Senator Blanche Lincoln, Arkansas...waffling on the Employee Free Choice Act.

[madfloridian]

This is one of the reasons that worrying so much about having 60 Democrats is not as important as having Democrats that stand for something this important.

Quite frankly this is the same kind of maudlin stuff we have been hearing for years from the so-called centrist Democrats of the DLC/PPI/Third Way triad. Blanche Lincoln is one of six Honorary Senate chairs of The Third Way.

The others are Evan Bayh U.S. Senator, Indiana
Tom Carper U.S. Senator, Delaware
Mark Pryor U.S. Senator, Arkansas
Ken Salazar U.S. Senator, Colorado
Claire McCaskill U.S. Senator, Missouri

I have not heard their views. Here are Blanche Lincoln's recent words.

Senator’s stance on act pressed by businessmen

U. S. Sen. Blanche Lincoln wanted business leaders Friday to focus on what she called the nation’s “biggest challenges” — righting a listing national economy and revamping health care — instead of legislation that would make it easier for workers to join a union.

But those business leaders had other ideas, peppering the state’s senior senator with their questions about why Lincoln, a Democrat up for re-election in 2010, noted toward the end of her speech that she still hadn’t made her mind up on the proposed Employee Free Choice Act.

Her words are wishy washy and, to me, rather wimpy. Afraid to take a stand.

“I know it’s a big concern among the business community, and I know it’s a big concern among the labor community,” Lincoln said during her speech before the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce. “I hope what we don’t do is to allow that discussion to become a distraction to the very critical issues that are facing this country right now.” The legislation would allow workers to sign a card supporting unionizing a workplace instead of current law requiring a secret-ballot election. Both sides agree it would make it easier for unions to form: Businessmen say union leaders would pressure workers to sign the cards; unions say the current system allows businesses to intimidate workers who want to join a union.

Wal-Mart and many other businesses oppose the act. Union leaders have said it is the top priority in the next Congress. President-elect Barack Obama was one of the bill’s 47 Senate co-sponsors.

Uh, Blanche...it IS one of the most critical issues in our country today.

What a shame to hear the same fearful cautious rhetoric still after all these years.

And they say the grassroots, netroots are going to be marginalized. I don't think so. We have to teach our Democrats how to stand up for things. They have not yet learned that.