AFL-CIO Sends Out Two Million Mailers; Blast Palin, Angle And Paul

The AFL-CIO is once again playing the role of campaign aggressor in the lead-up to the 2010 midterm elections, sending out more than two million mailers targeting gubernatorial and congressional candidates and prominent political players such as Sarah Palin, Sharron Angle and Rand Paul.

The group has tailored the mailers for individual races. But the general gist is to attack vulnerable or high-profile Republican candidates for their various takes on economic policy. The mailer being sent throughout Nevada reminds recipients that Republican candidate Angle once said that a senator's business is not job creation.

angle mailer

In terms of salvos fired in this campaign season, the AFL-CIO's heightened initiative is a significant one. The sheer magnitude of the effort suggests a major financial investment. Spokesman Eddie Vale, moreover, relays that the union will be following up each mailer with phone calls and additional fliers.

There is an additional macro element to what the AFL-CIO is doing. While most Democratic candidates find themselves on the defensive, the union federation has chosen a more aggressive posture -- putting to test the theory that an unabashed defense of the legislation passed and unrelenting criticism of the GOP's governing platforms makes for smart politics.

On Monday, for instance, the AFL-CIO's President Richard Trumka is scheduled to speak at the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada, during which he will tout the president's stimulus for saving the country from a "full-blown depression" and call out some of the more eccentric Republican Senate candidates for arcane world views:

Tea Party Senate candidate Sharron Angle, who's running against Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid right here in Nevada, said she thinks unemployment insurance makes laid-off workers soft, spoiled. Just like Social Security and Medicare -- phase it all out, she says.

In Kentucky, Senate candidate and Tea Party darling Rand Paul says mining accidents just happen sometimes. Investigations to prevent them are - quote - just a "blame game" and "un-American."

And look at Sarah Palin and her "union thug" comments. She "does too" like American workers, she says. Only she'd just like us more, if we earned less.

Republicans say they want to protect America, but they don't want to pay for it. They don't want banking rules, only bailouts and tax cuts.

Now that is one ugly vision of America! It is a bleak vision of a weak nation in decline.

Politico's Morning Score, which scored the first look at the AFL-CIO mailers, has a good rundown on the targets.

Comments

[CentralVA]

05:39 PM on 09/14/2010

With each passing day, AFL-CIO head Trumka appears more and more deranged. His vulgar tirades may rally a few members of the Democratic base but they come at a high cost: serious erosion of support for organized labor among independents and Democratic leaning independents.

[wilson0004]

12:18 PM on 09/14/2010

GOOD FOR THE AFL-CIO. These candidates need to have their backsides kicked real good. They don't deserve and are not worthy of the offices they are seemingly running for.

[mashtoe]

11:15 AM on 09/14/2010

The AFL-CIO is either totally corrupt or totally incompetent. Which is it?

If the AFL-CIO really wanted to help American workers they would campaign against BOTH parties and only support non-corporatist parties.

Sure, we don't have alternatives right now but that's only because we keep being suckers for these two parties.

[keepemhonest]

12:01 PM on 09/14/2010

um .... are you 10?

[Broderick Crawford]

11:05 AM on 09/14/2010

Should politicians be in the business of creating jobs? If you believe Harry Reid, then yes. But when you analyze the effect of the 22,000 jobs created at City Center in Las Vegas wouldn't you expect the _unemployment rate to decrease. It did the opposite, it increased. By fooling around in the private sector, Reid just shifted jobs from one property to another and probably aided in the _bankruptcy of the Riviera. In the same timeframe the _unemployment rate went from 10.4% to 14.6% in Las Vegas, the _worst in the nation.

[mashtoe]

11:16 AM on 09/14/2010

Just look at H-1b and you will learn all you need to know about Democrats.

[keepemhonest]

12:06 PM on 09/14/2010

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA ... you are out of your mind

1) GOP Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff signed off on the new regulation to extend the Optional Practical Training period from 12 months to 29 months. OPT authorizes foreign students to work in internships before and after graduation. This action amounted to a de-facto expansion of the H-1B visa program because it allows foreign students to work in the U.S.

2) In 2005 - GOP Homeland security admitted that due to an accounting mistake they issued 10,000 more visas than authorized by Congress.

3) 2002 President W signed H.R. 2215, This bill includes a provision that allows H-1B visa holders to extend their stay beyond the statutory six-year period if a labor certification has been pending for at least 365 days. This "7th Year Extension" allows H-1B visa holders to continue to get extensions until he/she gets a Green Card.

Mashtoe ... Joe Wilson says YOU LIE.

[keepemhonest]

12:13 PM on 09/14/2010

President George H.W. Bush's signing of the "Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1990" is often considered the day H-1B was born.

Now ... go tell whoever it is that provides you with L I E S that one more L I E of yours has been DEBUNKED.

[keepemhonest]

12:02 PM on 09/14/2010

and I don't suppose the governor of Nevada or the state legislators have any role in the unemployment rate ... all Ried huh ....sure ... sure ... sure.

[Broderick Crawford]

01:22 PM on 09/14/2010

I really don't think that any politician has been responsible for job losses. The people of Nevada voted to increase minimum wage beyond federal minimums and tie it to inflation. It is just that Reid is showing as a campaign commercial that he created 22,000 jobs at City Center. Preposterous.

[suz1941]

10:43 AM on 09/14/2010

As is her history in Alaska, $arah has a way of leaving bodies along the way to reach her political goals. Alaskans seem to know this. Maybe the lower 48 and that foreign country, Hawaii, where Obama was born, are beginning to understand this. It hasn't been easy with the media never holding her accountable, too lazy to do the indepth research required and of course, she is the cash cow for ratings.

Sarah has always thought she was special and required privilege. The Frontiersman in Alaska has been writing about this since 1997. Some states in the lower 48 are on to her, mainly because they are seeing the "mean" in her. She now thinks she can't that Alaskan "big fish in a little pond" attitude and make it work down here. I think at the end of the day, she is going to be dead wrong. She's burning bridges and may one day be for that Bridge to Nowhere that she was for before she was against it.

[Clint Abear]

10:37 AM on 09/14/2010

UNION YES !!!!!

[amd02148]

05:38 AM on 09/14/2010

and people will actually for Angle.

[beebster]

12:35 AM on 09/14/2010

If the rethugs have their way we can say goodby to our unions, workplace safety, pensions, public education, medicare, social security, The EPA and all of the rest of our regulatory agencies, unemployment, and say hello to MEXICO! Thats what they do and we will be exactly like Mexico, its every man for himself and screw you if you cant make it on your own! We will be a country for the rich and drug cartels!

[Sassys]

02:30 AM on 09/14/2010

And unlike us the Mexicans will welcome us with open arms! I agree with you big time!

[amd02148]

05:40 AM on 09/14/2010

I meant to say and people will actually vote for Angle.

[Janetshusb]

11:30 PM on 09/13/2010

Corporations and the wealthy band together. They don't bargain like unions do, they simply buy a senator or representative or two or three. It's done quietly, subtly. It never makes the papers. The results have been spectacular. Since 1970, corporations and the wealthy have been transferring wealth out of the middle class and into their coffers. They have not worked harder they have simply banded together and gotten Congress to do their bidding. Why should unions not do the same thing for workers? The wealthy will never pay workers what their labor is truly worth out of the goodness of their hearts. Unions are the only way workers labor will get the respect and pay it deserves.

[CaraTaylor]

11:28 PM on 09/13/2010

Trumka, you are my hero. FINALLY, someone taking ACTION!!

What can I do to help?!?

[Mare Cvetkovska]

09:49 PM on 09/13/2010

So the Public Opinion is against the Union in major part!
How do We fight the bad publicity?
By raising the Public awareness of the benefits of Unionisation, and also by setting up a New Agenda that will make people join the Union.
There is no reason why the tiniest work force, let's say in some Starbucks in Minnesota not to go Union ( for example Culinary) but if they need some better working condition (raise) and they stop working, then every Culinary member should stop working, and every member of the numerous Unionised other professions, not just in Minnesota but all over the US, in every city!
Who do you think will call the mayor of that city in Minnesota to help resolve the demand of five workers in Starbucks?
That is how the Unions are strong in Europe, and also because they bring lots of beckon, all the time: some new benefits for their workers, more vacations, paid days off, and raise of wages each time to offset the cost of living due to a change in the global economy: for example: gas prises! The big Corporation do that all the time, no reason why the workers can even ask through their representative force aka Union!
No need to say that to accomplish that The Congress should bring the Employee Free Choice Act to the President to sign into a Law of the Country, and for that Progressives and Union need to come together with the whole workforce!

[beebster]

12:38 AM on 09/14/2010

We have the Service Employees Union which the rethugs hate.

[Clint Abear]

10:38 AM on 09/14/2010

Unions in target and walmart

[Mare Cvetkovska]

01:44 PM on 09/14/2010

They should be first, cause they employ so many people!
And if they tell you that will raise the prices, ask them: how much?
Those retail chain sell so many different merchandise they are able to dictate the price toward the producers, the cost of human resource is insignificant compering with that power trade.
Marie?

[RogerKlotz]

08:15 PM on 09/13/2010

The AFL-CIO needs to blast itself for artificially jacking up the cost of labor all of these years..

[bcarb]

08:32 PM on 09/13/2010

Why would you care if middle class people get a fair wage and a safe work envirionment. Are you advocatinng for the CEOs to get millions more instead? They aren't going to pass the savings on to the consumer.

[RogerKlotz]

08:36 PM on 09/13/2010

I'm as middle class as the next guy but i dont like it when I cant get the same job as a union guy bcuz im not in the union.. Pick people on merit - not on union affiliation..

[simple mind]

08:39 PM on 09/13/2010

Artificial? Why is it when Wall Street execs make a gazillion bucks, its free market competition and when workers try to get a raise or benefits its "artificial"? Yep, like Sharon Angle says, all those benefits just make us soft. Tell your grandmother to toughen up after 28 years on the assembly line. She ought to suck it up and go pull on that greeter's vest down at the Walmart. We don't need no social security or unemployment or health care or ........

[RogerKlotz]

08:41 PM on 09/13/2010

No one is talking about the elderly and you know it..

These CEOs get paid the big bucks because they bring in the most cheddar.. Some joe blow union folks couldnt touch the money a CEO brings into the company.

[bcarb]

08:42 PM on 09/13/2010

I am honored to be your first fan.

[bcarb]

08:15 PM on 09/13/2010

Sorry folks, forget to add my link to the below comment.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdCMRFeO6s0&feature=fvw

[bcarb]

08:13 PM on 09/13/2010

Here is something sad about the sneaky GOPher in congress. It would be funny, it it wasn't true.

[buckeyedave]

08:02 PM on 09/13/2010

This is a story the HP news hawks must have overlooked.
http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory?id=11617019

[drumz]

08:12 PM on 09/13/2010

I'm sure that Mom & Pop organization ABC News puts their workers ahead of the bottom line so that would be a good source of information. And then if I really want to solidify my h8 for the American worker I'll tune into faux where they will tell me about the big bad unions destroying jobs, the jobs that were supposed to be created after 10 years of tax cuts for the wealthy.

I just remembered, isn't ABC the channel that thinks a sitcom about outsourcing jobs would be funny? And you want to use them as a source about the plight of stagnant wages of the American worker? Wow!

[patricksmom]

11:41 PM on 09/13/2010

Yeah according to the GOOP it is better to let tax cuts to the wealthy trickle down to us than to insist on pay and benefits for the work we do. Boy has that ever worked.