A delegation from the Santa Clarita Valley Chamber of Commerce, joined by similar groups from around the country, is in Washington to have meetings to express their opposition to the bill. At around 12:00 eastern time this afternoon, the group met with Senator Diane Feinstein.
Feinstein, a major proponent of the Employee Free Choice Act, broke national news when she told the local delegation that she is withdrawing her support.
“She will not vote for the bill, and she will not support any modification allowing the process to bypass secret ballots, and she believes that now is not the right time for this type of legislation given the downturn in the economy,” said John Shaffery, a local lawyer and vice president for the SCV Chamber Board of Directors, who was in the meeting.
More as we get it.
[UPDATE]: There is as yet nothing elsewhere in the news.
[UPDATE, 3:07 PM]: No official confirmation yet, although I am informed by third-party sources that there will be a statement from the Senator. Let us simply say that it looks very possible that these people are going to be sadly disappointed.
[UPDATE, 3:34 PM] HuffPo’s better at getting somebody from a Democratic Senate office to call back – surprise, surprise! – and is announcing that there will be a ‘clarification‘ this afternoon. Be sure to cross-check it against this from March.
[UPDATE, 3:48 PM] While we’re waiting patiently for them to come up with something that squares the circle, let me just note something; it is not actually unreasonable for the labor unions to get a straight answer on this issue from the Senator. They’ve certainly paid enough for the privilege.
[UPDATE the last, 4:00 PM]: This is what HuffPo calls a ‘firm denial’:
“A statement has been put out mischaracterizing my position on this bill. The truth is that I am working to find common ground between the needs of both business and labor in order to reach a bipartisan solution.
I believe we must find a way to protect the privacy of individual workers so that they may elect whether to form a union free of intimidation.”
So… I guess that means that ‘she will not vote for the current bill’, as it has no secret ballot, and ‘she will not support any modification allowing the process to bypass secret ballots’; whether or not you believe that ‘she believes that now is not the right time for this type of legislation given the downturn in the economy’ is I guess largely dependent on your opinion of the Senator’s reasoning powers. All I know is, I’m pretty sure that she just called a bunch of small businessmen liars.
Smooth.
Steve Maley
Moe Lane
Dan McLaughlin
Neil Stevens
Holy I-cant-believe-it, Batman!
E Pluribus Unum (Diary) Wednesday, June 3rd at 2:48PM EST (link)There are not all that many elected Democrats who are too powerful to fear backlash from the Obama Machine.
Diane Feinstein is one of those. Her, Kennedy, Byrd, possibly Leibermann. That’s the whole list.
Mostly I don’t like her, and in a just world she would have been expelled from the Senate and possibly in prison for funneling all the DOD projects to her husband.
But this is encouraging.
Kill the Terrorists
Protect the Borders
Punch the Hippies h/t IMAO
Scam Alert! In a "bipartisan compromise,"
Achance (Diary) Wednesday, June 3rd at 3:12PM EST (link)they’ll drop the card check part in the name of preserving the secret ballot and keep the rest, and worse, parts of the legislation including the civil and criminal penalties on crimes that are strictly in the eye of the beholder and the interest arbitration piece. As a part of that “compromise” you might very well see severe erosion of “right to work” laws in the name of “leveling the playing field.”
File the prediction away; I hate being so right so often on this stuff.
In Vino Veritas
Man, I hope you are not right on this. (nt)
larueladue (Diary) Wednesday, June 3rd at 3:50PM EST (link)absolutely... the "change the name" game
JLenardDetroit (Diary) Wednesday, June 3rd at 5:04PM EST (link)they will mangle the wording so much that it will say one thing and provide the Card Check under yet another disguise…. Same as the Fairness Doctrine BS.
They have been playing this game all along with their arguments about how “it won’t really remove the Secret ballot OPTION” …. yeah, and how many Union THUGS are going to go the Secret ballot OPTION when they have the CARD CHECK OPTION to enslave the workforce with?????
All foder for the MSM to spin and divert attention while they ram it through.
Regards from NoMoTown (the MOTORlessCITY)
“Liberals, looking to do for? America what they’ve done for? Detroit! which is DESTROY IT!”
“I think, therefore I am Conservative”
“Conservative by choice, Republican by necessity”
“You can lead a Liberal to the Truth/Facts, but you cannot make them THINK!”
“Romney [No, not my first choice] does NOT have a MORMON problem. He has a, far too many Americans; these days; are MORONS problem!”
Follow @JLenardDetroit
(RS:Help) (JLD) (Hollyweird) (Brain-deads) (SPIN-cycle) (Obamaocare) (Party of kNOw) (Conservatism) (TEApeats) (respectful) (message) (Warning: Children Will Die!!)
Heil “O” Hell No Obamao is NOT MY PRESIDENT! “No U won’t”
I want “O” to FAIL (here, here, & whole Diary (Ofail) here, is why)
“The first Liberal was Satan” – a Rush caller (other Quotes)
Feinstein's a maverick
Neil Stevens (Diary) Wednesday, June 3rd at 4:11PM EST (link)I know, that sounds nuts. But she really is.
She’s locked in. And she knows it. She sees herself the sensible elder stateswoman. So she does what she wants, when she wants.
Don’t expect her to deviate from the left on gun control, abortion, or the demands of the radical gay lobby, but beyond that… she’s capable of anything.
RS contributing editor, technical administrator, and “a hardy variety of crabgrass.”
Read the RedState Posting Rules
Unlikely Voter: Poll Analysis, Election Projection.
“I rejoice that America has resisted.” – William Pitt, the Elder
She tries to be moderate
Thomas_Hauber Wednesday, June 3rd at 4:34PM EST (link)Interesting, I am from Santa Clarita and I will look forward to see how this is portrayed in the local paper.
For the most part she tries to split the baby, but usually ends up on the liberal side firmly. Since she is not up for reelection in 2010, it is a safe bet you are seeing her true convictions and not election year convictions.
Right to work states
alexg (Diary) Wednesday, June 3rd at 5:51PM EST (link)Are all we have left in this bastion of expensive, sloppy, worthless labor. I’ve recently had a client try to short one of our third party vendors because the union guys did such a poor job for them. I since re-explained to them that they will have to use them, or a close (union) competitor of theirs, at virtually every other venue in the nation.
Feinstein will waffle, just like everyone else who has given squishy “conditions aren’t right for this” answers. Give a week of optimistic economic news (which is all about what the press decides to force feed), and we’ll have this delightful legislation. Smoke, mirrors, smoke, mirrors, when is this nightmare going to cease? It goes from one trainwreck story to the next. Anyone else feel this way?