Telling one of the more important constituencies to go screw themselves and essentially lying about their role in the Blagojevich corruption is not generally the way I would advise a statewide candidate to go, but who knows, this Hoffman character might be on to something new:
The National GOP is champing at the bit to make the 2010 U.S. Senate election in Illinois all about former Governor Rod Blagojevich. This morning, the Alexi Giannoulias campaign is serving them up a free punch, trotting out an endorsement from the union leadership that was Blago’s biggest supporter and whose president was completely enmeshed in the controversy over Rod’s attempt to sell this Senate seat. (He even appears on the infamous Blagojevich wiretap!)
Balanoff blew off Blagojevich. The worst I can say about the SEIU in Illinois is that Jerry Morrison the exec director is a thin skinned and can’t stop himself from charging into a fight.
You can bet Giannoulias will sit silently on the dais and smile broadly as he receives the endorsement of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) leadership, just as he did when the Blagojevich controversy first surfaced. He doesn’t rock the boat, and he’s no doubt excited about stepping up to the same trough that netted Blagojevich more than a million dollars in campaign cash.
It’s not the janitors, health care workers, security personnel and other hard-working SEIU members who are the problem. It’s not even the idea that the SEIU endorses candidates and puts its political power to use. We support the rank-and-file and their agenda for social justice. We take issue with the SEIU leadership– the same leadership who once stood next to and endorsed Blagojevich as his strongest champions– the same leader who was allegedly captured on a Federal wiretap having behind-the-scenes discussions with the Governor about his cynical and outrageous attempt to leverage this very Senate seat (the one he called “[bleeping] golden”) for his own personal and political advantage.
This kind of merry-go-round involving the same cozy insiders doing the same political dance is what’s wrong with Illinois politics. This is why David Hoffman– a true independent corruption-fighter with no ties to the scandals of the past– is running to be our senator. We deserve better. The SEIU members deserve better. David stands with them.
The National Republicans who are looking to take the President’s Senate seat next year are going to have a good morning with this endorsement. But come February 2, the people of Illinois will have a choice between more politics as usual and turning the page. As the Democratic nominee for this Senate seat, David Hoffman will take the corruption issue and Rod Blagojevich’s dirty dealings off the table. Then, the Republicans will have to run on the issues – and that’s a contest they can’t win.
SEIU has been one of the key organizations in fighting against Daley having a complete rubber stamp. They pushed for the independent challenges in the Aldermanic races. They did stick by Blagojevich for far too long and backed Stroger–both of which were stupid decisions and calling them on that is fair. That said, they also organized home child care workers and home health care workers during the Blagojevich administration and have made demonstrable improvements in the lives of those workers.
Rich also reminds us that they are also the only ones challenging Democratic incumbents in primaries and even applied enough pressure to Madigan that he has agreed in safe seats that he can live with that. That’s something we haven’t had in years.
SEIU was also a huge factor in getting Barack Obama the Democratic nomination in 2004. Does Hoffman want to call that dirty insider politics? Because last I checked it was Dan Hynes who had most of the establishment support.
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