But it makes you wonder why every single Democratic politician is not dedicating his or her political life to doing whatever they can to strengthen the labor movement. I mean, just think of what America’s political landscape would look like if the labor movement doubled its membership.

I suspect that so many politicians, probably over 80%, Dems included, have such a sense of entitlement and are so dependent upon feeding at the corporate trough, like Holy Joe, that to do anything that might stop that is tantamount to political suicide!

Let’s face it, Unions, with their past reputations as being corrupt, many with Mafia ties, do not have all that much to contribute compared to the Corporatocracy. they also do not control the means to disseminate the message, like the Corporatocracy. This is changing but it is still not there.

If the tide can be turned, then we have to get $$$ out of politics. Public funding of campaigns. Otherwise, no real progress will be made. Hoping to win based on anger is very short term, and liberals just don’t stoke the fires of hate, bigotry, irrational anger all that well (thank God!).

OT (Sorry, last thread, I feel bad but I missed it). Maybe someone said this but I didn’t see it.

The DSCC person who wrote that email is probably correct that it will increase Dem turnout. But that is the wrong way to think about the issue. Well, the wrong way if you’re trying to win.

The right way is to ask: will this increase Dem turnout more than Repub, or the other way around? After all, if Lamont-Lieberman-Schlesinger increases Dem turnout 10% over a Lamont-Schlesinger race, but the L-L-S GOP turnout increases by 25% over L-S, you’ve not done yourself any favors for the House races.

I know this point is not lost onNed Lamont anyone here, but when DSCC types say something true but irrelevant it can be slippery to rebut. It’s best to bring out exactly why the point is wrongheaded even if it’s true.

I am wondering if we should play a game called $adopt$ a CT Dem house candidate (Mine is Chris Murphy ) in addition to our favorite candidates (mine is Ned Lamont . I’m rooting for Tester as well.

Go Labor!

This gives me an idea:

Remember how the GOP had all the idiots challenging voters in high-Democrat precincts in 2004?

Well, two can play at that game.

USE UNION MEMBERS IN MUCH THE SAME WAY, ON BEHALF OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY.

And it can be played one of two ways:

1. Go into GOP bastion precincts and return the intimidation. (Democracy cannot die due to wimpiness!)

2. Go into DEM bastion precincts and scare the shit out of the lily white Dittoheads. (One could envision that fisticuffs may break out, ending up in arrests or removal of all participants, in which case there are lots more union people than the GOP can run out there to the precincts as replacements.)

I would actually LOVE to see those little white boys running home to Mommy when they get a look at some of the Union stalwarts!

Like I said, it is a thought….

Actually, there is a third and/or option:

3. Have Union guys man the lines, bringing snacks and drinks for the people waiting in line. No politicking, just a civic service on the most “democratic” day in a democracy.

If all this sounds third-world, it isn’t. They have engaged battle, and it is up to this side to respond by not letting them bully voters. At the least, if democracy goes down, it can go down, not with a whimper, but with a bang . . .

. . . . .

http://www.usw.org/uswa/progra…..les_ID=285

I don’t know. I would imagine they’ll have to hold another endorsement meeting to decide for sure. I’ll ask around tomorrow and if/when I find something, I’ll post it.

Does anyone know if the highers ups at these Organizations are funding a communications initiative to facilitate the local directors and shop foreman

Focusing the political action on local officers and activists is the basis of the program. People tend to listen to and believe their co-workers and neighbors more than their union leadership in Washington. Once people are open to listening, there’s plenty of information available in union publications, flyers, etc. Even if people are particularly political, just being in a work environment every day where the issues are discussed helps fend off the other B.S. that they may be hearing in their churches, etc.

I agree Jordan…

My question was more to ascertain if there was any meat on the bones of the announcements by Union heads to “work together”. I absolutely agree with you that decisions and opinions are driven at the ground level. Is anything being done to back up the “sharing of the contact lists”

It seems to me that FDL is a great online information center.

The State Rootz Project is another great online team resource. There are hundreds of cheap and smart online organizing methods. If the ‘higher-ups’ went out of their way to spend some resources connecting those ‘boots on the ground’ shops and locals, it would go a long way to quickly making a difference in this rapidly approaching election.