<http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=washingtonstory&sid=av_ObEh7LbRA>
Service Union's Stern Will Seek Candidates to Oppose Democrats
By Roger Simon March 7 (Bloomberg) -- Organized labor, a former pillar of the Democratic Party, is showing some cracks.
Service Employees International Union President Andrew Stern, who pulled his union out of the AFL-CIO labor federation last year, may also be splitting from the Democratic Party, at least in some races.
Stern, whose union represents 1.8 million workers, said in an interview that the Democratic Party has let American workers down. In response, he said, the service union will actively recruit and finance its own candidates, even if that means running them against Democratic incumbents in primaries or backing Republicans in general elections.
``We are not angry; we are going to get even,'' Stern said.
Stern says Democrats haven't done enough to keep American jobs from going overseas, and while many Americans have lost faith in the Republicans to run the country, ``people don't yet believe electing Democrats will make that much of a difference.''
Stern also says that Republicans are more adept at reaching ordinary voters. ``The Democrats think elections are `Jeopardy' or `College Bowl' and Republicans think they are `American Idol,''' he said.
Representative Rahm Emanuel, Democrat of Illinois and chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, took issue with Stern. ``I don't know how he can say that,'' Emanuel said. ``The candidates I recruit are strong advocates for working, middle-class families across the country.''