REBUILDING THE REAGAN COALITION :

Bush Courts Carpenters Union in Effort to Build Labor Ties (Mike Allen, June 20, 2002, Washington Post)

President Bush, continuing his effort to erode Democrats' historical hold on labor unions, spoke yesterday to a cheering convention of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners, where he was saluted for being more concerned about the members than about politics.

The carpenters group is one of several unions, including the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, that the White House has been courting throughout Bush's term. White House strategy documents list labor unions as one of the constituencies -- along with Latinos, suburban women and Catholics -- where Bush is working to "grow" his support.

Time for another round of ritual denunciations by libertarians and Ivory soap conservatives about how Bush is caving in to someone. He just keeps growing the party while they fixate on their own ideologically pure navels. Posted by Orrin Judd at June 20, 2002 7:56 AM