Senator Arlen Specter Is Ignorant Or Lying About Employee Free Choice Act

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.laborradio.org/node/10933

By Doug Cunningham

On the Employee Free Choice Act labor law reform Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter is either ignorant or he’s lying when he says.

: “I could not support it when it eliminated the secret ballot. If they get a fifty percent plus one the union is recognized and there is not the current procedure of having a secret ballot election."

Specter is dead wrong. The National Labor Relations Act says when 30 percent of workers file with the board, an election shall be called. When the workers decide to file. If the Employee Free Choice Act passes workers could still do that. What changes is that workers could choose instead to get 50 percent plus one to sign union cards and then the employer would be required by the law to respect the workers choice to form a union. Senator Arlen Specter is either ignorant or lying when he says this about the Employee Free Choice Act.

: “The choice act has an entirely new procedure where you collect cards."

Specter is dead wrong again. Union cards aren’t newly created by this reform. They’re used under current law – but only if the employer chooses to allow them. The Employee Free Choice lets workers choose to use union cards to organize unions.

It may be possible Specter isn’t lying OR ignorant here. Maybe he's just singing the tune paid for by more than $230,000 in campaign cash from the union busting law firm Blank Rome LLP.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. Arlen Sphincter is a Republican. Therefore he's lying.

[Lasher]

2. He is playing to the GOP base.

Look for a lot of that from him. There's a chance he might not get the GOP nomination in his bid for re-election in the midterms and that's where he's coming from.

[Bandit]

3. At this stage I don't expect it to pass anyway

Business is still far more powerful than Unions when it comes to Congress. Congress is fueled by money and power.

[Ikonoklast]

4. 'Yes' to both.

He is now, and has always been nothing more than a useful tool to keep one Republican vote in the Senate.

He panders to the middle when allowed to on votes that the Republics know that they'll lose and are therefore meaningless, but whenever push comes to shove, he scurries back to his monied master's feet and heels like the good dog that he is.

And there are Democrats that 'respect' his individuality.

:eyes:

[MADem]

6. It's not "respect" so much as it is that they know they can "get" him on some issues.

And half a loaf is better than none.

He'd be a tough (read: EXPENSIVE) one to unseat. That's why they cut their losses, spend their money where they think it will produce more bang for the buck, work with him in the interim, and bide their time until he retires.

It's a cost-benefit analysis. There's no mendacity behind it.

[Ikonoklast]

9. Yeah, I know, but Specter irritates the hell out of me.

He seems to be a man with no convictions whatsoever outside of whatever is politically expedient and self-serving at the same time.

Pennsylvania deserves better.

[MADem]

10. He does me, too. Everytime you think he has a brain in his head, he disappoints.

He'll roll along, saying the "right" things about this issue and that, and then do a one-eighty and act like an ass.

PA does deserve better, you're right about that too. He's just entrenched, though--it'll be tough to pry him loose.

[tech3149]

12. I used to try and defend him as at least being reasonable

but watching his votes and statements more closely revealed one thing that encompasses his career. It's all about Arlen. He'll do anything or say anything he sees as perpetuating or furthering his career. I just hope the state Dem party doesn't kneecap a good candidate like Pennacchio for some pink tutu Dem to run against Toomey. Specter has to know he's done.

[xchrom]

5. that's what republick party people do -- lie. nt

[Phred42]

7. These are not mutually exclusive

[old mark]

8. Whatever Specter might be, he is not ignorant. He is a republican

down to his shoes, going back to his service on the Warren Commission. He has made a lot of money from PACs and is one of the best senators money can buy.

mark

[L0oniX]

11. OMG ...a senator who is ignorant or lying? Who da thunk it?

:shrug: