Thomas Frank certainly thinks so, and righteously calls out those who contributed to the problem. We've covered the anti-worker Democrats before, but Frank's criticisms of supposedly liberal lobbying groups are newer and entirely spot on; one of the depressing phenomena of having a more-or-less liberal government is that we are also rewarded with a more-or-less liberal lobbying corps cheerfully selling out their principles for money. Frank also puts forward the most likely scenario for the next year, wistfully hoping that it is a clever move and not the reaction to political impasse:
EFCA's supporters may simply drop their bill's most controversial provisions, get some compromise measure passed, and spend the next 20 years reminding corporate America of the days when it was touchingly committed to "workers' rights" and a "democratic workplace."
On the other hand, I've mentioned in the past that the climate for card check might look much better in 2010 than it does now. Why? Well, even if Republicans can gain ground in the House, it's very hard to believe that they'll gain even close to enough seats (79!) to take away a majority, and as even NRSC Chairman John Cornyn admits, the chances of the Democrats gaining a net one Senate seat for a filibuster-proof majority are pretty high. Wishy-washy Democrats afraid of supporting labor are always a concern, but at least institutional excuses would be hard to come by, forcing them to take a clear position. By that time, as well, we can hope that the administration would be more willing to expend political capital on the legislation.
For now, negotiations proceed apace, as this interview with SEIU leader Andy Stern reveals. Stern is unwilling to wait until 2011 -- frankly, he's right to be impatient -- and foresees some kind of compromise, likely on accelerated elections and stiffer penalties, passing Congress. That interview also produces a hilariously damning quote from SEIU Secretary-Treasurer Anna Burger, who was asked if Sen. Arlen Specter, the Republican and former EFCA supporter, might flip his support back to the bill: "Oh sure. This is Arlen Specter we're talking about."
-- Tim Fernholz
