Cave-In Alert: Mr.O "Flexible" On EFCA

Donklephant reports this morning that Mr.O is willing to be "flexible" about driving the Employee Free Choice Act through the Congress any time soon. Quotha:

This one is sure to ruffle some feathers, but Obama is signaling that he’s more than willing to find common ground on this issue and I have to say it’s a relief to hear. Especially since this seems to be the last thing we should be focusing on right now.

My feathers are among those ruffled by this latest equivocation by PE-Febreez, I shall frankly admit.

Citing Marc Ambinder, quoting PE-F, the piece continues:

And the basic outline of the Employee Fair Choice are ones that I agree with. But I will certainly listen to all parties involved including from labor and the business community which I know considers this to be the devil incarnate. I will listen to parties involved and see if there are ways that we can bring those parties together and restore some balance.

"Balance"? WTF "balance" is the man raving about? There is no balance in the work-place. When does "flexibility" become betrayal? But The Donkle placidly concludes:

I think he’s sending a pretty clear message to Democratic lawmakers to not demagogue this issue, especially since there are more important things to do. And honestly, I know Dems are trying to front load this legislative season with all of the pet projects they’ve had on the back burner for 8 years, but this one seems like it could easily be defeated…so why now?

To which I replied, far more mildly than I felt:

You sure are reasonable with somebody else's ability to organize for justice and fairness...Wouldn't want to CHANGE the balance of power any at all, would we? Wouldn't be "prudent."

Gotta LUV such flexibility. Is this an instance of soi-disant "post-partisanship?"

I call it shoving a feces-encrusted thumb in the eye of your most loyal and expectant (and I don't mean me) constituency.

What makes anyone think that if Obama/Dims cannot get this through with the political capital they NOW possess, they will be able to do so later with inevitably LESS political capital to expend? This is a cave-in, pure and simple.

That I am not surprised does not mean that I cannot still be outraged.

To which I would add: this is one of those situations wherein there is no 'compromise' possible, because the folks with the power will never willingly relinquish even a scintilla of it without coercion. And there is nothing with which the workers can coerce the Bosses. There is no equivalency now in the amount of power or how it is shared in the work-place. The Bosses have it all, and they will move heaven and earth (or alternatively, and politically more relevantly, they will OBSTRUCT heaven and earth) to ensure that they do not ever have to cede ANY of it to the workers.

You cannot "compromise" with interests which desire to 'eliminate' you.