Labor mulls contribution cut to Blue Dogs considering voting against a health reform package.

[babylonsister]

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/1109/Labor_mulls_contribution_cut.html

Labor mulls contribution cut


Organized labor, still battling to stop plans to pay for health care through taxing expensive plans -- but unwilling to flatly oppose reform -- will consider a plan to reduce its contributions to Democrats who don't side with them on the issue, a labor source said.

The federation's executive council will meet Monday in Washington to consider, among other things, "how to hold politicians more accountable to the workers that helped elect them," the source said, outlining a threat aimed primarily at the Blue Dog Democrats considering voting against a health reform package.

"One of the options is cutting off contributions to politicians who aren't supporting the issues that workers care about," he said.

The suggestion is based on a Sheet Metal Workers' decision to stop giving money to politicians in favor of dedicating it to the issue campaign for health care legislation.

[polichick]

1. What's to mull? Of course they should cut off support. nt

[BrklynLiberal]

3. Great minds..... lolololol

[Wounded Bear]

4. No shit. My "D'UH" post of the day. nt

[BrklynLiberal]

2. What's to "MULL"? Cut them off at the knees!!!

[PSzymeczek]

5. The only thing they should be mulling

is the wine! The holidays are coming!

[spanone]

6. do it now.

[tularetom]

7. Don't mull it

Just do it!

[FiveGoodMen]

8. DO IT!

[babylonsister]

9. NOT politico: Sheet Metal Workers Cutting Contributions to "Gutless and Spineless" Politicians

http://www.laborradio.org/node/11608

Article from July...

Sheet Metal Workers Cutting Contributions to "Gutless and Spineless" Politicians
Submitted by Jesse Russell on July 26, 2009 - 12:35pm


Lede: The Sheet Metal Workers International Association is cutting all contributions to political candidates and using the money instead to get a good health care reform bill passed. Doug Cunningham reports.

By Doug Cunningham

Vincent Panvini is Director of Government Affairs for the Sheet Metal Workers. He says they’re tired of getting taken advantage of on critical issues like health care and the Employee Free Choice Act by so-called Blue Dog conservative Democrats.

{Panvini}: “They’re gutless and spineless, I call them. Not all of them, but some of them. Some of these Blue Dog Democrats – they forget where they came from and, you know, they drink the Kool-Aid.”

Panvini says the Sheet Metal workers are against taxing health care benefits. The Sheet Metal workers are urging other unions to join them in cutting contributions until the politicians really come through on issues like health care reform.

{Panvini 2}: “And we’re gonna use that money to get a good health care reform bill that does not tax health care benefits, that has a strong public option and also has an employer mandate so everybody has to pay. Because that’s the only way you can control costs and bring the costs down.”

[msongs]

10. round up some progressive primary opponents for these guys nt

[Cha]

11. REC! Don't Mull.. Just

Do It, Dudes..are you kidding me! They have to be held accountable. God it must suck to be a dinobluedog.

[emulatorloo]

12. Excellent n/t