One of the many, many reasons that it’s so important to support Bill Halter’s populist primary against Blanche Lincoln is the sheer contempt with which Lincoln has treated working families and their labor unions. After all, it was Lincoln’s decision to
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/4/6/717192/-Lincoln-Joins-McConnell-Filibuster-of-Employee-Free-Choice">join the Republican filibuster of the Employee Free Choice Act — at a time when there were 60 Democrats in the Senate, and even Nelson and Pryor had refused to obstruct the bill — which essentially spelled the end of the hope for meaningful labor law reform.
As we wrote at the time:
t’s hard to interpret the statement that she “cannot support and will not support moving it forward” as anything other than a pledge to not just oppose the bill, but to throw her lot in with the obstructionist Republican effort to prevent Employee Free Choice from ever getting a fair vote on the Senate floor. It’s one thing to vote “no” on Free Choice, a bill supported by the President, and a reform sorely needed to even the playing field for working Americans after 20 years of Reagan and the Bushes — it’s another entirely to join the Republicans in thwarting a democratic vote on the measure. That’s inexcusable.
But given the fanatical opposition of the corporate overclass to empowering workers, and given Wal-Mart’s particular hatred on unions, it should be little surprise that Lincoln — a co-sponsor of last week’s estate tax giveaway designed to pamper Walton family heirs — would betray her party and American workers when the chips were down.
But merely killing labor law reform wasn’t enough for Lincoln. Last summer, Lincoln’s chief of staff — and campaign manager! – spoke to an Arkansas Democratic club as the “counterpoint” in a discussion about the Employee Free Choice Act. Not only was Lincoln’s team spiking reform by joining the McConnell/DeMint filibuster — they were actively lobbying against the bill, like an arm of the Chamber of Commerce.
…which isn’t really surprising, given that most of Lincoln’s subsequent maneuverings concerning labor rights have come straight out of the Chamber’s lobbying handbook.
Lincoln
http://www.nbnnews.com/NBN/issues/2010-02-01/Politics+&+Government/index.html">opposed Senator Jeff Merkley’s important amendment to HCR which would have required construction contractors with five or more employees to carry their fair share of the nation’s health care burden. Given another chance to stand up for decent working conditions for everyday Americans, Lincoln fell in behind the non-union construction lobbyists, who represent some of the most exploitative employers in the nation. And Lincoln recently went so far as to
http://workinprogress.firedoglake.com/2010/02/09/lincoln-nelson-join-filibuster-of-craig-becker/"> join the Republican filibuster of Craig Becker, a brilliant and well-respected labor lawyer who was one of President Obama’s nominees to the National Labor Relations Board. What kind of Democrat filibusters a nominee put forward by a Democratic President?
It’s no wonder that the Chamber is running ads in Arkansas papers thanking Blanche Lincoln for all the water she’s carried on the behalf of the worst employers in America. She’s their favorite Democrat — a Democrat who truly has contempt for the right to organize and win a fair deal on the job.
More:
http://blogs.alternet.org/speakeasy/2010/03/01/blanche-lincolns-contempt-for-working-families/
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