politico: Labor-Bush wars intensify

[Omaha Steve]

http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=F102A83A-3048-5C12-001EC37E6DADC120

By: Jeanne Cummings
September 11, 2007 12:52 PM EST

Union leaders haven’t banked many high-profile victories since the Democratic takeover last year. But they are leaving their mark in a less noticed arena: the congressional rewrite of the Labor Department’s budget.

The intensity of this largely obscure budget fight illustrates how success can sometimes come in inches despite big partisan shifts. It also offers a glimpse of the profound antipathy the Bush administration has for its Democrat-aligned labor rivals.

The latest flash point in the labor-Bush wars is over funding for the Office of Labor Management Standards, which is charged with monitoring union finances.

The office was established by Congress in 1959 after a spate of government investigations and news reports focusing on internal union corruption and links to organized crime. Among its missions is collecting and reviewing annual disclosure reports filed by labor officers.

Since 2000, the Bush administration has steadily pumped millions into the operation.

When President Clinton left office, the office’s budget was just under $31 million.

FULL story at link.