Thoughts on the Labor Split and the Passage of CAFTA

I had originally prepared part of this as a comment on Oshblog, but it seems that site is down right now, so I will put it here in a larger form.

There has been a lot of talk over the last few days about how the split in labor signals the end of support for Democrats, and that 15 Dems voted for CAFTA shows we 'deserve' it.

I agree, it is shamefully that these 15 Dems voted for it. I do not know the circumstances of their districts, or their other votes, but on this one, I believe they got it wrong.

However, the overwhelming percentage of Dems voted against CAFTA, including Wisconsin's entire Democratic delegation (all of the Republicans were for it). But, there is a name for a government that requires everyone to tow the same line, and it is not democracy. I believe that our party should be evaluated as a whole, and as a whole we are the party of the working, poor and middle classes. This is undeniable.

Secondly, after the 15 minutes given for this vote, CAFTA was defeated. The Republicans kept the vote open 40+ minutes past the deadline until they had the votes to pass it. This is the same way they rammed through the Medicare prescription drug debacle.

Thirdly, solid union support for democrats is already a myth. Lets look at Tom Petri, our Republican Congress Member. He has a lifetime rating from the AFL-CIO under 30%. Many unions have ranked him a 0% recently. He not only voted for CAFTA, NAFTA, most favored for China but he co-sponsored the regulations to remove overtime from a huge section of American workers (on a side-note, we were protected from this by Gov. Jim Doyle).

Would you not agree that Petri's consistent anti-labor voting record should disqualify him from Labor's support?

But, over the years, he has received $190,000+ in funds from Labor PAC's, including:

AFL-CIO
AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Dept
Air Line Pilots Assn
Allied Pilots Assn
Amalgamated Transit Union
American Maritime Officers
American Maritime Officers Retirees Assn
Carpenters & Joiners Union
International Assn of Fire Fighters
Ironworkers Union
Laborers Union
Maintenance of Way Employees
National Air Traffic Controllers Assn
National Assn of Letter Carriers
National Assn of Postal Supervisors
National Assn of Postmasters
National Assn Retired Federal Employees
National Education Assn
National League of Postmasters
National Rural Letter Carriers Assn
Operating Engineers Union
Service Employees International Union
Transport Workers Union
UNITE HERE
United Transportation Union

Details at www.opensecrets.org

Statewide, unions have given to Ryan, Green and Sensenbrenner as well. None of these men qualify as the allies of working families.

Many of these union donors are in the new Unite to Win Coalition, many others are still AFL-CIO.

Just as the Dems need to encourage more of our members vote with us, Labor needs to focus their efforts behind candidates that will advance not, degrade Labor issues.

There needs to be a whole lot of reforming going on....

But, it is not lost. Just as the overwhelming amount of Democrats vote consistently with Labor, Labor is the Democrats greatest support base. We cannot let those who wish to work against us divide and conquer.

Remember, solidarity is the strength. For both Dems and Labor.