What a Surprise

If you diss organized labor by holding a convention in an anti-union right to work state, they are not inclined to pony up sponsorship money:

Democrats are struggling to raise money for the party's national convention this summer in Charlotte, N.C., in part because they've barred corporations and lobbyists from contributing.

Democrats are struggling to raise money for the party's national convention this summer in Charlotte, N.C., in part because they have barred corporations and lobbyists from contributing. Peter Nicholas has details on The News Hub. Photo: Reuters.

Now, one set of donors the party was banking on—organized labor—says it won't help pay for the event or will scale back contributions, partly because it is upset that the convention will be in a state considered unfriendly to unions.

Labor unions chipped in $8.6 million of the $60.5 million the party spent in 2008 in Denver. This year, a number of construction unions, as well as the labor organization Unite Here, plan to give nothing, officials say.

The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers gave $1 million in 2008, but it isn't planning to contribute this year. It cites North Carolina's "right to work law" that is opposed by unions, as well as labor's need to spend money on grass-roots campaign work. "Registration drives, get-out-the-vote drives and leafleting—that's where we can make our best contribution," said spokesman Jim Spellane.

"We are making no contribution this year," said Tom Snyder, a top official at Unite Here, which contributed $100,000 to the 2008 convention. "That's all I'm going to say about that," he said.

With about four months to go before the Sept. 3 opening of the Charlotte convention—which has been scaled back from the one in Denver four years ago—Democrats are about $20 million short of their fundraising goal of $36.7 million, according to two prominent Democrats who have been briefed by convention planners.

You know, if you sell your base down the river, this is what happens.

Anyone regretting the Obama administration decision to actively slow walk the Employee Free Choice Act over the past 3 years?

Probably not.