More News and Notes

- I'm at the WA St Labor Council convention this week, so in honor of the occasion I am posting this article from TheHill.com: "Business fears election will boost labor." According to this article, business groups "...are spending millions of dollars on anti-card check coalitions to build grassroots opposition..." to the Employee Free Choice Act.

- The Building Industry Association of Washington is in the news again. First, the BIAW accused Democratic PAC Evergreen Progress of faulty PDC reports. Then, a group headed by two former state Supreme Court justices have accused BIAW of operating as an illegal PAC.

- As momentum builds for real, honest health care reform, the health care insurance industry is spending millions of dollars on a "nationwide education campaign aimed at raising an activist army at least 100,000 strong" ready to defend the industry's efforts to protect their profits. Friends, let this be a warning to all of us. If we want real health care reform, we're going to have to be willing to fight for it.

- Seattle P-I columnist Joel Connelly describes the shady practice of Attorney General Rob McKenna appearing in public service announcements, sponsored by corporate interests, in the middle of his re-election campaign. "Do incumbents really need to do this," Connelly writes, "given the size of their campaign warchests? Isn't this an added advantage to the already favored?" [Note: WFSE members have voted to endorse John Ladenburg for Attorney General.]

- Also from Joel Connelly: "'Straight Talk Express' takes the low road."

-- Dennis