(Joshua Lott/Reuters)
The Wisconsin Republican presidential primary is turning into a bit of a "who's more anti-union" competition as Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum
try to tie themselves to Gov. Scott Walker's assaults on unions to gain an edge with Walker's supporters. Romney is sounding a note he's sounded before:
"As you know the fight against big labor led by Gov. Walker isn't over, here in Wisconsin," a voice says in an automated Romney telephone call. "I was shocked to find out that Rick Santorum repeatedly supported big labor and joined with liberal Democrats in voting against right-to-work legislation during his time in Washington."
(Romney is counting on reporters not to mention and Santorum not to have enough money to publicize the fact that, in 2002, Romney
credited union workers with accomplishing key challenges to make the Salt Lake City Olympics a success and, running for governor in Massachusetts,
called for cooperation with unions.)
Without Romney's Super PAC millions to boost his message, Santorum is trying to get the word out that he hates unions like any proper Republican presidential candidate should, and that he stands with Scott Walker in that hatred:
"Calling Rick Santorum a friend of labor is like calling Mitt Romney a conservative. Neither are true," Santorum told reporters Wednesday. [...]
"Gov. Walker ... is leading. He is leading this country with his courage, his ability," Santorum said in Bellevue, Wis. "He is willing to stand up and fight the bullies. I come from southwest Pennsylvania. I represented the old steel valley of Pittsburgh. I know what it's like."
We get it, boys. You both think working people should lie down and bare their necks for the boss's boot. But one at a time—if everyone laid down at once, it would look like an organized action and next thing you know there'd be a neck-barers union.