Dems' secret ballot hypocrisy

Most Democratic members of Congress, along with Barack Obama, support the ludicrously named "Employee Free Choice Act." If enacted into law, workers faced with the choice of joining a union would not enjoy the right of a secret ballot, but instead would be confronted with "card check" petitions--a "free to peek" method.

One Democrat enjoys her secret ballot.

(House Minority Leader John) Boehner highlighted House Democrats' use of a secret ballot Wednesday in deciding a bitter showdown between two Democratic titans - Rep. Henry A. Waxman of California and Rep. John D. Dingell of Michigan - over control of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

House Democratic Caucus voted 137 to 122 to install the fiercely liberal Mr. Waxman and outs Mr. Dingell, whose close ties to U.S. automakers and the utility industry had put him as odds with the environmental agenda of Democratic leaders, including Mrs. Pelosi.

Mr. Boehner noted that Rep. Louise Slaughter, New York Democrat, earlier in the week expressed relief her vote in the Dingell-Waxman conflict would not be public. "It's a secret ballot, thank the Lord," she told Congressional Quarterly.

If "free to peek" had been in place for this vote, would the results have been different?

And maybe, maybe, the Dems are have second thoughts on "card check." Incoming White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel met with some business executives on Tuesday.

From the Wall Street Journal:

He was asked his views on the push by labor unions to allow workplaces to be organized with the signing of cards attesting to union support rather than a secret ballot. Mr. Emanuel declined to say whether the White House would support the legislation, but he said the unions are addressing the concerns of a middle class that has seen U.S. median income slide over the past eight years, while health care, energy and education costs have soared.

A good site about the downside of "card check" is Save the Election. They call the Democrats' proposal the Employee Forced Choice Act.

H/T to Publius' Forum for the WSJ article.

Related posts:

Obama speaks in favor of Soviet style elections for joining unions

SEIU's "Take Back Labor Day" rally in St. Paul

Technorati tags: labor republicans democrats politics Obama Barack Obama unions economy business Rahm Emanuel