The Employee Free Choice challenge by CO-06 candidate David Canter and Darcy Burner

'studying it' (0.00 / 0)

that sounds like an invitation to me.


"What's the use of a fine house if you haven't got a tolerable planet to put it on?"
Henry David Thoreau

www.praer.org

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by: wade norris @ Sun Mar 01, 2009 at 13:17:24 PM CST

Confirmation? (0.00 / 0)

So we can confirm that DeGette, Salazar and Markey are co-sponsoring EFCA? That is an established fact? If true this is very good news and reflects a significant change from their positions just a few weeks ago. I'm glad to hear that.

As to the Senators, the last I heard Udall was explicitly ducking labor's reps on the issue while meeting with business interests.

Bennet will be interesting, if he has the cover of Reps like Salazar and Markey then I see no reason why he shouldn't sign on. From a purely political perspective he needs the ground troops in 2010.

What about Jared Polis? Is he going to step up on this critical piece of legislation or not? Seems that a lot of progressives worked very hard to get him elected, is he going to fold at the first test?  

http://steampoweredopinions.bl...

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by: Steve Balboni @ Sun Mar 01, 2009 at 13:41:58 PM CST

confirm (4.00 / 1)

This is confirmed and public according to the labor people I've spoken with.  Since the bill isn't yet introduced there is no formal list of sponsors attached to the bill.  Co-sponsor status comes from in person meetings with labor reps.  So, this is sort of along the lines of a whip count.

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by: johne @ Sun Mar 01, 2009 at 20:03:51 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Support (4.00 / 7)

I strongly support the right to organize and plan on supporting the Employee Free Choice Act both in my Committee (Education and Labor) and on the House floor.

We have to make sure that our recovery lifts all boats, and the ability to organize is, now more than ever, critical for working families.

Jared Polis
polis.house.gov

Jared Polis

www.polisforcongress.com

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by: jpolis @ Sun Mar 01, 2009 at 15:33:12 PM CST

Thank you! (4.00 / 1)

Really appreciate the prompt answer Congressman and thank you for supporting EFCA. We need strong leadership from Democrats like yourself who are in safe blue districts, I;m heartened by your stance.  

http://steampoweredopinions.bl...

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by: Steve Balboni @ Sun Mar 01, 2009 at 17:44:34 PM CST

[ Parent ]

thank you (4.00 / 1)

without that being said during the panel, I had to leave it ambiguous.

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by: johne @ Sun Mar 01, 2009 at 19:57:36 PM CST

[ Parent ]

And of course (4.00 / 1)

thank you for being able to make the event despite your tight schedule.  I hope you were able to make your flight.

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by: johne @ Sun Mar 01, 2009 at 20:04:35 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Jared Polis You're My Hero (0.00 / 0)

This is from that movie, but not exactly what I am referencing.

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by: sufimarie @ Mon Mar 02, 2009 at 16:33:28 PM CST

[ Parent ]

You're missing the other half of the challenge... (4.00 / 1)

Namely, what are you going to do for Bennet or anyone else facing election next year if they vote for free choice?

I'm seeing a lot of people shaking their fists and making threats, but what if Mike Bennet does the right thing, and votes for it? Are you going to reward good behavior?

I'm going to be brutally honest here: we're good at making threats, but no good at, you know, actually carrying them out. To quote a noted urban poet:

Pray for him, cause some fools just love to perform
You know the type loud as a motor bike
But wouldn't bust a grape in a fruit fight

Assume Sen. Bennet votes for free choice -- what then? Are we going to reward that vote? For that matter, other than clapping and cheering, are we going to reward Rep. Markey with money and time?

From my vantage point, I'd have to say that the answer is "not bloody likely". Of course the interested organizations will reward her -- it's in their interest to do so.

But what about us? Where's the donation link to reward Markey? And if Sen. Bennet votes for free choice, are we still going to talk about a primary challenge against him?

I'm sick of hearing people complain about their representatives, and not do a damn thing to reward good behavior. I'd love to be proved wrong.

ad astra, per aspera // keep calm & carry on

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by: rnoboa @ Mon Mar 02, 2009 at 17:07:44 PM CST

well (0.00 / 0)

I guess I just can't do anything right can i?

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by: johne @ Mon Mar 02, 2009 at 19:14:27 PM CST

[ Parent ]

It isn't about you (4.00 / 1)

It's about using a carrot & stick.

Whenever I go to a large gathering, I hear a lot more people complaining than not.

Think of it this way: when I first became active in Colorado politics, both houses of the legislature, both Senators, the Governor, the Treasurer & the Secretary of State and 5 of the 7 Representatives were Republican. That was in 2002-2003.

Six years later, that margin is exactly reversed. The only significant Republican office holders in Colorado are the Attorney General, a sophomore Congressman, and his freshman sidekick.

You wouldn't necessarily realize that was the case if you'd attended Saturday's event. I'm not saying you have to be all happy happy joy joy -- there's a lot of work to be done, and we should never settle for less -- but there's got to be some recognition that the ground has shifted a tiny bit.

Again -- it's about using a carrot and a stick. Focus on Bennet, sure, but make clear that there's something in it for him for voting the right way, and use Markey and what you've done for her as the example for Bennet to follow.  

ad astra, per aspera // keep calm & carry on

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by: rnoboa @ Mon Mar 02, 2009 at 20:51:31 PM CST

[ Parent ]

i thought (0.00 / 0)

that's what I did by highlighting Markey's support, especially Cerbo's explanation of it.

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by: johne @ Mon Mar 02, 2009 at 21:29:46 PM CST

[ Parent ]

That's just the beginning (0.00 / 0)

Separate the two -- one is a stick (the challenge), the other is a carrot (raising funds & support for Markey, Polis and other politicians that support free choice).

The stick isn't much use without the carrot. The other thing is, I'm opposed to making threats -- because you've just put yourself in a corner.

Let's say Sen. Bennet votes against free choice. What then? You've threatened him, and he's crossed you. How do you respond?

ad astra, per aspera // keep calm & carry on

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by: rnoboa @ Mon Mar 02, 2009 at 22:04:45 PM CST

[ Parent ]

The DCCC (0.00 / 0)

Is going to pour a lot of time and money into CD-4 next year. That was a big victory for them last year, and there's no way they're going to let their investment go to waste.

As far as Michael Bennet, you bring up a good point. If he votes yes, then what is the party going to do to help him ride the storm out and win in 2010. If he votes no, are they going to punish him for doing something that he may not necessarily have wanted to do, but did anyway for political expedience?

I don't really have an answer for you, but you bring up a lot of good points.

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by: redstateblues @ Tue Mar 03, 2009 at 10:26:38 AM CST

[ Parent ]

The point that I'm trying to make is (4.00 / 1)

We're separate from the D-Trip, labor, the party, etc. We are our own constituency -- or at least, we like saying that.

If that's the case, then we need our own carrot & stick. The fact that the D-Trip will put money into CD4 doesn't relieve us from responsibility for supporting & opposing candidates.

We're part of the party and its institutions, but the party is bigger than us. If there are issues that are important to us, it doesn't necessarily follow that those issues are also important to the party at large.

That's why I'm stressing capacity building, among other things. I think that we need to start building up the off-line structures to build up the on-line structures that we already have.

Quick example: there's a link to a SquareState small donor committee. How many asks have been made to replenish the coffers of that committee? How many donations have been made? And that's just one thing.

The reason that I'm getting exercised about all this is that this "challenge" is the bare minimum. What's next?

ad astra, per aspera // keep calm & carry on

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by: rnoboa @ Tue Mar 03, 2009 at 12:34:59 PM CST

[ Parent ]

I'm with you (0.00 / 0)

I think that we need to start building up the off-line structures to build up the on-line structures that we already have.

Couldn't have said it better myself. If you have any ideas, I'd love to hear about them. My e-mail address is redstateblues2008@gmail.com

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by: redstateblues @ Wed Mar 04, 2009 at 10:44:04 AM CST

[ Parent ]