Senator Blanche Lincoln, Arkansas...waffling on the Employee Free Choice Act.

[madfloridian]

This is one of the reasons that worrying so much about having 60 Democrats is not as important as having Democrats that stand for something this important.

Quite frankly this is the same kind of maudlin stuff we have been hearing for years from the so-called centrist Democrats of the DLC/PPI/Third Way triad. Blanche Lincoln is one of six Honorary Senate chairs of The Third Way.

The others are Evan Bayh U.S. Senator, Indiana
Tom Carper U.S. Senator, Delaware
Mark Pryor U.S. Senator, Arkansas
Ken Salazar U.S. Senator, Colorado
Claire McCaskill U.S. Senator, Missouri

I have not heard their views. Here are Blanche Lincoln's recent words.

Senator’s stance on act pressed by businessmen

U. S. Sen. Blanche Lincoln wanted business leaders Friday to focus on what she called the nation’s “biggest challenges” — righting a listing national economy and revamping health care — instead of legislation that would make it easier for workers to join a union.

But those business leaders had other ideas, peppering the state’s senior senator with their questions about why Lincoln, a Democrat up for re-election in 2010, noted toward the end of her speech that she still hadn’t made her mind up on the proposed Employee Free Choice Act.

Her words are wishy washy and, to me, rather wimpy. Afraid to take a stand.

“I know it’s a big concern among the business community, and I know it’s a big concern among the labor community,” Lincoln said during her speech before the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce. “I hope what we don’t do is to allow that discussion to become a distraction to the very critical issues that are facing this country right now.” The legislation would allow workers to sign a card supporting unionizing a workplace instead of current law requiring a secret-ballot election. Both sides agree it would make it easier for unions to form: Businessmen say union leaders would pressure workers to sign the cards; unions say the current system allows businesses to intimidate workers who want to join a union.

Wal-Mart and many other businesses oppose the act. Union leaders have said it is the top priority in the next Congress. President-elect Barack Obama was one of the bill’s 47 Senate co-sponsors.

Uh, Blanche...it IS one of the most critical issues in our country today.

What a shame to hear the same fearful cautious rhetoric still after all these years.

And they say the grassroots, netroots are going to be marginalized. I don't think so. We have to teach our Democrats how to stand up for things. They have not yet learned that.

[Eric J in MN]

1. Claire McCaskill is a co-sponsor of the 2007 EFCA.

http://www.opencongress.org/bill/110-s1041/show

Sponsor
Sen. Edward Kennedy
and 46 Co-Sponsors
Sen. Daniel Akaka
Sen. Max Baucus
Sen. B. Evan Bayh
Sen. Joseph Biden
Sen. Jeff Bingaman
Sen. Barbara Boxer
Sen. Sherrod Brown
Sen. Robert Byrd
Sen. Maria Cantwell
Sen. Benjamin Cardin
Sen. Thomas Carper
Sen. Robert Casey
Sen. Hillary Clinton
Sen. Kent Conrad
Sen. Christopher Dodd
Sen. Byron Dorgan
Sen. Richard Durbin
Sen. Russell Feingold
Sen. Dianne Feinstein
Sen. Thomas Harkin
Sen. Daniel Inouye
Sen. Tim Johnson
Sen. John Kerry
Sen. Amy Klobuchar
Sen. Herbert Kohl
Sen. Mary Landrieu
Sen. Frank Lautenberg
Sen. Patrick Leahy
Sen. Carl Levin
Sen. Joseph Lieberman
Sen. Claire McCaskill
Sen. Robert Menendez
Sen. Barbara Mikulski
Sen. Patty Murray
Sen. Bill Nelson
Sen. Barack Obama
Sen. John Reed
Sen. Harry Reid
Sen. John Rockefeller
Sen. Bernard Sanders
Sen. Charles Schumer
Sen. Debbie Ann Stabenow
Sen. Jon Tester
Sen. Jim Webb
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse
Sen. Ron Wyden

[madfloridian]

2. Thanks, I was looking for that.

:hi:

Also Bayh and Carper are on your list.

[dbt]

3. Miz Blank Lincoln

"one of the most dependable Republicans in the Senate." Try getting a straight answer out of her on ANYTHING.

Mark Pryor couldn't carry his daddy's jockstrap.

The whole Arkansas delegation is a waste of skin.

[antigop]

4. probably doesn't want to piss off WalMart. n/t

[madfloridian]

5. I am wondering how many others will waver.

I thought it had pretty wide support. :shrug:

[tritsofme]

6. Not comfortable with this bill.

I hope it slanks away and dies in the Senate.

[madfloridian]

7. What bothers you about it?

?

[bread_and_roses]

9. Please educate yourself about the Employee Free Choice Act - especially who supports and opposes

If you can find any reason to believe those who oppose it have the best interests of workers at heart, I'd sure like to hear it.

Left menu on this page for sources:

http://www.aflcio.org/joinaunion/voiceatwork/efca/

Supports:

http://www.aflcio.org/joinaunion/voiceatwork/efca/whosupport.cfm

be sure to click on "Organizations."

Opposes:

http://www.aflcio.org/joinaunion/voiceatwork/efca/whooppose.cfm

be sure to click on "anti-union network" which takes you here:

http://www.americanrightsatwork.org/

Then click on "Hot topics/anti-union network" which takes you here:

http://www.americanrightsatwork.org/the-anti-union-network/home/

Lots of good information there, including this, which really tells you all you need to know:

Anti-Union Groups Spending Millions Against Employee Free Choice Act
July 31, 2008
Right-wing anti-union groups are pouring tens of millions of dollars into an effort to defeat the Employee Free Choice Act. Front groups plan to spend upwards of $120 million on misleading advertising against pro-worker Congressional candidates in the 2008 elections.

According to reports, several anti-union front groups plan to collectively spend almost $100 million in the next year against the bill and those who support it. The breakdown is as follows (from the National Journal):

Chamber of Commerce: $20-30 million
Coalition for a Democratic Workplace: $30 million
Employee Freedom Action Committee: $30 million
Freedom's Watch: $30 million (from one anti-union contributor)
Center for Union Facts: unknown, but in the millions
Sheldon Adelson—a major right-wing billionaire and fundraiser—recently called the Employee Free Choice Act "one of the fundamental threats to society"—the other being “radical Islam.” Adelson is vehemently anti-union, and put up $30 million of his own money into Freedom's Watch, a conservative advocacy group, as part of an effort take on Congressional candidates in 2008.

But the Employee Free Choice Act just isn't a cause for anti-union entities to spend money. Republican Senate leadership is trying to use the bill to drum up major contributions: "It’s our No. 1 issue to raise money on," said Senator John Ensign (R-NV), chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

During the election, these groups were running expensive ads in at least some swing states, trying to garnar Republican wins. They did not have much success.

http://www.americanrightsatwork.org/employee-free-choice-act/latest-updates/workers-win-the-election-and-the-employee-free-choice-act-20081106-674-83-83.html

Evidently, workers have some doubts as to why the very same entities that fight like hell to keep workers' wages low, their benefits non-existent, their working conditions both oppressive and unsafe, would suddenly have such tender concern for them.

edit to add last link

[madfloridian]

10. Thanks for the good links.

Democrats should support it. :hi:

[WI_DEM]

8. If Pryor and Lincoln vote against they should be known as (D-Walmart)

[madfloridian]

11. I haven't heard anymore about this.

The anti-union forces are so powerful and have much corporate money.

[Hippo_Tron]

12. I don't really expect anyone who represents a right to work state to vote differently

Other than Pryor (same state as Lincoln) none of the others on that list represent right to work states. When Lincoln's constituents pull their collective heads out of their asses regarding labor then it's likely that she will too. But given the south's history of not being particularly sympathetic to unions, that won't happen anytime soon. Lincoln has a far greater incentive to take Chamber of Commerce or Walmart Money than she does voting for something that most of her constituents either oppose or are indifferent about. And I guarantee you there's zero chance of a pro-labor candidate beating her in a primary and winning the seat.