Posted on 03/28/2009 2:55:48 AM PDT by Scanian
Want to get a politician's attention? Threaten a primary.
Exhibit A: Sen. Arlen Specter, Pennsylvania's squishy Republican.
Specter said this week that he won't vote for the Employee Free Choice Act -- the bill meant to eliminate secret ballots for union-organization elections.
Under EFCA, organizers could unionize a shop just through having workers publicly sign up on a sheet (i.e., "card-check") -- a recipe for intimidation.
In 2007, Specter voted for EFCA. His reversal means that Democrats now likely won't have the 60 votes to pass it.
What happened?
Ex-Rep. Pat Toomey -- Specter's conservative foe in a tight 2004 primary -- has raised the possibility of a new challenge next year. And a Quinnipiac University poll this week showed Specter trailing Toomey 41-27 in a GOP primary.
Now, Specter's flip-flop is nothing new. He has a history of finding his "inner Republican" right around the time he's looking at re-election.
Two episodes with Supreme Court nominees illustrate this perfectly.
In 1987, newly re-elected Specter had no qualms providing critical Republican ammunition against Ronald Reagan's high-court nominee, Robert Bork.
Conversely, in 1991 -- with re-election looming in 1992 -- Specter became one of the strongest GOP advocates for George Bush's nominee, Clarence Thomas.
That's Arlen Specter for you.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
“Sen. Arlen Specter, Pennsylvania’s squishy Republican”?
That sure is a whole lot less racy language than what I call the bastard RINO turd.
Arlen Specter has made a 30 yr. career by using his own Majic Bullet, going right as reelection looms.
Just one mistake G.W. Bush made while in office was helping the p.o.s. Specter retain his seat.
I know it is wrong to wish harm on anyone but those three I’d like to see get hit by a bus.
We in Pa are going to throw the old b@stard out in the primary.
Specter’s done in PA regardless. We are tired of him. Alawsy been a lawyer, never a Representative of the people.
Serious question: What is wrong with the current law that makes this change necessary?
Want to get a politician’s attention? Threaten a single-party primary. A closed primary. If Pennsylvania held open primaries, with the possibility of hundreds of thousands of cross-party, sabotage votes, Spectre be home free. Katy bar the door.
Nope, the voter’s who swallowed it did.
“”Just one mistake G.W. Bush made while in office was helping the p.o.s. Specter retain his seat.””
It was also one of the reasons we lost Rick Santorum - his ill advised support of this clown.
The current law provides for a secret ballot which prevents union intimidation. The goal of any new legislation would be to do away with the secret ballot provision and force each worker to openly display their vote thereby exposing them to union intimidation. I’m convinced they’ll try to do this in some underhanded way, such as by adding a paragraph to a mundane 1000 page bill that no one will bother to read that will be voted on in the wee hours of the morning.
I’m hoping
SECURE AMERICA, you are aware that the vast majority of congress critters are lying thieving lawyers?
Thanks for the reply and I agree.
I think our main angle of attack is why change the secret ballot? What is the need for this change except the nefarious one?
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Series answer: It's too hard for the union thugs to organize folks that want no parts of being in a union.
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