In related news, it appears Rep. Space thinks an awful lot of himself as he was apparently trying to position himself in the already crowded primary field for the right to lose to Rob Portman in the general. Check out the full coverage here, but this is the part we're looking for:Zack Space Sells out Ohio Workers at the Price of $494,500
Washington– Rep. Zack Space (D-OH) signed his name on the dotted line yesterday by co-sponsoring the so-called Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) – better known as “card-check.” In doing so, the Ohio Democrat signaled his support to strip workers of the right to a secret union ballot, a practice that leads to corruption and worker intimidation, not to mention its potential to kill jobs generated by small businesses. Space's support of card-check is further proof that he has put the special interests of Big Labor that funded his campaign ahead of the needs of struggling working class families he regrettably misrepresents in Congress.
“By co-sponsoring card-check, Zack Space has demonstrated his willingness to pay back union bosses at the expense of Ohio workers and their fundamental rights to a secret ballot,” said NRCC Communications Director Ken Spain. “Despite all of his rhetoric about wanting to create jobs for middle-class Americans, Space is supporting this job-killing bill that threatens to make the workplace a site for corruption and coercion. Now, with unemployment continuing to climb, it’s time for Space to explain why he has embraced the needs of the special interests that filled his campaign coffers at the expense of his own constituents.”
The Cleveland Plain Dealer editorialized that the legislation was a “misguided approach” and should not be passed:
"The Senate’s Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee today takes up one of the new Democratic majority’s pet projects: the Employee Free Choice Act. It’s a misguided approach to providing reasonable protection to workers who want to bargain collectively with their employers… The secret ballot process was enshrined in law decades ago at labor’s insistence. But now, as the percentage of private-sector unions dwindles, labor wants new rules.” (Cleveland Plain Dealer, March 27, 2007)
Dr. Anne Layne‐Farrar, an economist with the non‐partisan Law and Economics Consulting Group (LECG), recently announced a new study that shows 600,000 jobs would be lost in 2010 if card-check is signed into law:
“EFCA is unlikely to achieve its main goal of improving social welfare, which should take into account possible consequences not only for union members but for all individuals. In particular, my quantitative analysis indicates that passing EFCA would likely increase the US unemployment rate and decrease US job creation substantially.” (Layne-Farrar, “An Empirical Assessment of the Employee Free Choice Act: The Economic Implications,” March 2009)
Even billionaire investor and known supporter of President Obama, Warren Buffett, called card-check a mistake:
“I think the secret ballot’s pretty important in the country. I’m against card check to make a perfectly flat statement.” (CNBC’s Squawk Box, 3/9/09)
Ohio families don’t have to wait for Zack Space to vote on the card-check bill, as he’s already exposed his willingness to strip away union workers’ democratic right to a secret ballot in union elections and put 600,000 jobs at risk nationwide.
(source: CQMoneyline, accessed 3/10/09)
Five Democrats - Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, Lt. Governor Lee Fisher, Cincinnati State Rep. Tyrone Yates, Dover Congressman Zack Space and Cuyahoga County Commissioner Peter Lawson Jones - pitched themselves for the U.S. Senate seat occupied by Republican George Voinovich, who is retiring at the end of next year.Emphasis added.
We at WMD think this is a great idea and encourage the Ohio Democrats to pick Mr. Space. It would open up OH-18 again and the Accidental Congressman would get crushed in a statewide run. The potential for an open seat race in OH-18 is an opportunity for a number of quality Republican candidates (I can think of at least two off the top of my head) to run in this rural district where McCain beat Obama 52%-45%.
Fun Fact: Ohio has a lot of business interests in coal. Do you think it would be difficult for Zack Space to run statewide knowing that his buddy DCCC Chairman Chris Van Hollen has participated in an anti-coal rally on Capitol Hill (click here for photo). What does Zack think of his boss and what is his position on coal? Somebody ought to ask him...
