Key Democrat Blanche Lincoln To Oppose Employee Free Choice Act, As Is

In what is, perhaps, the most devastating blow yet to the fate of the Employee Free Choice Act, Sen. Blanche Lincoln said on Monday that she will oppose the union-backed legislation.

The Arkansas Democrat, whose home state includes WalMart, one of the major business groups fighting EFCA, announced her decision during a meeting of the Little Rock Political Animals Club.

"I cannot support that bill," Lincoln said, according to Arkansas Business. "Cannot support that bill in its current form. Cannot support and will not support moving it forward in its current form."

Labor forces can ill-afford to lose any Democrats in this legislative battle, given the partisan lines of the EFCA vote in 2007. Already, Sen. Arlen Specter, the lone Senate Republican to vote for cloture on the Employee Free Choice Act back then, has indicated he will oppose cloture if the bill were to be brought up in this Congress.

Lincoln, long considered a crucial Democratic vote on EFCA, was the focus of intense political pressure. Union groups were courting her support while the business community had made her a primary target for defection. Indeed, WalMart hired her former chief of staff for the precise purpose of lobbying on EFCA. Lincoln is up for reelection in 2010.

UPDATE: AFL-CIO spokesperson Eddie Vale says he isn't distraught with the news.

For the next two weeks, thousands of people are participating in hundreds of events across the country in support of the Employee Free Choice Act," he writes. "We're confident that labor law reform is going to pass in 2009. The Employee Free Choice Act is built on 3 fundamental things and we're continuing to talk to Senators to build 60 votes for a bill that stays true to those principles:

o Workers need to have a real choice to form a union and bargain for a better life, free from intimidation

o We have to stop the endless delays; companies can't just stall to stop workers' choice

o There have to be real penalties for violating the law.

Vale also contested my characterization of Lincoln's remarks being a real hit for EFCA proponents saying: "This certainly isn't 'devastating' as you described it, it's political science 101.A bill is introduced and then Congress works through the process of committees, amendments, and debates and 99 out of 100 times the final bill is different from when it started."

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Comments

[jfields1117]

Wal-Mart is one of the wealthiest corporations in the worlds, so I guess it's not surprising that they have enough money to buy a United States Senator. If Obama and the labor movement really want this bill to pass, they need to start playing hardball with Lincoln and Specter. If I were Obama, I would find the pet projects that these 2 want and cut every cent from them unless they support the EFCA. Hey, the Republicans are threatining to fillibuster 2 Obama Justice Department appointees if he releases memos from the Bush Administration regarding torture of prisoners; 2 can play this game. If we don't play dirty, just like these GOP scumbags are doing, were going to loose the EFCA battle.

[harriscrl3]

Good grief these Democrats are so gutless they cant even stick by democratic people.

I just hope President Obama can wip their weakneed gutless selves into shape

Carol

[thisoldbroad]

She should be pinned down & specify exactly which part of the bill she opposes. The time to just accept vague statements or mistruths from our politicians is long gone. Step up woman - make your case.

[BCubedReg]

Sounds like she needs to be voted out of office in 2010.

[closerthanuthink]

Settle down - This is politics!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/06/lincoln-leaves-door-open_n_183763.html

[M1]

Disgusting

[sueno]

She's a "sell-out"-
Which means its time to campaign against her.
She needs to be replaced with a "real" Dem.
during the next election.

[IndieBlue]

Good luck finding a real Dem in AK.

[JFen]

AK is Alaska.

AR is Arkansas.

AZ is Arizona.

AL is Alabama.

We could do the state's that begin with M's if that would be of assistance, too.

[zest]

It's time for the party to not support her.

[katekid]

Walmart got to her.

[JFen]

You are correct.

I'm dissappointed in Blanche.

She has done a lot of great work for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, but every other position of her's is quite conservative. Hell, the other senator is Mark Pryor. He is disguised as a Democrat, too. A Green Party Nobody got 20% of the vote against him last election.

The sad thing is that the only person considering running against Lincoln is Tim Griffin. Yes, THAT Tim Griffin.

[cantkeepmedown]

Finally a democrat that is not drunk from the Koolaid, and walking lock step with those that are ruining this country.

Way to stand up for the people of Arkansas Sen. Blanche!

It's about time that a democrat stood up to this nonsense.

Could there be more of you in the Senate with the ability to think for yourselves?

[IndieBlue]

Yeah, she's really standing up for the people of Arkansas...
http://www.nwanews.com/adg/Business/255412
http://blog.wakeupwalmart.com/
http://en.maquilasolidarity.org/en/currentcampaigns/ChongWon/Nov_01_06
http://www.worldchiropracticalliance.org/tcj/2003/jan/jan2003shay.htm

How dare WalMart employees demand to work at or above the poverty line!

[yert33]

bullSh*t

[powerlift2201]

A Senator who is thinking for herself is right! She is concerned about her reelection in the upcoming midterms and just landed Walmart as her key supporter. When a bill is introduced that will help the vast majority of people in this country then logically thinking, correctly thinking politicians should walk in step with that bill.

[Vladdycat]

The Senator from the great State of Walmart Kow-towing to her real masters, disregarding her constituents. Please vote her out of office, and Reed, take her to the woodshed.

[delysia]

What makes her key? She's one woman; one voice. One monkey doesn't stop the show, remember?

[EgyptianMysterySchool]

I was a member of the Carpenter's Union for a number of years and I think unions are a necessary check and balance to employers over reaching.

But I wouldn't vote for a bill that took away anonymity. Union's like the Carpenter's Union (trade unions) comprise lists and assign jobs according to the lists. The list are supposed to be in order of when you were last out of work, meaning if you finish work on a building April 7th, then someone who is still working on April 8th won't get the next job before you. That's the way it's supposed to be, yet there were always favorites who never seemed to be out of work. The process was controlled by union bosses who worked for the union as a career.

For that reason anonymous voting is a must and w/out a guarantee of it I wouldn't be behind it either. I don't know if this was Linoln's reasoning though.

[Tracy Hale]

And now YOU get to go bye-bye.

[local21]

Lincoln you are a fraud.