Huffington Post: Labor and the Democrats: Accountability for Next Election Cycle Must Start Now

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/amy-b-dean/labor-and-the-democrats-a_b_736898.html

Amy B. Dean

Co-Author, "A New New Deal: How Regional Activism Will Reshape the American Labor Movement"
Posted: September 23, 2010 02:54 PM

For those who question whether the labor movement is still relevant in the United States, the last two months before an election should clear up any doubts. This is the time period in which Democratic politicians desperately seek help in getting elected. Organized labor, with its significant resources and savvy field operations, is by far their best hope--if not their only one. The truth is, for too long the labor movement has been treated like the ATM of the Democratic Party, and it has supplied almost all of the ground troops that go door-to-door to get out the vote.

Yet the labor movement, and its membership, is fed up with being taken for granted. That's creating a problem for embattled lawmakers. Steven Greenhouse at the New York Times recently provided a snapshot of this conundrum in his piece entitled, "Unions Find Members Slow to Rally Behind Democrats." He wrote:

The Democrats will depend on labor unions -- the shock troops of their political campaigns -- to offset two new developments this election cycle: Tea Party enthusiasm and corporations' ability to spend unlimited amounts thanks to a Supreme Court ruling.


Labor leaders, alarmed at a possible Republican takeover of one or both houses of Congress, promise to devote a record amount of money and manpower to helping Democrats stave off disaster. But political analysts, and union leaders themselves, say that their efforts may not be enough because union members, like other important parts of the Democratic base, are not feeling particularly enthusiastic about the party....

A.F.L.-C.I.O. leaders say that they will spend around $50 million on races in 26 states and that unions already have 1,500 full-time campaign workers on the ground. The service employees have budgeted $44 million for the election, while other unions will spend tens of millions of dollars more. All told, labor strategists say their ground troops will make more than 10 million phone calls to members' homes, distribute millions of fliers at workplaces and knock on millions of doors.

FULL story at link.

[Vincardog]

1. WTF is it going to take for the Democratic Leadership to understand they have to start PASSING

laws they campaign on? Where is card check?