AFL-CIO to Pour $53 Million into 2008 Elections
This election cycle the GOP will have to be nimble, smart, and creative. Since last year’s Congressional elections, political momentum has been with the Democrats. That’s resulted in a fundraising edge. News from Marc Ambinder only adds to the Republicans’ problems:
Later today, the AFL-CIO will announce that its executive board approved a $53 million budget for its 2008 political program, the largest ever sum for a political cycle.
AFL-CIO political director Karen Ackerman will oversee the deployment of more than 200,000 volunteers to 23 priority states, including Ohio, pennsylvania, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Five house seats in “union-dense” districts and six Senate seats will be targeted.
In Ohio, where union households comprised 28% of the vote in 2006, the AFl-CIO plans to reach out to more than 1.4 million voters.
The labor federation will partner with other groups and use reams of consumer data to market precise political messages neighborhood-by-neighborhood.
Think of this as microtargeting combined with money for the organizing techniques labor unions have been using for decades.
It gets worse. Another union group, Change To Win, expects to spend $30 million on their own efforts. Don’t forget George Soros who have plenty of cash to throw out against Republicans.
“The Massive Scope Of The AFL-CIO’s Political Program”
Unionism is dying quick; there are no new ballparks or arenas named AFL-CIO.
Try “Coke and Petco.” This a corporate country.
Global Corps will dwarf any Union participation.
So, what else is not new?