Liberal Talk Radio

According to David Postman, SEIU president Andy Stern is forming a Political Action Committee. Anyone still doubt this guy has political ambitions?

Here’s a great quote from Postman’s interview:

“We’re not going to drive into the future looking into the rear view mirror. We’re as far today from the New Deal as the New Deal was from the Civil War. I’m sure Franklin Roosevelt admired Abraham Lincoln. But he didn’t build an industrial economy around 1865 princples and we’re not going to build a 21st Century economy around the principles of 1935.”

Hear, hear. What a refreshing P.O.V. from a labor leader. Still, the implications of the PAC are unclear. It’s based on the conservative Club for Growth, which attacks moderate Republicans by running hard-right primary challengers:

In Michgian the Club for Growth backed Tim Walberg over Congressman Joe Schwarz, who had been endorsed by President Bush and Sen. John McCain. Schwarz was what the group calls a RINO, Republican in name only.

Ultra-conservative Walberg has succeeded only in making a once-safe GOP seat a viable Democratic pick-up opportunity. In other words, by running a hard-right candidate, Club for Growth’s strategy may completely backfire: the GOP may lose the seat altogether.

So if Stern’s strategy is to run primary challenges against safe Democrats, I have a hard time seeing how he’s going to achieve his objectives. The short term result of such a strategy could well be more Republicans in Congress.