This union spent $85 million for the last campaign. Their president, Andy Stern was quoted:”SEIU is on the field, it’s in the White House, it’s in the administration.” This, in a video to members. Is it no wonder that Arlen Specter, the man with no integrity, is trying to make another push on “card check”?
The union actually took out loans to make the campaign contributions since the dues from members would not cover the expenses in time. They cut their staff to cover the excess, adding them to the unemployment rolls. Other big campaign contributors were: the American Federation of State, Country, and Municipal Employees, $63 million, or 32% of total expenses, Teamsters, $13 million, or 7% of their annual budget. The UAW, $11 million, or 4% of their budget.
The SEIU has 1,8 million members, janitors, security guards, and health-care workers. Why would this union risk bankruptcy to spend the money of low paid employees to get Democrats elected?
First, they expect to get card check so they can increase their membership by big numbers. Second, they expect to get universal health care so they can increase their membership.
Will they get what they bought? So far they have three ranking employees of the SEIU in high posts in the Obama administration. Patrick Gaspard is the White House political director, Craig Ecker was named to the National Labor Relations Board, and Anna Burger is a member of the President’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board. It seems logical to have someone who participated in overspending in a union to be on the advisory board. Explains a lot.
Look what the UAW has gotten for a cheesy $11 million. They will have a third of Chrysler and at least that much in ownership of GM, plus a $10 billion from the government to their health care trust fund. Now, that’s leverage.
It is conceivable that the SEIU won’t get card check? Once they get that, the big target is Walmart. Stop the organization that is the salvation for poor people who need bargain prices to balance their budgets. Stop the company that is already providing cheap drugs to people who can’t afford drug store prices. Stop the savings to Medicare that Walmart provides. All in the name of buying what you need from politicians who are always for sale.
With guys like Arlen Specter on the team, they will save their union. If not, they may go broke based on this big bet. What will growing the union do for the janitors whose dues paid for this? Nothing. It’s all for the power of one Andy Stern. Obama wants bigger government and Stern wants a bigger union.
Interestingly, the SEIU is closely aligned with ACORN. Thugs love thugs. Graft loves more graft. Working together they can wash each other’s hands. ACORN delivers votes that don’t exist. They intimidate anyone who doesn’t play ball. They use the SEIU to help get money from congress. They will work on the census and probably use union SEIU employees to run up the tab.
Where is Rod Blagojevich when you need him? He could help Obama fine tune this relationship for even more votes and money.
