Where has McDowell's financial support come from ?

This is the beginning of what may become a series of reports based upon my research into who is funding Gary McDowell's campaign and WHERE they are located. As you will see, this partial list of McDowell contributors is surprisingly absent NORTHERN MICHIGAN donors. I'm sure he may have some but they are not listed at " OPEN SECRETS.org".

The point I'm trying to make is that his main support is from outside of the 1st Congressional District and from people and organizations whose agendas are not wholly known.

 Again, the question to Gary is ," If you have all this FINANCIAL support from OUTSIDE the district why should NORTHERN MICHIGAN VOTERS embrace your campaign ? If you were to be chosen to run against Dan Benishek, who would benefit the most from your election - your downstate & outstate donors or the Citizens of NORTHERN MICHIGAN ?

Stay tuned ... More to come ... I'd like your thoughts & opinions on this - please leave a comment - Thanks ! 

GDH

McDowell Contributors :

  Santa Catalina Island Company

  150 Metropole Ave, Avalon, California 90704

     United Auto Workers

  8000 East Jefferson Avenue

  Detroit, Michigan 48214

United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters
Three Park Place
Annapolis, Maryland 21401 

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers
9000 Machinists Place
Upper Marlboro, Maryland
20772-2687  

International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, AFL-CIO, CLC
900 Seventh Street, N.W.

 Washington DC 20001 

The American Association for Justice
777 6th Street, NW, Ste 200 • Washington, DC 20001 

Carpenters and Joiners Union

Address unknown 

Sheet Metal Worker’s International Association

1750 New York Avenue, NW - 6th floor
Washington, DC 20006 

International Brotherhood of Teamsters
Office of the General Secretary-Treasurer
25 Louisiana Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20001 

GOALPAC

Sander Levin

1236 Longworth House Office Building

Washington, D.C. 20515 

Nancy Pelosi for Congress

Washington, DC 

PAC to the Future

Connected to Nancy Pelosi

607 14^th Street, NW

Suite 800

Washington, D.C.  20005 

BRIDGE PAC Congressman  James E. Clyburn, Chair

499 S. Capitol Suite 422 Washington, D.C. 20003

Jr Broadcasting

Voice of Minnesota

11230 Valley View Rd.

Eden Prairie, Minnesota 55344 

Laborers International Union of North America

LIUNA
905 16th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20006  

Solidarity PAC

607 14th Street NW Suite 800
Suite 800
Washington, DC 20005

NOTE : Same address as PAC TO The Future

 

Buckles & Buckles, P.L.C.
PO Box 1150, Birmingham, MI 48012

The Googasian Firm, P.C.

6895 Telegraph Road

Bloomfield Hills, Michigan  48301

What I'm seeing so far ...

In observing the NORTHERN MICHIGAN Democratic Primary campaign for the 1st Congressional District I have found that Gary McDowell is ignoring the fact that the privilege of running as the Democratic Candidate for the 1st CongressionalDistrict is even in contention, instead he seems to be acting as though there is no primary campaign, there is no Derek Bailey and that he, and he alone, is the chosen one to challenge Dan Benishek in November. This is a very arrogant attitude, insulting even– not specifically to Derek J. Bailey ( although it maybe helpful for him to campaign while his opponent is busy running against Benishek), but insulting to the voters of NORTHERN MICHIGAN in particular who have a choice to make on August 7th and who deserve a primary election where both candidates are focused on informing voters about who they are, what their beliefs and values are and what they will try to accomplish if elected by the voters of NORTHERN MICHIGAN.

I believe that this arrogance stems from the fact that McDowell has been endorsed so quickly and so heavily by organizations and interests from outside NORTHERN MICHIGAN that he feels immune to the challenge of anyone and assumes that he is the“anointed” one - the entitled one. That being said, I might also add that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee ( DCCC ) ( to their credit ) has taken a “handsoff” position on this Primary,something that may not be generally known by many caught up in the rush to endorse. It may not be polite to mention this in his holy presence but he did LOSE to Dan Benishek in the previous election. I’ve heard people make the argument that , "well, he entered late and that was a disadvantage”. As President Clinton once said, “ that dog doesn’t hunt”. The truth is that his LOSS was attributable to several factors not the least of which is the fact that the voters of NORTHERN MICHIGAN didn’t want him as their Congressman. His loss was unfortunate and we all felt a great let down when Benishek took office but the fact remains that McDowell was rejected by the voters of NORTHERN MICHIGAN.

In a Congressional District where the seat had been solidly Democratic from 1993 – 2010, the Democratic candidate should have been able to carry the District. Gary McDowell LOST in 2010 NOT because he had a late start but because the voters of Northern Michigan simply didn’t want him.

This time around McDowell started early enough ... he has enough money ... and the downstate politicos and special interests have tripped over themselves to endorse him. He is THEIR candidate ... chosen by THEM ... financed by THEM ... endorsed by THEM and,dare I say it ? ... Controlled by THEM.

DerekBailey’s campaign comes from his heart and not the backroom of a bar in Lansing. He is the worst nightmare of the DEMOCRATIC ESTABLISHMENT because he has entered into the campaign to become the District’s Democratic Candidate with the intention of running a clean campaign and making life better for all NORTHERN MICHIGANDERS. His culture, his spirit , education and his leadership experience have prepared him to be a good Congressman for ALL of NORTHERN MICHIGAN, chosen by the voters and not by people and organizations whose personal and various narrow interests are better served by a candidate of THEIR choice.

Having said that there is one last thing I must mention that I have personally observed. One of McDowell’s campaign operatives, a man who should know better, looked me in the eye and lied to me about Derek having said that he’s running merely to better serve his people in dealings with the Bureau of Indian Affairs ( B.I.A. ). Nothing could be farther from the truth ! It was a blatant lie . I contacted Derek Bailey and he personally denied that the conversation ever happened and added that he has encountered several instances of racism since his campaign began. Bailey campaign Chairman , Rick Coates also added that "Derek has proven in four years as Tribal Chairman of the Grand Traverse Band that he has been all about the best interests of the region as a whole and not just people of a specific ethnicity...The Grand Traverse Band is the second largest employer in the region and has provided numerous jobs to people of all ethnic backgrounds". Coates went on to say, "Any suggestion that Derek Bailey is running for Congress to benefit only the Indian community is absolutly false and a racist tact to paint Derek as a greedy Indian leader when quite the opposite is readily apparent". The use of race to persuade voters to vote for Gary McDowell actually gives his campaign a rather desperate tone. This is something one might not expect from a Democratic candidate who should know better than to use “race baiting” in his campaign. The remarks of course imply the question to a voter, “would you prefer a white Congressman or an Indian” ?

Finally, I would ask that Gary McDowell take the appropriate steps to stop any racebaiting in his campaign by both he and his operatives, whether paid or not, and to make his position known on the use of race in this Primary campaign.

Lastly,I’m asking every NORTHERN MICHIGANDER to simply think about the choice they have on August 7th… think about whether you want the “Establishment’s”candidate or the candidate OF and FOR ALL of NORTHERN MICHIGAN… Derek J. Bailey.

GDH

This blog has been renamed !

"The Alcona Democrat" blog has been changed to " The Northern Michigan Democrat" blog. Everything is the same except the name and new address which is :
http://thenorthernmichigandemocrat.blogspot.com/
I apologize for any inconvenience - Feel free to share it all over Northern Michigan !

GDH

Question from a reader ...

I've been asked if the content on this blog can be shared - the answer is yes. If you share please attribute the blog address as a thread for any interested readers. Thanks !

GDH

Poll: Democrats have a "pretty good chance" of taking back Michigan House

By Dave Murray | dmurray@mlive.comMLive.com

LANSING – State Democrats say a new poll showing that the party has “a pretty good chance of retaking control of the House” shows Michigan voters are unhappy with the Republican agenda.

But GOP leaders say the poll is produced by a Democratic organization, and they’re confident state House representatives will win their districts and remain in control.

The MIRS capitol news service reported Friday that the survey from Public Policy Polling shows Democrats ahead by 14 points in a generic legislative ballot.

“Democrats should have a pretty good chance at retaking control of the House there this fall,” the firm wrote in its analysis, according to MIRS.

Read the entire article  : http://www.mlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2012/02/poll_democrats_have_a_pretty_g.html

How am I doing ? Got suggestions ? Have any political news ? I'm listening !

GDH

Closet Democrats, Catholic Voters and Northern Michigan Democrats ...

I have met several “closet Democrats” here in Alcona County recently. I’m sure everyone knows or suspects who, among your friends or acquaintances, they may be. Some are business people who are afraid of losing clients or business if their true loyalties were known. The independent, conservative culture in this county has many Democrats subdued, indeed, some even run as Republicans in various village, township and county elections. We know however from past Democratic Caucuses in the county that there are a good number of Democrats. Also, there are a fair number of independents who have voted Democratic before and may do so again in the November election. The buzz that I’ve heard from some staunch Republicans is that they are unexcited by the candidates they have to choose from and quite simply put off by most. Listening to them is quite satisfying for me and I suspect emotionally purifying for them. The Huffington Post recently reported that 10% of Republicans may vote , in fact, for Obama ! That 10% may be all that remains of the old Republican Party and it may be the only way they can still register their disappointment with the candidate field as it exists.

Interestingly too, Catholics have whispered to me that they want the option of birth control and that when they enter the voting booth only God and they, themselves, will know how they voted – wink-wink.

I have said it many times, and don’t mind repeating it, that the 1^st Congressional District is Michigan’s Northern Congressional District – something that makes us unique. As such, our ilk of Democrat is something that sets us quite apart from the down state crowd. That’s why we can have a Democratic Representative from 1993 – 2010 and can still manage to lose the seat to a Republican. Yes, the Tea Party had something to do with it but there was that independent thing again too. By the election results we can see that People who voted Democratic in the past voted FOR Benishek. In 2012, no doubt some of those will have “buyer’s remorse” and come back to vote Democratic again this fall. The November election is OURS to LOSE. The establishment Democrat is Gary McDowell, a good man and a solid Democrat but “ Houston We have a Problem” – he’s running because the downstate Democratic establishment wants him to. He toed the line in the State House and that is why he is the “chosen one”. But wait ! This time around we have a choice and we want to use our votes sort of like those Republicans who feel disenfranchised - we want to vote our national party but we also want to send a collective message to the State Democratic party and the DNC. Mr. McDowell ran against Benishek before and was handily defeated ... there was no great groundswell of support for him and his stump speeches were more about asking for donations than talking about the issues. I'm a U.A.W. Retiree and one of my U.A.W. friends asked me why I'd campaign against a guy ( McDowell ) who has a good record on Labor issues. I told him that having Benishek gain a second term and saying that, " well, at least Gary did have a good voting record" doesn't do anything for me. What's important in Northern Michigan are Northern Michiganders and with all due respect, there is a really good Northern Michigan Democrat running - Derek J. Bailey.

 We, in Northern Michigan,  have a good man in Derek J. Bailey. He’s uniquely qualified and experienced in listening, problem solving, community and economic development and is well respected in both the upper and lower peninsula. He’s A Northern Michigan Democrat from Northern Michigan’s 1^st Congressional District and that’s important to Northern Michiganders like us. He’s one of our own and when we choose him we know he will be with us and for us , unbeholden to forces and influences from outside the district. That means a lot in both state and national politics. It means he has the power of that Northern Michigan spirit and that he must be consulted and respected – and when that happens – Northern Michigan is respected.

About the 1st Congressional District & upcoming elections ...

Michigan’s 1^st Congressional District is the second largest congressional district in land mass east of the Mississippi River. Its boundaries contain much of the northern part of the Lower Peninsula in addition to the entire Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Altogether, the district makes up about 44% of the State of Michigan. It contains the second longest shoreline of any district in the United States, with Alaska being the first.

It contains all of 30 Michigan counties and a portion of the 31st. Making it comprised of almost 3/8th's of the states 83 total counties.

The district was previously represented by Democrat Bart Stupak, from 1993 to 2010. Republican Dan Benishek is the current Representative of the 1^st Congressional District, his term expiring this year. Vying for the privilege of running against Benishek in the November general election are Democrats, Gary McDowell and Derek J. Bailey. The Challenger will be determined in the August 7^th Democratic Primary Election.

 On February 28th there will be a state-wide Presidential primary. Here is a recent communication from Michigan Democratic  Chair, Mark Brewer on the subject of how the Democrats came to be involved in it and how we should govern ourselves accordingly :

“The Republicans are determined to waste $10 million of taxpayer money on an unnecessary presidential primary on February 28th. To make matters worse, they're trying to drag Democrats into it, despite the fact that we have chosen not to participate.

In order to confuse and disenfranchise Democratic voters, Republican Secretary of State Ruth Johnson placed President Obama's name on the February 28th ballot solely to create partisan mischief. Our attempts to keep the President's name off of the ballot were ignored. Therefore, the Michigan Democratic State Central Committee has decided not to enforce the party rule that prevents Democrats from participating in both the presidential primary and the MDP's presidential caucuses on May 5, 2012.

We won't let Republicans confuse or disenfranchise Democrats. Democrats who vote in the primary will not be banned from participating in our caucuses.
Please read the MDSCC's resolution from this past weekend's meeting and share it with at least 10 of your friends. Please post it to your websites and social network accounts. We need to get the word out to alleviate confusion and make sure no Democrats are disenfranchised."

GDH

Democratic Women who could run for Governor ...

Looking ahead to 2014: Who will run against Gov. Rick Snyder? (Tim Skubick column)

Published: Sunday, February 12, 2012, 6:54 AM

By Tim Skubick | For MLive.comMLive.com

Jocelyn Benson

 

Gretchen Whitmer

Gretchen Whitmer vs. Jocelyn Benson for governor.

Gretchen and Jocelyn who for what?
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. The 2014 contest for governor is a bazillion
miles away - 1,310 days to be exact - so why waste any time on who might be the Democratic nominee?
Because the chatter has already begun even though the current
chief executive is just into his second of a four-year term.
Ms. Whitmer is the senate Democratic leader from East Lansing
and Ms. Benson has already been on the statewide ballot. She ran for
Secretary of State and got swamped by Ruth Johnson in that GOP wave
election in 2010.
When Ms. Benson showed up, the Wayne State University law professor and former civil rights investigator, was a certified novice at running
statewide. She was tagged with the “next Jennifer Granholm” label or
stigma if your prefer.
The SOS candidate didn’t exactly embrace the comparison.
The state was suffering from an acute case of Granholm-fatigue and the
wise Ms. Benson knew hooking her wagon to the governor was a
non-starter.
Of the two, Sen. Whitmer has more experience with six years
in the house and she’s on the last two-year leg of eight years in the
Senate. Being an insider does not appear to be in vogue these days but
that does not deter the Whitmer-ittes from urging her to run for
governor.
Adding fuel to the Whitmer-for-governor fires is the fact
that President Obama has tapped her as a key spokesperson in
his re-election bid. She’s already done two teleconferences on his
behalf, including one with the woman who is running again for First Lady.
Everywhere Ms. Whitmer goes, she is asked about it, but she
has not committed - even though she did flirt with running for Attorney
General last time.
As a single mom back then, with two young girls, the heavy
burden of traipsing all over the state to grow grassroots support was
too much. And when one of her daughter’s classmates died of cancer,
that was the last straw. She dropped out before she got in.
The little girls are still little but there is now a Dad in
the picture, but soundings around town suggest that Ms. Whitmer does
not have the fire in the belly to do it this time either. Which means somebody will
have to convince her to pull the trigger.
Maybe that will be her Dad, the former head of Blue Cross, who has talked with her about this.
Ms. Benson, on the other hand, was approached the other day
and asked directly, "Are you interested in running for governor?"
Instead of looking the reporter in the eye, her eye shifted
to her handler as if to say, ”Get me out of here.”
She would not bite and noted that her soldier husband was in
the Middle East and she was in no frame of mind to ponder her political
future right now.
Yet, rummaging around in the Benson brain trust one
discovers that she does not want her name taken off the list and she
would not rule it out.
But you can’t wait too long. Current Gov. Rick Snyder
started two years before his election. Maybe the two should call the
Angriest Mayor in America to see if he will run again?
Lansing Mayor and 2010 gubernatorial candidate Virg Benero volunteered the other day that he has no plans to do that but then quickly added, “Not now.”

You know what that means; he won’t rule it out either.

Watch Off the Record with Tim Skubick online anytime at video.wkar.org

Korean-American letter to Pete Hoekstra ...

Former U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra's instantly controversial campaign ad was the subject of heated debate among readers Tuesday.
The ad, which aired during the Super Bowl, featured an Asian woman speaking in broken English, thanking incumbent Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow (the ad changes her last name to "Spenditnow") for sending American jobs overseas.
One comment that deserves special attention appeared below a list of the day's highest-traffic stories, which the Associated Press piece on Hoekstra's ad topped. It's from "smitten" and offers an Asian-American's perspective on the ad. Here it is in full:

Letter I wrote to Mr. Hoekstra,
As an American-Korean, adopted to Michigan couple over 30 years ago, I am appalled at your Super Bowl ad. I grew up among majority Caucasian conservatives and married a man who thought he was Republican, until the Republican’s changed their political stance from being fiscally conservative to racially insensitive. Your ad used a woman who clearly did not have a real accent and appears to look like an American-Asian pretending to be Chinese. If you had a dime for every time a Caucasian tried to imitate the broken English to me, you wouldn’t need to fundraise anymore.
Although I can appreciate your message of the ad, your marketing group tried to be funny at the expense of others. Your ad only reminded me of all the times my young Caucasian classmates thought it would be funny to talk to me in broken English. My family, friends, and colleagues will remember your commercial and how this American-Asian found it offensive.
Many times, people aren’t aware of the insensitivity, because it doesn’t apply to them, until someone they respect and care about points it out to them. I am aware that there isn’t a large Asian population on the west side of Michigan. I know, because we visited Western University after our daughter was invited to compete for a full ride scholarship and the admission’s counselors brought this to our attention. Regardless of the lack of presence, it was in poor taste. There are many Michigan voters that have adopted Asian children like myself, or have a friend, or married to someone Asian, or may be mixed (like my children).
Thank you for convincing me to donate for Debbie Stabenow. Prior to the ad, I didn’t care who won.
Published Tuesday, February 7, 2012 @ http://www.mlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2012/02/comments_an_open_letter_to_pet.html#incart_mce

Please - Help Derek J. Bailey receive up to $20,000 toward his campaign by voting for him at the link below :

Click on this link :

http://www.grassrootsallstars.com/

1)      Make only one selection – Derek J. Bailey – Here’s how …

2)      On the screen, on the right side of the picture panel is an arrow – hit it 4 times

3)      Find Derek J. Bailey and select the check mark under his picture

4)      Enter your name , zip code and email in the blue box and check submit.

NOTE : You’ll receive some emails from the sponsoring organization, “ Democracy for America”. When you receive the first email, if you don’t want to be subscribed , just select “unsubscribe”.

GDH

Neo-Nazis in the U.S. Military ...

Last week there were pictures of U.S. Marines displaying a Nazi “SS” flag and now a U.S. Army Base named “Combat Outpost Arayan” ? Such displays and actions are a disgrace to the respective services. Apparently the soldiers involved do not know or understand the devastation caused by the designers of Nazi symbols and crimes against humanity perpetrated by Nazi soldiers during WWII. Further, they must be totally ignorant of how many American & Allied service members were killed defeating the forces of militarism and fascism. Of course, they know and their intent is obvious. The Marines displaying the “SS” flag should be court-martialed and discharged with dishonorable discharges for bringing disgrace on the U.S. Marines and the United States. The Combat Out Post incident is of a greater significance as it indicates a systemic failure of the U.S. Army. There should be no Non Commissioned Officer or Officer who does not know and understand the significance of the usage of the word “Arayan”. The use of the term as an outpost name seems to indicate that there are no leaders paying attention over there and that the U.S. Armed Services are paying neo Nazis to obtain basic training and combat experience. What’s next ? An Air Base named after Herman Goering ? An Army Base named after Adolf Hitler ? It’s time to shake up the services from the top down and by making an example of all concerned and all officers responsible. This is totally unacceptable and is a disgrace to the United States and all service members past and present.

GDH

What is a Democrat ?

Watch the video here as Rev. Dr. Wendell Anthony spells it out for all of us  - I was there for this speech and the mood in the room was electric !

http://engagemichigan.com/

Restricting Voting Rights for Electoral Gain - a slide show :

http://www.protectingthevote.org/?source=DSH

The Corporate " people" and right wingers are tinkering with our Democracy - trying to rig the system to their advantage. What can we do ? We can use tools like this to bring awareness to others, to make sure we never find an excuse to miss a chance to vote and to educate our children and grandchildren  about people and organizations who want to destroy what has been built up over decades. This is the year of the VOTE - remember, YOUR vote is YOUR voice !

GDH

A message from Michigan Democratic Party Chairman, Mark Brewer :

"The Republicans are determined to waste $10 million of taxpayer money on an unnecessary presidential primary on February 28th. To make matters worse, they're trying to drag Democrats into it, despite the fact that we have chosen not to participate.
In order to confuse and disenfranchise Democratic voters, Republican Secretary of State Ruth Johnson placed President Obama's name on the February 28th ballot solely to create partisan mischief. Our attempts to keep the President's name off of the ballot were ignored. Therefore, the Michigan Democratic State Central Committee has decided not to enforce the party rule that prevents Democrats from participating in both the presidential primary and the MDP's presidential caucuses on May 5, 2012.
We won't let Republicans confuse or disenfranchise Democrats. Democrats who vote in the primary will not be banned from participating in our caucuses.
Please read the MDSCC's resolution from this past weekend's meeting and share it with at least 10 of your friends. Please post it to your websites and social network accounts. We need to get the word out to alleviate confusion and make sure no Democrats are disenfranchised."

The original email can be found at the following link :

http://service.mail.com/mail.html;jsessionid=55C8AADDCB85B5F87E9A5A07A9EFF875.jport-us010#6

August 7th is Northern Michigan's  "D Day" ! ( Derek Day)

http://baileypeopleplaces.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/1st-condis.jpg

Here is the newly formed 1st Congressional District - the largest Congressional District east of the Mississippi River. This is not just any ordinary Congressional District - it's ours and it's unique in that it is THE Northern Michigan Congressional District.

This is what's at stake in this year's primary election on August 7th and in the general election in November. At question in August's election is whether we accept and / or will allow the politicos in Lansing to chose who THEY want to be OUR Congressman. Their pick is Gary McDowell ( he lost to Dan Benishek in the 2010 election ).

When we cast our votes on August 7th we must ask ourselves - Are we the beneficiaries of politics in which we have no input ? Would we benefit from representation by their candidate who apparently is indebted to them and not the Democrats of NORTHERN Michigan ?

Republican Congressman Benishek is extremely vulnerable in this election year and if a NORTHERN Michigan candidate, chosen by NORTHERN Michigan Democrats defeats him it puts those who would force their candidate on us into the uncomfortable position of having to take us seriously in the future - even listening to our views and respecting our politics. Derek J. Bailey is the man of our time, of NORTHERN Michigan, respected above and below the Mackinac Bridge, young, energetic, intelligent, experienced and ready to represent the largest Congressional District east of the Mississippi.

Betrayal by Senate Democrats ...

The following news was posted on " The Huffington Post", February 7, 2012. I have  fired off letters of outrage and deep indignation to our Senators, Levin & Stabenow. Senator Levin voted FOR this but Senator Stabenow voted against it ( I have emailed her thanking her for supporting working men and women and their right to form unions to collectively bargain with their employers. ) I am including my email to President Obama at the end of the article. The shading is mine for emphasis.

"WASHINGTON -- The Senate passed a Federal Aviation Administration bill on Monday that includes an anti-union measure bitterly opposed by labor groups.
The bill, which modernizes America's air traffic control system and funds the FAA through 2014, was fought over for four years, leading to a partial shutdown of the FAA last summer because of anti-union measures added by the Republican-controlled House.

It passed 75 to 20, with a majority of Democrats backing it.

Among the controversial provisions were changes to labor law for rail and airline workers -- backed by the airline industry -- that would count anyone who did not vote in an election for a union as voting against it, making it much more difficult to certify attempts to organize new unions.
That measure was stripped in a conference committee to work out differences between the Senate and House versions of the bill, only to be replaced by another that raises the threshold for seeking a union from requiring 35 percent of workers' signatures to requiring half.
Unions mounted a last minute push against the measure Monday, including sending out a letter signed by 19 labor groups hammering Democrats for giving into the House.
"Rewarding the House Republican Leadership's desire to rewrite decades of long standing labor law in a flash by inserting an unrelated and controversial labor provision in a much needed aviation safety and security bill, without notice, hearing, or debate, sets an extremely dangerous precedent," says the letter, led by Communications Workers of America.

Senators who voted for the bill, including Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), the chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, praised it as a good compromise and a vital step forward for the country's air traffic control system.
"I happen to think it's a very, very good bill," Rockefeller said.
A number of his Democratic colleagues, however, agreed with the unions, saying Congress was caving in to a few powerful airlines.
"The only entity that [the old union vote system] apparently doesn't work for is the management of a few powerful airlines," said Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa). "These powerful companies don't want workers to have representation. They don't want to engage in collective bargaining with their workers. They're deeply concerned, I guess, that at some point in the future they just might have to put a few additional dollars into middle class workers' pockets."
While Harkin called the changes to labor law "less detrimental" than the original language, he was still among the senators to vote against the bill.
"My vote is to stand up against the notion that a federal agency [the National Mediation Board] and the American workers it is charged to protect should be punished for doing what is right, what is fair, what is within their jurisdiction, and to stand up against a process that allows the few and the powerful to hijack this body, to change the rule of the game in their favor," Harkin said.

The bill now goes to President Obama."

Here is my email to President Obama - Please email President Obama and ask him to please Veto the Federal Aviation Administration bill.

Dear Mr. President,
                              I am deeply ashamed of Senate Democrats who voted for the Federal Aviation Administration bill. This is a remarkable demonstration that Democrats have forsaken their old friends in America's unions. I am further upset that the influence of the Airlines Industry is become paramount to the right of workers to collectively bargain with employers for living wages, workplace protections and benefits. This is a sad day for all American workers and a national disgrace. Please, do not sign this bill when it comes to your desk ( it is certain to pass in the Republican controlled House ). Please VETO this bill and send it back and tell them to remove the anti-union language.