Unions Warn Dems: We'll Sit Out Election If You Oppose Public Option

“One of the country's most prominent union officials is warning that big labor may pull its support from Democrats who don't fight for a government-run insurance plan.

In an interview with the Huffington Post on Saturday, Richard Trumka, the secretary-treasurer and likely next president of the AFL-CIO, said his federation is drawing a line in the sand when it comes to a public option in the health care bill. Lawmakers who don't support the provision, he said, shouldn't take anything for granted.

"We'll look at every one of their votes," Trumka said after his speech at the Netroots Nation convention. "If they're against the Employee Free Choice Act, if they're against health care for that reason, I think it'll be tough for them to get support from working people."

Trumka's remarks were echoed privately by several other labor officials at the convention in Pittsburgh. In particular, the emerging Senate Finance Committee plan - which seems unlikely to contain a public option and could end up taxing pricey health care packages - seems almost guaranteed to incite the unions.” Cont…

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/08/18/labor-warns-dems-well-sit_n_262232.html

"Democrats" who do not support Democratic values are not worthy of support.

the Union and the rest of us can pick candidates that will do the bidding of the American public not corporations.

How the dems play their base because they figure we have no other option, no where else to go. Even when we had to hold our noses we voted dem rather than the alternative. Mark my words, they're counting on that.

If a dem in a competitive district has to worry that unions will try to primary them from the left, and then have to worry they will not get union support in the general, it could be a major threat.

Specter's voting took a massive turn to the right when he was polling below Toomey in the GOP primary. He voted with the dems about 14% of the time. Then when he switched to D he voted dem about 60%. Once Sestak started primarying him from the left he started voting dem about 90% of the time.


So a primary against someone from the left works. If unions and liberals (two of the biggest financial, voter and volunteer sources the dems have) devote their efforts to primaries instead of general elections, it would win the attention of the dem party.

Even if we don't belong to their particular union, they are ion our side--the people who create such great wealth for the top 1%.

There's a lot of angry Dems out there, and we vote.

We also remember.

:grr:

I won't vote Republican but I won't vote for a candidate who never went thru a primary. If she thinks she can make it without my vote, then it doesn't matter that she disenfranchised me. But maybe it does matter.

I don't see why the same tactic can't be applied here.

who are responsible for trying to kill it.

in states where union membership is considered verboten.

It's called the reinsurance program for retirees.

:bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :applause: :applause: :applause: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

can backtrack at their convenience. Sort of like Larry Craig's "I intend to. . . ", I'm just sick of it. Take stand and then stand there, !!! gawd darnit!

I hear you

Try listening to the Democratic base instead. We won the election, remember?

"Former DNC Chair, Howard Dean, likewise predicted that Democrats who vote against the public option would have to deal with a primary challenge.

Meanwhile, a group of progressive members of the House of Representatives made it clear on Monday that they will not support a health care bill that doesn't include a government run option for insurance coverage."

and individuals, and now organized labor, have had it.

And yes, we know some folks here hate that certain person, but when 70% wants reform and we can only muster 41 votes in the Senate with a supermajority... we have a problem... a serious problem.

Translation, this is no longer a democracy... in any shape, way or form.

Good job, brothers and sisters.

again..this is what he wants. The facts to get out and the pressure!

come up with someone to challenge Feinstein in the 2012 primary?

Labor + DFA ought to seal it.

OUCH!

No STRONG Public Option,
No support from me,
and I'm taking as many with me as possible.

for them. The People are too much trouble with their whining and demanding and wanting to live and be paid and all, Corporations are the ones that make them rich...
:eyes:

Reagan started busting up the unions and the republicans and corporations have been hacking away and destroying the unions numbers ever since.

Employee Free Choice Act: What is the Employee Free Choice Act?
http://www.aflcio.org/joinaunion/voiceatwork/efca/whatis.cfm

I'm not giving anything to the DNC or DSCC like I did in the 2008 cycle. Everything I give (assuming I am employed by then) will go to primaries from the left or dems in competitive districts who support progressive causes.

I will not vote for any anti-public option candidate.

The answer is to vote them all out!!!!!!!!! The answer is to fight for this Country and it's people.

The unions should have done this long ago. It is time for the Democrats to choose who they are going to represent...

The People who put them where they are or Corporate America.