The AFL-CIO endorsement of Glenn Poshard for governor in the Illinois Democratic primary is clearly a political payback as opposed to a solid pro-Poshard statement of support.
Poshard appears to be the chosen candidate of Mike Madigan, speaker of the House, who has called in his political favors to gain the union endorsement. This dangerous strategy runs the risk of further marginalizing Illinois women at a time when it is widely acknowledged that the gender gap is the key to the governor’s race.
We know that women feel adamantly about issues that affect their families. Issues such as gun control, the environment and reproductive rights. Issues for which Glenn Poshard’s voting record shows him to hold the most extreme anti-women positions.
Poshard voted against the ban on assault weapons. He voted against the ban on cop-killer bullets, and he sponsored legislation to ban abortion, even in cases of rape and incest.
The women and men of organized labor in Illinois have a clear choice in this election. They can choose to accept a politically motivated endorsement, or they can follow the courageous example of members of the Illinois Federation of Teachers and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers who, by their silence, have rejected the union endorsement of Glenn Poshard.
