Denver Post: Udall out of Step with "Western Values"

A scathing editorial in yesterday's Denver Post calls out Colorado Democrats for bowing to Big Labor with their support of HR 800, the poorly-named Employee Free Choice Act (read here, here and here). This post expands on the theme introduced yesterday by A Watcher.

Though all Democrats in the state's delegation voted for the bad legislation, the Post specifically singled out bill co-sponsor Boulder liberal Mark Udall - the man who would be U.S. Senator- first for his anti-business agenda:

The proposal, which passed the House with support from Rep. Mark Udall, contained an offensive and little-known provision that would have allowed a government arbitrator to impose a two-year contract on businesses and workers that actually specified wages and working conditions. Neither the employer nor the workers could appeal the decision.

The government has no place mandating how much private employers, for example, pay for their employees' health insurance.

Later, we also find that Udall's support of HR 800 was unfriendly to workers, including many blue-collar independents and Democrats:

And Udall, who wants to be Colorado's next senator, should know that elections here are won by wooing over moderate, independent-minded voters. Casting votes like this won't help. The proposal died only after Senate Democrats could attract only one Republican vote, from Pennsylvania's Arlen Specter, to stop a GOP filibuster against the bill.

The misnamed Employee Free Choice Act also would have denied workers the right to a secret ballot on the question of whether they want to be represented by a union at all. The measure, which passed the House 241-185, is sure to be back because organized labor has made it the top priority in the new Democratic-controlled Congress.

But the tenets of the bill aren't Western values, and our lawmakers should oppose this unprecedented intrusion of federal power into the collective bargaining process and private
workplaces.

One more piece of evidence that Democrat Rep. Mark Udall, who once again has wandered to the Left of the Denver Post, is out of step with Western values and Colorado's independent voters.

The Post also assailed Colorado's junior U.S. Senator Ken Salazar for selling out Colorado to the left wing of his Democratic party:

We were extremely disappointed that Colorado's Sen. Ken Salazar abandoned his centrist values to vote with the liberal wing of his party when he voted to shut off debate on the bill, which could have forced a vote on the measure. He was elected as a moderate, and he simply can't become intoxicated by the ideals of his big-government liberal colleagues. He needs to maintain his independence.

Even the left-of-center Post editorial board saw the naked power grab behind HR 800 and called out Democrats Udall and Salazar) for tossing the rights of workers and businesses under the bus to give political payback to union leaders.

Are these guys who we want representing the entire state of Colorado on Capitol Hill? I don't think so. Try Bob Schaffer instead.

Cross posted at Mount Virtus