Bitter about labor's role in his 2008 electoral demise, Sen. John
McCain (R-AZ) has placed a months-long hold on President Obama's
nomination for the National Labor Relations Board, SEIU associate
general counsel Gary Becker. Like most Senate holds, McCain has expressed no legitimate reason for it other than his disagreements with Becker on policy. The right, however, thinks they've found a justification. During a committee hearing Tuesday, Becker told McCain that he had never performed work for groups affiliated with ACORN. Conservatives claim this is a "lie"
because of his work with SEIU Local 880 in Chicago. History, however,
suggests their claim is way overstated. While Local 880, launched in
1983, was established with the assistance of ACORN Chicago, that
relationship (and the Chicago ACORN chapter itself) dissolved
two years ago over disagreements with ACORN's national leadership. More importantly, neither group has ever been accused of wrongdoing. Meanwhile, as McCain delays Becker's appointment, the NLRB
has amassed a huge backload of cases because of the ongoing vacancies on the board . The filibuster at work! (Full disclosure: The SEIU Illinois State Council sponsors this website.)
