Big Labor's Million$ of Reasons to Vote for Obama

Kevin Bogardus,The Hill

Unions are joining the air war of radio and television ads surrounding this year’s midterm election.

Over the last week,the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) spent at least $200,000 on billboard signs,direct mail and radio ads,according to Federal Election Commission (FEC) records. Those funds were for attacks against Republican opponents of several vulnerable House Democrats as well as against Rep. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.),who is running for retiring Sen. Kit Bond’s (R-Mo.) seat.

That is about a fifth of SEIU’s spending on campaign ads so far for the general election — now totaling at least $1.3 million since mid-September — according to FEC records filed by Oct. 14…[T]he American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) has spent at least $5.2 million on the general election so far…Some Democratic lawmakers whom SEIU has helped out so far include endangered Reps. John Boccieri (Ohio),Phil Hare (Ill.),Tom Perriello (Va.),Mark Schauer (Mich.),Betty Sutton (Ohio) and Dina Titus (Nev.)…The American Federation of Teachers has also started its campaign effort. According to FEC records,the union has spent at least $430,000 on canvassers in support of several Democrats,including Richmond,Reps. John Carney (D-Pa.),Alan Grayson (D-Fla.) and Patrick Murphy (D-Pa.),as well as a direct mail initiative for Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (D-N.H.).

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