What a way to start the week
A fracture in organized labor, that has been brewing for some time, has come to pass. The SEIU and Teamsters, "two of the three largest unions in the AFL-CIO, may leave the labor federation as early as today because of differences over organizing tactics and declining membership," Bloomberg reports. the New York Times also covers this story in the front page right column traditionally reserved for their most important story of the day. The reason why this is so important is the impact on the Democratic Party.
The Times notes the split could hurt Democrats "because it could keep unions from coordinating their political efforts as well as they did before and could mean that unions devote less energy to politics and more to fighting among themselves."
This is a huge gift to the Republicans who have diligently been working to weaken the Democratic Party by kicking their legs out from under them.
A great profile on Karl Rove (if you don't know who he is by now, it's pointless the explain it to you) in the New Yorker two years ago brought up this strategy with Rove himself.
In the last paragraph, Nicholas Lemann, asked Rove of what he called "the death of the Democratic Party" strategy.
"The [Democratic] Party has three key funding sources:
trial lawyers, Jews, and labor unions. One could systematically
disable all three, by passing tort-reform legislation that would
cut off the trial lawyers' incomes, by tilting pro-Israel in Middle
East policy and thus changing the loyalties of big Jewish
contributors, and by trying to shrink the part of the labor force
which belongs to the newer, and more Democratic, public-
employee unions...Rove didn't offer any specific objection..."
Trial lawyer, Jews and labor unions. Check, check and now checkmate. The Democratic Party needs to stop playing checkers and start playing chess. Rove and the Republicans see politics as chess and have been slowly setting the pieces in place over the last 30 years to get them where they are today. Democrats need to do the same. The Curmudgeon can help, for the right price of course. Or just hire Karl Rove, he may need a job soon when he's on work-release.
BONUS POSTING: As if the CIA outing case couldn't get more absurd. Guess we should have seen this coming. Now Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS) will have hearings not to investigate the White House but to investigate the CIA for how well it protects the cover of its agents! Who's next? Patrick Fitzgerald? Talking Points Memo has a must read on the topic.
BONUS POSTING PART II: I was just kidding about investigating Patrick Fitzgerald but Sen. Roberts isn't. See this posting here and here.
The Times notes the split could hurt Democrats "because it could keep unions from coordinating their political efforts as well as they did before and could mean that unions devote less energy to politics and more to fighting among themselves."
This is a huge gift to the Republicans who have diligently been working to weaken the Democratic Party by kicking their legs out from under them.
A great profile on Karl Rove (if you don't know who he is by now, it's pointless the explain it to you) in the New Yorker two years ago brought up this strategy with Rove himself.
In the last paragraph, Nicholas Lemann, asked Rove of what he called "the death of the Democratic Party" strategy.
"The [Democratic] Party has three key funding sources:
trial lawyers, Jews, and labor unions. One could systematically
disable all three, by passing tort-reform legislation that would
cut off the trial lawyers' incomes, by tilting pro-Israel in Middle
East policy and thus changing the loyalties of big Jewish
contributors, and by trying to shrink the part of the labor force
which belongs to the newer, and more Democratic, public-
employee unions...Rove didn't offer any specific objection..."
Trial lawyer, Jews and labor unions. Check, check and now checkmate. The Democratic Party needs to stop playing checkers and start playing chess. Rove and the Republicans see politics as chess and have been slowly setting the pieces in place over the last 30 years to get them where they are today. Democrats need to do the same. The Curmudgeon can help, for the right price of course. Or just hire Karl Rove, he may need a job soon when he's on work-release.
BONUS POSTING: As if the CIA outing case couldn't get more absurd. Guess we should have seen this coming. Now Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS) will have hearings not to investigate the White House but to investigate the CIA for how well it protects the cover of its agents! Who's next? Patrick Fitzgerald? Talking Points Memo has a must read on the topic.
BONUS POSTING PART II: I was just kidding about investigating Patrick Fitzgerald but Sen. Roberts isn't. See this posting here and here.
posted by Crankyboy at 9:51 AM
5 Comments:
DC responds:
I like it. It sings. It's also sadly true.
DC responds to Brooks:
It's worse than that but if that's the rules of engagement then the Democrats must be as brazen in their tactics against the Repubs.
Your checkmate analogy is a good and apt one, unfortunately. The DLC and Clinton's strategy of triangulation worked pretty well, but half of the party is still fuming over that, so I don't know what new recipe will work. My hope at this point is that a strong, persuasive, smart leader will emerge with some fresh ideas. I don't see him (her) yet. This lastest turn of events in the inexorable drift by the Dems is really demoralizing.
If you post on cacaphony.com again, I will never leave your blog alone.
Dc responds to nut at UPC health net:
Please don't leave site alone, I want more hits!
Post a Comment
<< Home