George,

The criminal charges against Blagojevich seem to be more of a legal intervention to achieve a political purification, than a legal indictment that would lead to a conviction.

If Blagojevich resigns, or even if he doesn't, and a special election replaces a gubernatorial appointment for the U.S. Senate seat the indictment has a powerful impact.

I worry that one major effect would be to set back the labor movement's main objective in the coming Congress: getting signed petitions as a basis for gaining union collective bargaining status.

We need more union representation to offset the increasingly unequal conditions between bankers, speculators, and securitizers and people who create real wealth through their work.

Rich Collins (Electronic mail, December 10, 2008)