Want to know Obama's position on EFCA?

[Political Heretic]

- DATE: February 1st

- DATE: February 12

http://www.seiu.org/2009/03/president-obama-we-will-pass-the-employee-free-choice-act.php|President Obama: "We will pass the Employee Free Choice Act> - DATE: March 4th


THEN, The Employee Free Choice Act is Introduced to Congress - now its real. Now its not just talk. It's really happening. - DATE: MARCH 10th

After this date? - the Administration got very quiet.

Setting aside the difference between talking about supporting a bill when it doesn't actually need support yet, and supporting it when it matters - after its introduced, three links to minor statements is hardly what I would consider making the passage of EFCA a policy priority. You think when we get to Health Care you're only going to be able to dig up a couple of weak statements of action-less support? No. You'll see a complete campaign. You'll be reminded what making something a policy priority looks like. 24/7. Remember how Bush blitzed on the Iraq War? That's what a president does when they are absolutely committed to getting a priority done no matter what.

He sends is staff out everywhere, to every show, in every media market. He tours the country. He raise money / spends money. Imagine what this amazing, stunning communicator could have done with a prime time press conference on EFCA. People who say "we don't have the votes" - you are the ones playing politics as usual. I'm the one dreaming about what this President could do if he chose....

And its not just my opinion. Here's the hard left's impression about the activity of the Administration in support of EFCA, via the Socialist Worker:

The White House also kept EFCA at arms' length and avoided putting any pressure on members of congress to support the legislation. And when Vice President Joe Biden spoke to union leaders about EFCA, cameras weren't allowed to cover the proceedings. Thus, when the bill was reintroduced on March 10, several former sponsors of the 2007 version of the legislation had already gone AWOL.

Why? Well, it's one thing for the Democrats to vote for pro-union legislation when there's no chance of it actually becoming law. It's quite another to do so when it is possible.

http://socialistworker.org/2009/04/03/efca-on-the-ropes

And now, here's what the hard right's right's impression about how much the Administration was doing in support of EFCA via Forbes Magazine, and this one comes from mid February, and the Business Right already knew they were in the clear:

Obama's Welcome Silence On The Employee Free Choice Act
Richard A. Epstein, 02.10.09, 12:00 AM EST
The president checks himself on card checks.

Just about a year ago today, candidate Barack Obama received a full-throated endorsement from Andy Stern, the savvy and aggressive president of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), for his unstinting support of labor-backed initiatives in both the Illinois and U.S. Senate.

In part, Stern's endorsement has paid off with a presidential boost of two ill-advised labor measures, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and the Paycheck Fairness Act. But for Stern and the SEIU the real political payoff was supposed to come from the passage of the misnamed Employee Free Choice Act.

Without doubt, the EFCA would introduce the most avulsive change in labor law since the passage of the National Labor Relations Act of 1935, which made mandatory collective bargaining between management and labor the law of the land.

Today President Obama, who has moved hard on many fronts, has maintained a wise and judicious silence on the EFCA. Thankfully, the current bill has garnered somewhat less political support in Congress than it did a year ago when it sailed through the House only to die for the want of 60 votes in the Senate.

http://www.forbes.com/2009/02/09/card-checks-efca-opinions-columnists_0210_richard_epstein.html

So, the hard left realizes that the Obama administration quietly stepped back from EFCA once it was introduced. The hard right was already thanking Obama for keeping quiet (and as I will describe below, those tame statements are indeed keeping quiet), and the only ones that can't seem to understand why some people are disappointed are right here at DU.

Finally, in response to this thread:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x8319623

Which has since spawned its own fan thread:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x8319664

I have this to say:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=8319623&mesg_id=8319953

[cali]

1. He supports it.

and using the socialist worker as a source is no different than using worldnut daily.

EFCA is dead for now and the Administration is unlikely to try and spearhead a lost battle.

[Political Heretic]

3. Try reading next time.

You'll see why I would say that to your response if you do.

[cali]

5. oh, I read your entire dissembling little screed, dear.

though I confess to not clicking on your links. your whining would be more convincing if you tried using some fucking honesty.

[Political Heretic]

8. What part was dishonest?

I would like to correct it.

[Political Heretic]

14. Okay well I work nights so I have to go to bed...

But I'm still waiting to know what was dishonest so I can fix it.

[Reterr]

25. "No Dear"

"People don't have the fucking time to spend doing repugnant things like fucking explaining jack and shit to your lazy ass cause you are PIG IGNORANT. Get over yourself cupcake"

Or something like that I suspect would be the response...


That is not my response to you PH, but there are some people on this board that sound like they are foaming at the mouth all the time and their isn't whole lot there except rudeness. I feel so much smarter after having read some of that :eyes:.

[Political Heretic]

29. That is an awesome picture!

I likey

[Reterr]

26. This is high quality debate right here

Good God :eyes:.

I hope to see an appreciation thread soon here. Anyone who swears this indiscriminately, has such brief posts and calls people whiners, haters etc. in response to everything deserves an appreciation thread around here.

[girl gone mad]

32. :)

:rofl:

[Kdillard]

2. Can I ask what you and others on the Hard left were doing to

let The administration know that this was important and needed to be passed?
As far as I can see Obama and Joe Biden have publicly let their support be known but they can't do everything. If only 12% of the people are following this closely according to Gallup there is a bigger problem than Obama not being vocal enough. I also didn't see many threads here with articles about this urging for letters or calls to Senators or writing letter campaigns against those attacking EFCA or action calls being done to garner support. However when it comes time to lay blame of course it goes to Obama.

[Political Heretic]

6. I agree there are many problems. In fact right now there are two that I consider critical

The first one I've talked about here.

The second one was also written about by Andy Turl, and that is the strategy of organized labor, namely Change to Win and the AFL-CIO. The AFL-CIO is where I was involved.

They chose to focus on a numbers game of vote-getting rather than a strong grass roots campaign. Turl writes about this much much better than I can, you can see his critique here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=8319714&mesg_id=8319714

It wasn't that people weren't on the ground, speaking in the community, writing letters, calling Washington. But building a groundswell of public support wasn't the focal strategy for Labor, and that was not a good choice in my view.


So.... while all this is true I disagree with the basic premise of your post. If only 12% of the people are following this closely, that kind of reinforces the fact that the administration elected to not make this a policy priority. If they did, all it would take is one prime time press conference and everyone in the country would be following.

[Kdillard]

10. Thanks for that response. So I would like to know what happens next?

Is the AFL-CIO giving up along with the other unions? I would think now is the time to regroup and put real pressure on this administration to support unions. I would hope they would be in contact with the Labor Secretary Solis and others to regroup and get this thing going again and passed. I was very concerned about the stance this administration has taken on hb1 visas and I am waiting to see their action on companies that continually outsource US jobs. Obama has been very clear that he can't do everything alone if we want something like workers being protected and stopping the bleeding of US jobs to overseas we need to stop putting blame on after the fact and do something when there is a chance of getting stuff done.

[Political Heretic]

12. They won't give up. IMO if its too late to pass EFCA as is, then we need to get it killed.

What we can't have is a gutless compromise that strips out everything valuable to workers. If a weakened pro-business "EFCA" gets passed, it will set labor back another decade. Once something like this gets passed, its incredibly hard to generate the momentum to "improve" or "revisit" later.

Hopefully, there are enough strong union supporters to keep a weaken compromise from getting through, but honestly we need to be paying attention to that right now.

After that - I'm not sure right now. I need to regroup from this disappointment. I know many people don't agree, but in my opinion this COULD have been done. And I know many people don't agree with this either, but I feel that rebuilding unions is almost more important than any other priority we could have right now.

[Kdillard]

16. I absolutely agree with your statement that rebuilding the strength

of the unions should be a priority. I too would rather it be scrapped and the battle taken up at a later time than have a weak compromise be given that doesn't do what it is supposed to do. I was glad to read that labor unions were saying no when asked for changes to be done to EFCA that would scrap the whole point of getting the legislation passed. Now Joe Biden has said that labor is welcomed back in the White House, Obama has said he supports it and we have a pro union Labor Secretary in Solis. I am hoping that the unions use this to their advantage and comes up with a better strategy and has the White House putting its money where its mouth is for unions.

[babylonsister]

4. Don't we have different branches of government?

Perhaps the executive branch, after citing their opinion, tried to let the system work. After Specter caved, then Feinstein did, what should they have done?

And it's not a done deal, but you keep stirring. Because that's your job.

[Political Heretic]

7. What we have is a basic understanding of how politics works

You think that the president is going to sit quietly by and "let the system" work on health care? No, because that is a major policy priority for this Administration. When it comes down to a real health care reform bill in congress, he will be blitzing the media and so will his staff, they will be on every talk show, radio, in print, writing op-eds in every major paper, spending money, and behind the scenes, people like Rahm will be twisting arms and threatening to run challengers in people's primaries.

You know this perfectly well. You are simply being difficult.

You say "I keep stirring" like its a bad thing. I'm proud to be stirring on this issue.

[babylonsister]

9. Hold on. Unlike you, I

sincerely think Obama wants every American to be covered. He has some champions on his side for this cause. How it eventually goes down will depend on the push back he gets, which will be enormous because of the money at stake (yes, insurance companies and their tentacles).

We will get what everyone can live with, and I'm sure just about everyone will have a complaint about the final product. In a perfect world, we'd get what 'we' want. Too bad this isn't a perfect world.

I'm being difficult? Is this not a discussion board?

And yes, keep stirring. :)

[Political Heretic]

13. I think you misunderstood.

I haven't taken a position on health care. I was using it as an example because it seems pretty clear that it is a policy priority for the administration. And what I was saying was, you don't think Obama and his administration will quietly sit on the sideliness and just "see what Congress does?"

Other people have said something similar, implying that Obama's hands are tied and its all up to congress. What I'm saying is that we know that's not how Presidents work. They and their staff lobby heavily in congress for their agenda, and they use the media and appeal to the public in extremely aggressive campaigns when it is a priority to them.

So I'm saying that I feel that if this had been a major policy priority for the President, his actions would have been different, and I feel that might have impacted the outcome of EFCA. And even if it didn't I believe it was the right fight, if for not other reason then to awaken the public to the need and value of a strong labor movement.

[babylonsister]

15. OK, thanks for the explanation.

I don't have an answer. I think EFCA was really important for so many people, but maybe they're walking through a minefield and picking the fights they think they can win, or the ones they have prioritized as crucial.

[FreakinDJ]

11. garnered somewhat less political support in Congress - after the election

typical

[Aloha Spirit]

17. Thanks for the post.... I don't know much about this

I appreciate the effort, and from what I've read, you are defending your position honestly.

Good night!

[democrattotheend]

18. What the press is reporting on this is wrong

I work in the labor movement, and I can't go into detail, but I have reason to believe that some of the media reports about President Obama being secretly glad that Specter sold us out and EFCA looks less likely are false, and that the president remains committed to the bill. It may not be his top priority, but with everything on his plate right now I wouldn't expect it to be.

[Political Heretic]

19. Let me be clear: I do NOT think Obama is "secretly glad" Specter sold us out

I'm not implying that you were saying that of me either, but I just wanted to make the clear. I'm saying that I feel disappointed that he did not make it a policy priority for his administration.

[Kdillard]

21. Thank you for that insider viewpoint on the matter. I was happy with

Obama's pick for Labor Sec. and his support of EFCA. I was pleased when Joe Biden said that Labor was welcomed back into the White House. I am going to follow closely and see what the next move is going to be and in the meantime try to get answers for any action that needs to be taken in support of the labor efforts.

[mkultra]

20. i think this is a combination effect and Obama probably could push it through

if he put all his influence behind it. But right now, i think the provision that removes the secret ballot has a few more conservative democrats standing back making automatic passage difficult.

In truth, its up to Harry Reid to set the agenda and rally the troops. I know obama could fire his load and make it happen but i think that he only has so much political capital and right now, he using that to fight for his economic plan.

It seems really unwise to introduce this bill at this time. I personally feel that economic recover comes before this bill and it doesn't bother me one bit that this is whats happening. I don believe that passage of this bill will help in any short term economic recovery. I also think its naive to believe that he could do both of these things in this political climate.


Keep pushing though. When the time is right, it will get traction.

[Political Heretic]

24. There is NO PROVISION THAT REMOVES THE SECRET BALLOT

You have been PUNKED by the media on that one.

[GrantDem]

27. Been reading to many corporate apologist talking points???

IT DOES NOT REMOVE THE SECRET BALLOT.

[Citizen Worker]

22. Passage of Employee Free Choice Act

When was the last time Labor went to the wall for something it
wanted?  That's okay because I can't remember either.

If Labor wants this legislation passed then it must mobilize
its members and like minded non-Union supporters and demand
that it pass.

One way to do that might be to shut down Washington, D.C., for
several days and not when congress is on one of its too
numberous recesses.  

"Power concedes nothing without demand."  Time to
mobilize a mass demonstration.

[Political Heretic]

23. Agreed. That should be happening from now until EFCA is passed

If EFCA fails, then the budren is back squarely on unions, its members, and the people to organize and demand that it come back..... when it comes back it is up to both labor and the administration to make it a top priority and fight to get it through

There will never be a climate where this is easy. It will require a major political investment as well as a public one, and that will mean more than a couple press releases prior to the bill even being introduced. That's what "supporting" EFCA actually means when we decide to get serious about it.

[joshcryer]

28. You deserve your own fan thread, but I know you're more mature, and more reverent than that.

So posting such a thread would be an insult.

Thanks for showing people here how politics work, even if they're ignoring it.

[AtomicKitten]

30. Obama supports EFCA.

Again because you seem stuck in a groove here, you ASSUME he's single-handedly preventing it's passage when the truth is he's just not dancing the way you want. It's not like he's got a clusterf*ck to sort out, right?

EFCA has sprung a leak. Spector backed out and Feinstein started barking. If you want to blame someone, blame the ConservaDouches.

[Political Heretic]

31. Not in anything other than symbol

Which is part of the reason why the wheels came off the wagon in the first place. Part.

[Hanse]

33. I'd like to know your position on EFCA.

Given you're fundamentally dishonest on Obama's position, I doubt your expressed position on the subject.