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In major boost, AFL-CIO endorses Specter (Updated)
Senator Arlen Specter won the endorsement of the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO on Tuesday, giving the longtime incumbent the most politically potent labor support in the state and the organizational boost that comes with it.
Specter, who’s been endorsed by the umbrella union organization twice before when he was still a Republican, had doggedly pursued the endorsement. His efforts paid off when he won more than the two-thirds vote needed from the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO Executive Council. With less than seven weeks to go before his primary showdown with Congressman Joe Sestak (D-7), the state’s organized labor community is almost entirely behind Specter. The state AFL-CIO represents more than 900,000 workers in affiliated unions.
“In our opinion Senator Arlen Specter is the strongest advocate and supporter for good jobs, fair trade policies, workers’ rights and quality affordable health care for all,” state AFL-CIO president Bill George said in a statement. “He is a proven leader who has stood with working families when the chips are down, especially his key role in passing the American Recovery and Reinvestment of 2009 which has protected jobs, helped unemployed workers, and prevented this nation from sinking into another great depression.
“Throughout his career in the U. S. Senate,” George added, “he has stood with Pennsylvania’s working families fighting against unfair trade policies that destroy good jobs, fighting for workers’ rights and equal opportunity, and fighting to protect Pennsylvania communities and workers against unfair budget cuts during the Bush administration.”
The organization said it would “conduct an energetic and aggressive education and mobilization campaign of union families throughout Pennsylvania” on behalf of Specter.
Before Specter switched parties last year, the AFL-CIO had offered to have its members register as Republicans and help him prevail in a GOP primary—if Specter would support cloture on the controversial Employee Free Choice Act. Specter turned down the entreaty, but since leaving the Republican Party last April, he has promised to pursue a compromise on the legislation, organized labor’s top legislative priority.
The state AFL-CIO had not yet announced its endorsements for the other statewide races of for congressional races as of mid-afternoon on Tuesday. The group also endorsed Specter for reelection in the 1998 and 2004 general elections.
“I will continue to fight hard for Pennsylvania’s working families,” Specter said in a statement. “It is very meaningful to have the backing of Pennsylvania’s working men and women, 900,000 strong, especially in a Democratic primary.”
In a statement later, Sestak’s campaign noted that the congressman has a higher lifetime rating from the AFL-CIO than Specter.
“Joe Sestak is in this race for the working families—who have been ignored far too long by Washington—and labor is their backbone,” campaign spokesman Jonathon Dworkin said. “Joe understands that the Democratic establishment decided to pursue a 60th vote and officially support Arlen Specter despite his 61 percent lifetime voting record from the AFL-CIO. But as we get closer to real working families, our support grows, as we’ve seen from our strong backing by local union chapters. Pennsylvania workers need a Senator they can count on to be there when they need him, not only when he needs them during an election. Joe is proud of his 97 percent voting record with the AFL-CIO and will continue to fight to reverse the disastrous Bush-Specter economic policies that harmed so many hardworking Pennsylvanians.”
See a video clip from a news conference that followed the endorsement below, courtesy of the Specter campaign.
March 30, 2010 at 2:15 pm
Tags: Arlen Specter, Joe Sestak
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TheLuzErrs
Mar 30th, 2010
BOOM! There goes the USS Joe Sestak, only this torpedo is UNION MADE!
HateSestak
Mar 30th, 2010
Senator Specter is endorsed by the AFL-CIO – unlike Representatitve Sestak, who was endorsed by a morally depraved ex-congressman who fondled the genitals of innocent males. Meanwhile, its March 30 – and still no advertisements from the belleagured Representative Sestak. Down 20% in public opinion polls – but no advertisements. It should be becoming evident to any empirical observer that something is amiss here.
HateSestak
Mar 30th, 2010
TheLuzErrs: Indeed. The only notable labor organization to endorse Representative Sestak is Wendell Young IV’s UFCW Local 1776. Curious, is it not?
Bruce Bailey
Mar 30th, 2010
More top-down politics. As great a force as organized labor is, they tend to be clueless about endorsements. Witness their support for Doug Pike as further evidence.
Just as I was disappointed when they endorsed Republican Specter in ’98 and ’04, I’m not surprised to see them repeat the error for Republican-pretending-to-be-Democrat Specter in ’10.
STEELBLITZ1
Mar 30th, 2010
Clueless…
That should be Sestaks campaign slogan Bruce. I think you are onto something there.
HateSestak
Mar 30th, 2010
STEELBLITZ1: Clueless indeed. When he is relegated to the ash heap of history (or perhaps a federal prison) in the near future, Sestak will still insist his prospects are bright. Delusions of grandeur.
HateSestak
Mar 30th, 2010
By the way, I wonder if the staffer who prepared this platitudinous statement also prepares coffee for Sestak in the morning (for minimum wage, of course)? He has so few staffers remaining, you understand…
David Diano
Mar 30th, 2010
Bruce-
If Sestak got the endorsement, you wouldn’t be calling it top-down.
The bottom line (pun intended) is that the union members are a force to be reckoned with on the ground and on the phone come election day for GOTV. Those “undecideds” can certainly use the AFL_CIO to get them off the fence.
If Sestak was an appealing, credible, or plausible candidate who appeared to be who he claimed, he would have had those endorsements. Labor is not going to endorse a candidate whose staff is sorely in need of a union to get decent wages and freedom from abuse.
“a higher lifetime rating from the AFL-CIO than Specter” …. LOL!
Hey, Joe, the way I calculate ratings, getting the actual endorsement really bumps your score.
““Joe Sestak is in this race for the working families…” unless they happen to be working for him on staff.
“Bush-Specter economic policies”? Really? Is that what Joe wants to call them?
What about the Bush-Sestak policy of blank check for Iraq? How about the Cheney-Sestak policy of funding the VP’s office as a 4th, and unaccountable, branch of government?
How about Joe’s Bush-league campaign?
Brett
Mar 31st, 2010
Go Darlin Arlen!!
JP_Montco
Mar 31st, 2010
Aside from a complete Specter implosion there really is no winning formula for Sestak. Sestak has to run the left of Specter (showing the appearances in the ’08 campaign, key votes, Anita Hill, etc.). The problem is, most of the leftists who would be receptive to such a message are in SEPA, the part of the state where Specter is at his strongest.
Anonymous
Mar 31st, 2010
JP_Montco: Your reasoning is flawless. The question arises, therefore: why does Representative Sestak continue his flagging, ill-starred campaign? Victory is clearly beyond the bounds of possibility. It is mindless – unless Sestak is merely attempting to enhance the Legal Defense Fund he will inevitably have to establish, and compel the powers-that-be to bring the ongoing investigations of his activities to a close. There is obviously a battle being waged behind the scenes – a battle Sestak cannot win.
I will raise the question yet again: if Sestak is a legitimate candidate, why have no advertisements been launched? Sestak’s few remaining followers appear reluctant to address that issue.
HateSestak
Mar 31st, 2010
Did it again (posting as anonymous). Sorry. Perhaps the stigma of being associated with the name discredited name “Sestak” is affecting me!
Bruce Bailey
Mar 31st, 2010
It’s not a left-right campaign, not at all. And if it was constructed that way, you’re right – Sestak would lose.
But it’s not left vs. right. It’s Democrat vs. Republican. When Sestak’s ad campaign launches, it will be a call to arms for Democrats to vote for the only candidate in the primary with true Democratic credentials and the voting history to back it up. And (I hope) he will detail Specter’s history of propping up heinous Republican administrations for the past 30 years.
That’s Sestak’s road to victory. Not easy, but definitely do-able.
Chesco Dem
Mar 31st, 2010
Sestak is too far down in the polls to mount a comeback. He should have started his ads already. He has absolutely no chance of winning this primary. It is not “do-able.”
bill healy
Mar 31st, 2010
Still too early for TV ads, I would say in two weeks they should hit the air. six weeks before the primary is enough time to expose Arlen as the Republican he has been since JFK.
HateSestak
Mar 31st, 2010
Healy: Nonsense. Other candidates have begun to advertise – including candidates who are LEADING in the polls! If Sestak were truly committed to overcoming this 20% deficit in the polls, he would have launched advertisements already. Whatever his ultimate aim, it is far too late for Sestak to prevail.
David Diano
Apr 1st, 2010
Yes. Yes. I see it now. Sestak for Senate! Of course. TODAY I see it as the obvious choice.
Bruce Bailey
Apr 1st, 2010
Dave, I note the date. I am sure you will be back to your foolish Hating Sestak ways once the calendar turns.
David Diano
Apr 1st, 2010
Bruce-
Sestak’s engaged in his own brand of foolish gimmickry today. On his twitter page he (or rather some poor underpaid staffer) is posting 1 tweet per hour with an April’s Fool theme.
“Brilliantly”, he’s using the search tag #Aprilfools which is getting used by hundreds of tweets per minute, so he gets zero exposure in the noise.
Contrast this with Specter’s twitter page:
http://twitter.com/SenArlenSpecter
Clearly, Sestak is demonstrating TODAY why his campaign is doing so well.
Run, Joe, Run!!
bill healy
Apr 1st, 2010
Hatesestak, you have no credibility. why not just post under one of your alias, anon,dave diano,laura,etc.
David Diano
Apr 2nd, 2010
Bill-
While I suspect that Hater and Chesco Dem are the same poster, he and I are certainly not the same person.
Bruce-
BTW, Sestak actual LOST Twitter followers yesterday with his April Fool’s tweet gimmick. He dropped from 2628 to 2624 followers. This might not seem like a big drop, but Sestak picks up only two or three new followers a day. He had 2605 on March 23rd, so he’s added only 19 since then (or rather added 23 and lost 4 yesterday).