Political Hay
Checking In
Bob McDonnell showed the way for Republicans to run against unpopular liberal legislation like card check.
(Page 2 of 2)
"Much like government-run health care, card check may be a top priority of liberal Democrats and left-wing special interest groups in Washington, but polling data consistently shows it is extremely unpopular among voters in red and purple states," said Colin Reed, a spokesman for the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC). "Unfortunately for in-cycle Democrats like Harry Reid, Blanche Lincoln, and Michael Bennet, their constituents at home -- not Big Labor party bosses -- will decide their fates at the ballot box, and should they support moving the controversial card check legislation forward in 2010, they can be confident they will be held accountable come November."
F. Vincent Vernuccio, a former special assistant to the Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management at the Department of Labor under President George W. Bush, also sees strong possibilities for Republicans who capitalize on public discontent over EFCA. But he warns that Democrats may attempt to massage the legislation in some way before the midterms.
"The future of EFCA is uncertain," he said. "We are likely to see a 'new EFCA' or 'son of EFCA' early next year after health care. The new bill will likely not have the card check provision but leave the most insidious section allowing government arbitration of first contracts. The bill may also trample on employer property rights. Rumors abound of a new section allowing union officials to come on to company property and speak to employees during work hours. Employers would be powerless to stop this."
That's why Republican strategists would do well to highlight the many harmful effects of EFCA beyond card check just as McDonnell did in Virginia, Vernuccio added. He expects the arbitration section to be a particularly thorny issue for Democrats in the 2010 elections.
"Many Blue Dog Democrats in vulnerable districts were already forced to vote for government run healthcare," he said. "Soon the congressional leadership will try to force them to vote for government imposed contracts. Americans are already leery of the government assuming too much power in everyday life. If the government takeover of healthcare does not put them over the edge, the government takeover of union first contracts surely will."
On average the party in control of the White House loses 17 seats in the House in its first midterm election, according to Congressional Quarterly. But this average jumps to 37 when the president's approval rating falls below 50 percent, Regent's Dean Dunn has noted. Moreover, as a result of the gubernatorial victories in New Jersey and Virginia, Republicans are now better positioned to attract stronger candidates to their cause and to raise money, Dworkin, the Rider University professor, pointed out in his recent election analysis.
"It doesn't matter that the race here in New Jersey was not about national issues and was instead driven by an unpopular incumbent and a fiscal situation that has made 'affordability' a primary concern among voters," Dworkin wrote. "Christie's win will have national implications, but not by design, just by interpretation."
For his part, Dunn, the Regent dean, recommends that Republican candidates establish a connection between the concern voters have over jobs and the potential economic fallout from EFCA and other costly pieces of legislation.
"By running on the model of Bob McDonnell, Republicans could have very large pickups in the House, Senate and with governorships," he said. "So the future is there for the Republican Party and McDonnell is the key to that future."
About the Author
Kevin Mooney is an investigative reporter and Fox News contributor based in Washington D.C., who has written for the Washington Examiner and Cybercast News Service.
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NJfreeman| 1.8.10 @ 8:52AM
Now all we have to do in New Jersey is find conservative candidates to replace the country club Republicans. Carry on Steve Lonegan.
Margie| 1.8.10 @ 2:03PM
Agreed on Steve Lonagan, a true conservative. We need more like him. And 3 cheers to the NJ legislature for defeating the Gay Marriage Bill.
Richard Baker| 1.8.10 @ 7:19PM
As a Virginian, I am proud of Governor McDonnell's run for office and for the Old Dominion for electing him. The RNC could take lessons but won't.
arlene| 1.8.10 @ 10:29PM
I am proud of Governor McDonnell's run ,Lida DaiDaihua zi xiu tang
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Carolynn| 1.9.10 @ 1:08PM
The "Son of EFCA" sounds worse then the father. I hope The Chamber of Commerce and other groups that supports small business champion this fight.
Richard Baker| 1.9.10 @ 1:14PM
I thought it a joke when McDonnell was attacked by the Liberals in Virginia because he'd written a supposedly controversial paper in college. Compare that to a total blackout on anything written by the Kenyan in his "years" in college.
Roger Schweikert| 1.11.10 @ 11:47AM
Touche. What do you think about the recent release under the Freedom of Information Act that he was a Fulbright scholarship recipient while he attended Occidental College? These scholarships are only awarded to foreign born citizens from the U.S. State Department for recipients to study here and as such would represent a violation of the Article II Section 5 of the constitution on his ability to serve in addition to his other "constitutional disability" described in section three of the 14th amendment.
Yosemeti Sam| 1.9.10 @ 4:03PM
"By running on the model of Bob McDonnell, Republicans could have very large pickups in the House, Senate and with governorships," he said.
"So the future is there for the Republican Party and McDonnell is the key to that future."
There you have it - Mr. Steele and your shilly-shallying sisterhood in the GOP.
Eyes opened?
As the saying goes: lead, follow or - get OUT of the way:
In PROMOTING conservatism; not by infamous example, the 'intellectual' approach exhibited in support of an upstate NY election double-dealing RINO candidate.
Osa,as Pajamjas| 1.10.10 @ 2:09AM
How about if you Republicans torpedo the Democrats on the liberalism vesus statism issue?
The Democrats believe in "statism" --- not "liberalism." Famous brands of statism in recent centuries have been Nazism, socialism, fascism, communism, and welfare statism [sort of a mix of fascism and socialism].
Liberalism, on the other hand, is a political philosophy of small, cheap government, and the job of a liberal government is to enforce human rights within its own jurisdiction.
I speak of the inalienable and perfectly-natural and universally-valid human rights of life, liberty, private property, and the pursuit of personal happiness.
The first article of private property is "the self" and all other rights are derivatives of and flow from these cardinal rights.
These rights ----The Rights of Man ---- are the gift of nature or of nature's god ---- and they belong to all human beings, everywhere.
Show me a Democrat who subscribes to all of the above, without qualification or weasel words.
The words "liberal" and "liberalism" were hijacked by the Democrats and socialists long ago ---- and the mistake of conservatives and libertarians was to let them get away with it.
It is long past time that liberalism be reclaimed, defined, and explained by its rightful owners ---- by the champions of freedom, I.E.: not by Democrats and socialists.
Appleby| 1.11.10 @ 7:26AM
The first thing you need to do in order for this campaign to succeed is get young people to start reading something longer than 140 characters. Young people are the ones who discuss things and spread the word. The rest of us have jobs.
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