White House scolds unions over Arkansas election

Wed Jun 9, 2010 4:49pm EDT

* Money "might have been better spent" later

* Unions spent some $10 million against Lincoln

* Palin-backed candidates did well

By Steve Holland

WASHINGTON, June 9 (Reuters) - The White House gently scolded labor unions on Wednesday for spending millions of dollars in support of an Arkansas Democrat who lost a bid to unseat fellow Democrat Senator Blanche Lincoln.

Unions spent an estimated $10 million to try to defeat Lincoln, who defied a U.S. anti-incumbent wave and held off a strong challenge from Arkansas' lieutenant governor, Bill Halter, on Tuesday.

By winning the Democratic nomination, Lincoln earned the right to face Republican John Boozman in her bid for a third term in Nov. 2 congressional elections in which Republicans are poised to take seats away from Democratic majorities in the Senate and House of Representatives.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs, asked about the union money spent trying to help one Democrat knock out another, wondered aloud whether the union money "might have been better spent" in autumn campaigns for Democratic candidates against Republicans.

He said Democrats are likely to face a lot of close races in November and President Barack Obama believes that the union money "might come in more handy then."

Unions and liberal groups had fought Lincoln because of her support for bank bailouts and her opposition to a proposal to include a government-run insurance option in the U.S. healthcare overhaul. The overhaul was ultimately approved without the so-called public option.

Lincoln is a key figure in financial regulation legislation working its way through the Senate.

PALIN'S CLOUT

Voters in 11 states on Tuesday chose the Democratic and Republican candidates to face off in November.

The results showed the political clout that former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin holds within the Republican Party. Palin was the Republican vice presidential candidate in 2008 and while Democrats deride her, she remains a popular figure among conservatives.

Palin had endorsed three candidates who won contests on Tuesday: Nikki Haley advanced in her bid for the Republican nomination to be governor of South Carolina, Carly Fiorina took the party's nod to face Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer in California, and Terry Branstad won the Republican nomination for Iowa governor.

Palin had come to Haley's defense in particular after infidelity allegations against her surfaced in South Carolina that Haley strongly denied.

"Congratulations to the commonsense conservative candidates who proved again last night that the voice of the American people cannot be ignored in Washington any longer," Palin said in a statement.

"These candidates have the courage to stand up for their convictions, fight for what they know is right for their states and our nation, and buck politics as usual in order to put government back on the side of the people," she said. (Editing by Xavier Briand)

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Comments (20)
cybervigilante wrote:
The unions were right. The healthcare bill was written by the corrupt insurance industry. Billions for banks but not one dime for a jobs bill. Expansion of wars but no money for our infrastructure. We now have two pro-corporate parties. Instead of right-leaning Obama sending a message to the people, we need to send a message to him. He bent over for BP Until he started dropping in the polls, and now he’s putting on a big act.

The DEADocrats are not longer the party of the people. Neither are republicans. We don’t have a party.

Jun 09, 2010 5:18pm EDT  --  Report as abuse
cybervigilante wrote:
Union money might “come in more handy” so Obama can do more for corporations and Nothing for working people. Yeah, right. Maybe Goldman Sachs Geithner can give even more money to banks that won’t loan or do workouts. God forbid the so-called party of the people would have a job program like they had after the Depression (which would be great for helping clean the Gulf), or a job-training program like CETA. Nothing for working people. Everything for banks, insurance companies, and drug companies, who wrote the health care bill and the bailout bill for their own benefit, with the collusion of Obama and Geithner. I voted for Obama since the alternative was even worse, but we were had. There was no alternative.

Jun 09, 2010 5:22pm EDT  --  Report as abuse
mothergrace wrote:
Considering that 40 of the 42 voting locations in Garland County were closed and election officials reneged on a promise to open one on Saturday so voters in this mostly rural county would have time to drive and vote, we will never know who truly won.
The ad,ministration should look at the real message here-even with shutting out a lot of Halter supporters Lincoln barely won.
Progressive liberals may not run around wearing funny hats, but we will still have our say.

Jun 09, 2010 5:23pm EDT  --  Report as abuse
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