Proposal 2 bloodletting begins in the Democratic Party

by: Eric B.

Fri Jan 25, 2013 at 09:35:48 AM EST

Mark Brewer is running for another term as MDP chairman, but won't have the support of the UAW, according to MIRS.

Michigan Democratic Party (MDP) Chair Mark BREWER told UAW President Bob KING today he would be running for another term as chair with or without support of the party's largest political donor, sources tell MIRS.

To that, King told Brewer he would not be supporting Brewer's return as chair and would cut off funding for the party if he managed to succeed in his re-election without UAW support, according to these sources with knowledge of the conversation.

One party insider described King's threat as "the temper-tantrum school of politics," adding he seems "more than happy being in a minority, a shrinking minority, than growing the Democratic Party."

It's also expected that King will no longer be president of the UAW after his term expires.

This wasn't the only cracks to appear in Labor's coalition, according to MIRS. The president of a local for the United Food and Commercial Workes circulated a scathing letter than alternately attacked AFL-CIO president Karla Swift and Jill Alper over the management of last year's Proposal 2 campaign.

Robinson argues that in order to "preserve the labor movement, we must identify the party who spearheaded" Prop 2, the collective bargaining
amendment, and "have them take ownership, and explain their actions and results. We do this not to lay blame, but to discover the past to secure our future."

As a matter of course, I don't take positions on the specifics of internal Democratic Party dynamics, because I'm not a dues paying member, but overall this is, I think, a very healthy thing for this conversation to take place.

Update! ... Here's a PDF copy of the letter Robinson sent to the rest the labor coalition.

This also brings into question the professionals hired to run the campaign and develop strategy. It appears to me that the same group that drove the bus and failed in November have now been handed the wheel again. If the bus driver took us off a cliff previously, why would we get back on for another ride? It became very obvious to me major changes were in order. With so many unanswered questions, and unresolved logistical issues, how could we be successful?

This is an ongoing theme for Michigan Democrats ... stick with the people who screwed things up. Don't learn, don't try new things, don't give other people a shot. Maintain the status quo. This was reflected by the insider quoted in the Mark Brewer piece about Bob King ... maintain your own shrinking fiefdom before trying to grow the state Democratic Party.