Blue Dogs To House Dem Leaders: Hold Off On Employee Free Choice Vote

[babylonsister]

http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/labor/blue-dogs-to-house-dem-leaders-hold-off-on-employee-free-choice/

Blue Dogs To House Dem Leaders: Hold Off On Employee Free Choice


Blue Dog Democrats in the House have asked House Dem leaders to postpone a vote on the Employee Free Choice Act until after the Senate votes on it, and the Democratic leadership has agreed, a senior House Dem aide tells me.

The discussions are likely to disappoint some in the labor movement, who see Employee Free Choice as their top priority and had hoped the House would act quickly and pass a strong bill before the Senate passes a weaker version. Proponents and foes of the measure alike say the Senate is expected to be the major battleground over the bill because of the tight Dem majority.

Blue Dog Dems have told House leader Steny Hoyer that they don’t want a vote on Employee Free Choice before the Senate because they fear they’ll end up having to vote for two different versions of the measure, compounding the political damage they may face in moderate districts, the aide says.

“Their concern is that the House will pass something, then the Senate will take up the bill and do something different,” the senior leadership aide tells me. “The Blue Dogs don’t want to end up voting on something that won’t even become law. They’re saying, `See what can get through the Senate first, and then we’ll vote on it.’”

House Dem leaders agree with this assessment, the aide says. Asked if it would anger labor leaders, the aide said that labor might not like it but that labor leaders would “understand the dynamic.”

More on this soon.

[wryter2000]

1. Reprehensible, but it won't have any effect

The problem is going to be in the Senate. If it can't pass the Senate, there's no point bringing it up in the House.

[antigop]

3. and then the House Dems don't have to worry about attaching their names to a vote. n/t

[wryter2000]

7. Yup

Sleazoid, but it won't make any difference on anything. The fight is in the Senate.

[ThomWV]

2. Do these "Blue Dogs" expect the Democratic Party to help fund their reelection bids in 2010?

Fuck them. Let them raise their own money and see how they fare in their Republican states on their own.

[ogneopasno]

4. Labor needs to start bringing consequences to Democrats it supports during campaigns

who then turn around and benignly ignore or actively work against labor's interests. I am sick and tired of the phone banking and fundraising and doorknocking and getting nothing in return. This must stop. Unions should withhold all endorsements in 2010. Sez me.

[w4rma]

5. I'm fine with this, but the blue dogs in the Senate better not cause problems. (nt)

[tom_paine]

6. Can simple cowardly toadying explain these repeat capitulations?

I am well aware that this may be a bit of political manuvering, but when the fuck does our House Democratic "Leadership" EVER tell the DLC-Bushie-Lites to STFU or step aside?

NEVER.

Again and again and AGAIN. It doesn't matter how big the majorities are, the DLC/Bushies call the shots.

Total Information Awareness? The Bushies know where Harry Reid keeps his pictures of little boys? Fear of being Anthraxed by good old made-in-the-USA anthrax?

It doesn't matter anymore WHY, it only matters what IS

And what is, is a grotesque mockery of a democratic republic. America is an Inverted Totalitarianism.

Maybe Obama can help turn this thing around. It's what we have to hope for.