Posted by
On the Right on Friday, August 08, 2008 2:24:47 PM
Former Senator and presidential candidate George McGovern has become a
tough man to pigeonhole these days. Once the champion of the New Left
vanguard that seized control of the Democratic Party in the late 60s
and early 70s, McGovern has evolved towards his conservative South
Dakota roots, at least to some degree. Earlier this year, he wrote
about his embrace of personal responsibility
after joining the private sector and realizing how an out-of-control
government winds up infanticizing its citizens. Now he has taken aim at
the unions that once supported him, scolding Democrats for championing a measure which strips the secret ballot from union organizing elections
McGovern offers his respect and support for unions, both in their
historic role in developing better working conditions and their
contemporary role in representing workers, but remains firm in his
opposition to the EFCA. He also points out that Democratic Party
leaders such as Barney Frank and Pete Stark have gone abroad to insist
on secret ballots for organizing elections in other countries. Why do
secret ballots hold so much importance for foreign workers, but none
for Americans?
Now, workers need the secret ballot to protect themselves from both
the owners and the unions themselves. Unions have lost power and money
due to the decline in membership over the last few decades, and they
are desperate to regain both. Democrats, who benefit overwhelmingly
from the political power of unions, want to help them organize even if
they have to sell out Americans to do it. Both the unions and the
Democrats have conspired, therefore, to strip Americans of secret
ballots in order to allow intimidation by unions to influence
organizing elections.