The Revenge Of The Haggis

by dday

Arlen Specter joins the obstructionist caucus on worker’s rights.

Some big news emerged Tuesday in regards to the debate over the Employee Free Choice Act, with a prominent Republican strategist declaring that Sen. Arlen Specter will vote against cloture on and passage of the bill.

Americans for Tax Reform president Grover Norquist broke the news during a speech at the Capital Research Center Labor Summit, saying that Specter’s chief of staff had let it be known that he would oppose the legislation, which would make it easier for unions to organize. Norquist’s remarks were subsequently reported on the Twitter account of Larry Farnsworth — the former Speechwriter and Deputy Press Secretary to Speaker Dennis Hastert — and seconded by Dave Weigel of the Washington Independent.

It’s Norquist, so wait for confirmation, but apparently Specter will make a statement available today, so let’s see if that happens… Updated, Greg Sargent confirms that Specter said this on the floor of the Senate a couple minutes ago. He had no good option, so now labor will pummel him in the general election instead of Pat Toomey pummeling him in the primary. A pummeling either way.

If it does, I think the Labor Department and the Justice Department need to look at what regulatory authority they have to put employers in jail for illegally firing and intimidating workers attempting to organize.

I know what I extrapolate. Republicans (and a handful of Democrats, probably) do not want to give workers the free choice to peaceably and legally assemble in support of their own rights. That’s the bottom line. The working conservative majority in the Senate remains. Lots of work still to do.

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