Just a reminder, if you don’t want your comment to get stuck in moderation, do not include more than one web link. Thanks.

  2. JerryT Avatar
    JerryT

    Could Halter actually have won the general election there? Seems unlikely. Would the unions have stuck around for that one too, or would they choose to spend their money elsewhere? Lincoln may not be much of a progressive, but she probably has a better chance to beat Boozman in November.

    Lincoln was supported by President Obama and President Clinton, and labor chose this race to dump in tons of money opposing her (and them) anyway. They chose the confrontation. It should not be surprising that there is a little snippiness afterwords. It’s possible that Obama in particular is just trying to think a little more strategically than retribution for being against HCR (or whatever). I mean, he can’t really be a big fan of hers, she opposes half of what he stands for. But he supported her anyway.

    I consider myself pretty progressive, but I also expect that constituents should get to elect the representative that suits them best. Lincoln is not my kind of Dem, but if that’s what her state wants, then that’s what they should get. I live in John Lewis’ district, and if Club for Growth dumped a bunch of money in there and somehow managed to unseat him, I would be angry.

    I just don’t think it does much good to try to force a candidate in that doesn’t represent the constituents. Either they change to match the constituents anyway or they don’t get re-elected. If we need to change the constituents minds, then that is a different battle, one that probably requires a sustained grassroots effort.

  3. CatherineAtlanta Avatar

    Seems to me that everyone was all-in on this race. The fact is the voters of Arkansas selected Senator Lincoln to run in the fall. The voters spoke. Labor & MoveOn can reflect on what may have been a poor choice, but they sure gave it the old college try.

    I sure would have rather seen some of that cash come to Georgia for our race against Isakson or the 7th, 9th, or 10th Congressional races.

    After all, even Senator Lincoln with all her right-leaning faults is still better than Johnny Isakson, isn’t she?

  4. JMPrince Avatar

    She certainly earned their enmity, after all she worked hard for it! The rest of the reaction from the establishment is about as expected. Once you’re a member of the club, it will behoove the other members to try and keep you in there, no matter what. (Almost). There’s literally very few exceptions to this. But this also has something to do with personalities too, and Halter, while better, evidently had burned quite a few bridges over in AR too. And never under estimate Bill Clinton campaigning for you for months too. But certainly no one’s covered in glory for this one. JMP

  5. jacksmith Avatar
    jacksmith

    I’M PROUD OF YOU LABOR!. Keep standing up. The lives and health of all the American people and the World are in serious jeopardy.

    Alan Grayson Honors The Dead http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TV9TRoYMtjs&feature=player_embedded

    Alan Grayson on Healthcare http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPpQ2MNaSDo&feature=player_embedded

    Ron Sparks HealthCareReform http://youtu.be/kqlBFRJh4Cw

    John Garamendi – The Public Option http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyBTEke68aQ&feature=player_embedded

    I want to commend all of you for working so hard and being so strong at helping the whitehouse and congress begin to address our U.S. and Global healthcare crisis. You have been AWESOME! my fellow Americans and peoples of the World. America and the World is better and safer for it. My greatest pride is the knowledge that I am one of you. And that you really get it. You really understand the importance of it all.

    There are some potentially very good things in the healthcare legislation. Especially with the reconciliation fix’s. The Democrats, Bernie Sanders and the Whitehouse did a GREAT! job of fighting to produce the best healthcare legislation that they could. They have earned all our strong support. And we should give it to them.

    But it was your relentless pressure and hard work that made the difference. Whatever good comes from this healthcare legislation, America and the peoples of the World will have each of you to thank. You were smart, creative, courageous and relentless. You fought together for the best legislation possible. And when you had to, you fought alone. No matter who stumbled and fell you continued to push and forge ahead. Fighting for the lives and health of the American people and the World. YOU SHOULD BE PROUD OF YOUR-SELVES 🙂

    It may come to pass that future generations will look back on us and say that we were ALL Americas Greatest Generations. And that healthcare reform was our finest hour. You should be proud of our leaders President Obama, Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader Reid and the many other Democratic and independent fighters for the people in congress. They proved them-self worthy of the leadership of a GREAT! PEOPLE.

    But we are not done yet. This was just the beginning of healthcare reform, not the end. WE THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES, ARE NOT! divided on healthcare legislation. The vast majority of you have been consistently crystal clear that this legislation does not go far enough. You want a strong Government-run Public Option CHOICE!! available to everyone on day one. And you want it NOW!

    YOU MUST NOT ALLOW AN INDIVIDUAL MANDATE TO STAND WITHOUT A STRONG GOVERNMENT-RUN PUBLIC OPTION CHOICE! AVAILABLE TO EVERYONE.

    WE THE PEOPLE have been crystal clear that we want an end to dependence on for-profit healthcare and the for-profit proxies called private for non-profit healthcare. The American people want the CHOICE! of a strong Government-run Public Option to replace their need or dependence on healthcare providers whose primary motivation is profit. Rather than providing the highest quality, easiest accessible and most affordable medically necessary healthcare possible. This is what the rest of the developed World has. And the American people want it too. They want healthcare ASSURANCE! Not, for-profit health insurance. And they want it NOW!

    Now is the time to continue the push for a strong Government-run Public Option CHOICE! available to everyone that wants it on day one. Rationally it’s clear what we have to do to get this done. SUPPORT THE DEMOCRATS that supported you with a Public Option choice, and REMOVE as many republicans as you can. Not one republican in congress was willing to step across the isle to support a strong Government-run Public Option CHOICE!! available to everyone on day one. NOT ONE! Let no candidate prevail this November that does not support a Strong Government-run Public Option.

    47,000 AMERICANS die each year from lack of healthcare. 120,000 die from treatable illness that don’t die in other developed countries. Hundreds of thousands of you are dieing from medical accidents in a rush to profit. And Millions of you are injured. Millions more are driven into bankruptcy. All for the privilege of paying two to three times as much as any other people in the developed world for healthcare. HOGWASH!

    Additionally, tens of thousands of you and your children were killed and millions sickened and injured from a terror attack with H1N1 (swine flu). Released on the American people and the World by the for-profit healthcare industry. All in an attempt to panic and frighten you into accepting the oxymoronic criminal enterprise of private for-profit healthcare (The most costly, deadly, dangerous, and disgraceful product sold in America). H1N1 is still sickening people and killing them. Especially children, the young and the middle aged. And there will be a third wave. These are the terrorist you need to worry about the most. Even the so-called international terrorist would not do something so INSANE! But greed driven medical profiteers would and did.

    Apparently as far as republicans in GOVERNMENT are concerned, YOU! my fellow Americans – CAN JUST DROP DEAD! Including their own family members. Fools!… Hundreds of thousands of you, and possibly millions of you will die from the long-term effects of your infection and poisoning with H1N1.

    So my fellow Human Beings. Rest-up, Take good care of the basics (Balanced nutrition, hydration, exercise, rest and POSITIVE emotional supports). Then wade back into the FIGHT! for a strong Government-run Public Option CHOICE! available to everyone on day one. Drug re-importation, Abolishment or strong restrictions on patents for biologic and prescription drugs. And government controlled and negotiated drug and medical cost. You must take back control of your healthcare system from the Medical Industrial Complex. You MUST do it NOW! This is a matter of National and Global security. There can be NO MORE EXCUSES.

    God Bless You My Fellow Human Beings. I’m glad to know of you. And proud to be one of you.

    See you on the battle field.

    Sincerely

    jacksmith – WorkingClass 🙂

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *