{news} FYI_Tiny Working Families Party a Coalitio Pushing Labor Agneda

[Tim McKee]

courant.com/news/politics/hc-workingfamilies0804.artaug04,0,2113560.story



Courant.com
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Tiny Working Families Party A Coalition Pushing Labor Agenda
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By MARK PAZNIOKAS

Courant Staff Writer

August 4, 2008

Click here to find out more!

Of the 1.9 million voters in Connecticut, only 15 are registered with the
Working Families Party.

"I don't know who any of them are," said Jon Green, executive director of
the party.

Is he one?

"No," he said, laughing.

Confused?

What the Working Families Party does have is a progressive economic
agenda and a valuable asset: its own line on every ballot in Connecticut.

The party practices fusion politics — cross-endorsing supportive
candidates from other parties, typically Democrats — on a broad scale.

A change in state law last year eased the rules for cross-endorsements,
setting up the Working Families Party as potential kingmaker in close
races, such as Democrat Jim Himes' challenge of U.S. Rep. Chris Shays,
R-4th District.

Himes and the state's four Democratic congressional incumbents will
appear twice on the ballot this fall — on the Democratic and Working
Families lines.

So will about 50 state legislative candidates, including two Republicans,
Sens. John Kissel of Enfield and Leonard Fasano of North Haven.

Two years ago, when Democrat Chris Murphy unseated U.S. Rep. Nancy
Johnson, R-5th District, he garnered an extra 5,794 votes on the Working
Families line.

That was more than Shays' 5,747 plurality.

Working Families was founded 10 years ago in New York, where fusion
voting is common. After a slow start in Connecticut, the party is
establishing a reputation as an important ally for Democrats.

The increasing role of Working Families in Connecticut, one of the
relatively few states that allow fusion voting, provokes concern among
Republicans.

"They've taken a loophole in the law and, with 15 people, they have
managed to establish themselves as a fringe party whose sole purpose is
to confuse voters that Democrats have support from a phantom party," said
Chris Healy, the Republican state chairman.


Composition Of Party
--------------------

Working Families is less of a party than a coalition of labor unions and
community activists who are trying to convince politicians that support
for their causes can translate into measurable votes.

Their causes include universal health care, mandatory paid sick days and
a livable wage.

With its own ballot line, the party is hoping to get credit for electing
progressive, pro-labor candidates, just as Ralph Nader's presence on the
presidential ballot in Florida earned him blame for Al Gore's narrow loss
in 2000.

Green said the party's polling shows that many of the votes on their line
come from voters who could not bring themselves to vote for a Democrat or
a Republican.

"It's a protest vote that actually counts," he said.

Maura Keaney, the campaign manager for Himes, said Working Families is
composed of groups that are mainstream, unlike some other minor parties.

"Working Families is about coalitions," Keaney said. "The Green Party is
about being on the outside, rather than forming a strong progressive
coalition."

Working Families is backed by elements of major unions, including the
Service Employees International Union, the United Auto Workers and the
United Food and Commercial Workers.

Art Perry, the political director of an SEIU local that represents
janitors, said Working Families is a consistent voice for labor causes of
great import to his members, including paid sick days.

Causes are more important than party loyalty, he said.

And that attitude is the cause of tension between the Working Families
and Democrats.


Backing A Republican
--------------------

Although the party tries to influence most races by cross-endorsing major
party candidates, it occasionally backs a Republican.

In one race this year, it is trying to be a spoiler, fielding its own
candidate in an effort to draw votes away from a Democratic incumbent.

The target is Linda Schofield, a Democrat from Simsbury who was
cross-endorsed two years ago in her successful challenge of a Republican
incumbent, Robert Heagney. Schofield, who won by 180 votes, got 167 votes
on the Working Families line.

But Schofield, a former director of the state Medicaid program, became a
voice of opposition within the Democratic caucus to a health care pooling
bill that the Working Families Party favored.

She is facing a rematch with Heagney.

Green said the party decided that it would be better off with a
conservative Republican sitting harmlessly with the GOP minority than an
unfriendly Democrat inside the majority.

"It is a compliment," Schofield said. "They deem me as intelligent and
effective, and they want to take me out."

House Majority Leader Christopher G. Donovan, D- Meriden, said the
Working Families overlooked Schofield's casting a key vote in support of
another labor cause: overriding Gov. M. Jodi Rell's veto of a minimum
wage increase.

"She's been there when we've needed her," Donovan said.

Schofield said the Working Families Party was trying to establish a
progressive litmus test, which could limit the ability of Democrats to
win in Republican-leaning districts.

"I think they are trying to intimidate Democrats into being more in tune
with the Working Families' left-leaning policies," Schofield said. "There
is an inherent threat here, 'If you don't vote our way, we'll run someone
against you.'"

Working Families sees one of its roles as forcing the large Democratic
majorities in the legislature to deliver on issues. For that, Green makes
no apologies.

"You have no permanent friends, no permanent enemies," Green said. "It's
just about the issues."

Contact Mark Pazniokas at mpazniokas at courant.com.

For full coverage of the 2008 election season, including photos, video
and other multimedia, visit www.courant.com/vote08

Copyright © 2008, The Hartford Courant

[IMAGE]

******************************************
Tim McKee, Manchester CT, main number cell-860-778-1304, 860-643-2282
 National Commitee member of the Green Party of the United States and is a spokesperson for the Green Party of CT.
BLOG-http://thebiggreenpicture.blogspot.com

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