Yesterday the Washington Times reported:
Monday, March 16, 2009
EXCLUSIVE: AFL-CIO pledges votes for Specter
S.A. Miller (Contact)
EXCLUSIVE:
Angling for a critical Senate swing vote to pass the "card check" bill that would make it easier to form unions, Pennsylvania labor leaders promised Sen. Arlen Specter that they will switch union members from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party to help him win a tough 2010 primary election, The Washington Times has learned.
Funny what passes as an "EXCLUSIVE!!!" these days. Consider this:
kos last Tuesday, March 10:
I've now heard from multiple sources that the AFL-CIO and other labor unions have promised to stand firmly with Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter if he becomes a rare crossover Republican vote on EFCA when that issue hits the floor of the Senate.
Okay, so it was just a multiple-sourced "rumor." Not qualifying enough for a factual exclusive. Until ...
Greg Sargent on Thursday, March 12:
Big Union Vows To Back Arlen Specter In 2010 If He Supports Employee Free Choice
This is big: Senior officials with the powerful AFL-CIO have privately assured GOP Senator Arlen Specter that they’ll throw their full support behind him in the 2010 Senate race if he votes for the Employee Free Choice Act, a senior labor strategist working closely with the AFL on the issue tells me.
I guess being confirmed and published on Sargent's blog, The Plum Line (part of the Washington Post website) doesn't qualify as first! either. Only if you get ink stains on your fingers when you read it will it be considered legitimate news.
What pompous fools.