Blanche Blinks (Editorial)

Sen. Blanche Lincoln finally came out and said what everyone knew she would if she wanted to stay in office — that she opposed the misnamed Employee Free Choice Act, at least in its current form.

Her decision is not exactly material for “Profiles in Courage,” but as the first Democrat to announce opposition, she deserves a pat on the back.

The act, also known as the “card check” measure, would make it easier to unionize workers, something that could very well kill retail business as we know it. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has been strong in its opposition.

Passage of the bill, a certainty in the House with its large Democratic majority, was already looking doubtful in the Senate before Lincoln’s announcement. She and Arkansas’ junior senator, Mark Pryor, were getting a lot of attention before Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., announced his opposition, pretty well sealing the measure’s doom unless there’s some compromise. Pryor has been advocating a compromise all along, while Lincoln had simply said the measure was unnecessary.

Lincoln’s vote was important before Specter’s decision because, under Senate rules, 60 votes are needed to invoke cloture before a vote can be taken. With his decision made, Lincoln’s became much easier because the bill’s passage was unlikely.

Lincoln is up for re-election next year. Given labor’s minimal clout in the state (fewer than 9 percent of Arkansans are union members) and with business and agriculture interests, who have backed her, opposing card check, Lincoln’s decision wasn’t surprising.

Her decision has raised the ire of labor forces.

Jonathan Tasini, writing for the Huffington Post, said this: “Blanche Lincoln must face a well-funded primary opponent in 2010. And it’s got to be the labor movement that recruits and funds that candidate – or the rhetoric about how important the Employee Free Choice Act is will be just that: rhetoric.”