Thom Hartmann: Arlen Specter Checked A Card!

[Mr. Ected]

The irony was hard to miss. Senator Arlen Specter, checking a card changing his party affiliation from Republican to Democratic, saying that he won't support the right of working people to check a card to change from unaffiliated to affiliated with a union.
Somehow, what's been lost in all this debate is that democracies typically invite people to check a card to register their desire to participate in that democracy. In the USA, for example, we call it "voter registration."

Unions are democracies. Each has its own "constitution" (bylaws) determined by its members. Each democratically elects its own officers and leaders (by secret ballot). And American workers would like the right to check a union registration card to bring a union to their workplace.

Every voter in America, in fact, checked and signed a card - a public card, which is part of a public record - to be able to participate in our democracy. We publicly register to vote to say, "Yes, I want to be part of the democratic processes in our republic!" For example, Arlen Specter is registered to vote, that voter registration card he checked and signed being the necessary prerequisite to participate in the political processes of this democracy we call The United States of America.

Once registered as a member of a small-d democratic institution, whether it is the USA or the Teamsters, all subsequent votes are in secret. And to register to vote in our national democracy is even more public than to register to vote in a union - card-check records for union organizing are kept confidential from both the union and the employer.

The Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Manufacturers', and Wal-Mart's talking points on this are pretty simple. They argue that giving people the right to simply check "yes" on a card and sign their name to it to join a union will open up potential union members to coercion. Much like the "coercion" right-wingers decry from voter-registration groups like ACORN. How dare they actually walk up to people and ask them if they want to join a democracy and participate as a voter in determining our collective fate and future?!

Specter publicly checked a card to register to vote. He publicly checked a "yes" box on a card to register to run for political office. He publicly checked a "Democrat" box on a voter-registration-change card to become a Democrat.

How tragic that he doesn't understand - or is willing to kowtow to corporate donors who don't want him to acknowledge - that the right to check a card to join a democracy is the essence of our American system.

And that without the strong presence of democracy in the workplace - unions - balancing the antidemocratic power of corporate capital, American democracy will never be as healthy or resilient as it could and should be.

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/05/06

[mattclearing]

1. K&R n/t

[Zodiak]

2. Whammo!

That's got to hurt!

Good article.

[tomp]

3. the defection of specter exposes the sham of our political process.

as i have said on two other threads: imagine if specter had won a republican primary for president. the democrats (and 95% of du) would be saying, "Vote for our guy because he's better than specter." now imagine specter wins the democratic nomination (the likelihood of this is irrelevant to the argument). the democrats and 95% of du) would be saying, "vote for specter because he's better than the republican."

AND specter is already showing he'll vote any damn way he pleases.

sham process, with obama at the head. i feel particularly sorry for pennsylvanians. but then, I've got shumer and gilibrand.

[ThomWV]

4. Generally I agree with Thom, but not on this one

The part I disagree with is not the part that deals with union membership. I had the honor of having been a union employee the vast majority of my working years - so don't flame me on that one.

What I disagree with is the premise that you check a card to participate in our Democracy. That simply isn't true and it reflects on a failing we suffer. You participate in our Democracy if you are registered to vote or not, if you vote or not, if you are a citizen or not. Our Democracy goes on with or without your conscious participation because your simple presence makes you a part of it - like it or not. When wars are fought you are defended (or offended as the case may be), when laws are passed you are effected, when taxes are levied you are effected, and when public works are done you are effected - voter or not, registered or not. There is no more avoiding the Democratic process than there is avoiding air - card checked or not.

The same is true of non-union employees working in union shops. They enjoy the benefits paid for by others but they refuse to pay themselves. Think about it, this is the goal of every Republican, to enjoy the benefits of communal effort while avoiding the price of participation. It is a conscious effort to live off of the effort of others, it is the Republican way.