Bear in mind, this is not an idle threat. For Democrats, Unions are like the Moral Majority or other Christian Conservative Organziations. They're ready-made, just-add-water campaign organizations. In a close race, they're all the difference between going back to Congress, or heading to Kinko's to touch up your resume.
This may not make too much of a difference in the south (hell, those guys wear Union busting like it was a badge of honor), but in the Midwest, Pennsylvania, California, the Rust Belt, or any State Barack Obama won in 2008, if you don't have Union Support, don't bother runnin'. Period.
The following individuals, could find themselves ignored by the Unions when you need them the most...
Baron Hill (IN-09), Blue Dog Co-Chair for Policy. Voted for Bush Tax Cuts. Signed the infamous July 9th Letter. Worried about him.
Altmire, Jason (PA-04)
Arcuri, Mike (NY-24)
Baca, Joe (CA-43)
Boswell, Leonard (IA-03)
Cardoza, Dennis (CA-18)
Carney, Christopher (PA-10)
Costa, Jim (CA-20)
Dahlkemper, Kathy (PA-03)
Donnelly, Joe (IN-02)
Ellsworth, Brad (IN-08)
Harman, Jane (CA-36)
Holden, Tim (PA-17)
Kratovil, Jr., Frank (MD-01)
Michaud, Mike (ME-02)
Murphy, Patrick (PA-08) ** - Leading the Congressional Charge to overturn DADT. Not really worried about him.
Peterson, Collin (MN-07)
Sanchez, Loretta (CA-47) **- She's okay. She has publicly endorsed a Public Plan.
Schiff, Adam (CA-29) **- My Congressman, for the record. Despite his blue dog status, I'm also not woried a. He's fully committed to a Public Option, and didn't sign the letter.
Space, Zack (OH-18)
Thompson, Mike (CA-01)
Wilson, Charles (OH-06) ** - No, he's not that Charlie Wilson, that guy is retired, and from Texas.
Also, let me point out that the Unions, unlike a lot of my fellow progressives are pointing the finger at the real enemy, alledged Democrats who don't have our collective backs.
Hoffa: Blue Dogs 'making a big mistake' on healthcare
Centrist Blue Dog Democrats are "making a big mistake" by not backing President Obama's healthcare reforms, Teamsters President James P. Hoffa threatened Wednesday.
"They're a whole new phenomenon," Hoffa said of the centrist Democrats who have been reluctant to back a healthcare bill containing certain taxes and a public (or "government-run") option for consumers.
"A lot of these people we supported, and I think they're making a big mistake by not supporting the president," Hoffa added during an appearance on the liberal Bill Press radio show.
Hoffa's words come after the likely incoming president of the AFL-CIO, Richard Trumka, told the Huffington Post that his union may sit out campaigns in which lawmakers broke from the organization.
