Working For Us PAC

Working For Us PAC (WFUPAC) is a political action committee established in January 2007 after the Democratic Party won both houses of Congress in the 2006 elections by, "among others, veteran labor strategist Steve Rosenthal, and it's backed by unions, such as the Teamsters, Steelworkers and SEIU, that traditionally cultivate close relationships with Democratic politicians. But Working For Us is following the confrontational approach of top liberal bloggers, promising primaries to depose disloyal incumbents. Rosenthal says the group is a 'marriage of the grassroots and the netroots,' uniting door-to-door organizers, unions and bloggers in an effort to 'change the tenor of politics'," Ari Melber wrote May 2, 2007, in The Nation.

"The strategy is set by two boards made up of traditional labor leaders like SEIU secretary-treasurer Anna Burger and pioneers from the Internet left like MoveOn.org heads and Markos Moulitsas, founder of the top Democratic blog Daily Kos," Melber wrote.

"Working For Us is modeled explicitly on the Club for Growth, an independent organization that over the last several election cycles has transformed itself into an electoral force by endorsing fiscally conservative candidates in contested primaries and then pouring hundreds of thousands of dollars into districts to help those candidates win," Chris Cillizza wrote January 23, 2007, in the Washington Post's The Fix Blog.

They Work For Us (TWFU)
"WFU also has a 501c4 nonprofit component called They Work For Us (TWFU), which functions as a 'grassroots and grasstops lobbying' project designed to: (a) pressure lawmakers to support leftist agendas; and (b) raise funds for opposition campaigns against Democratic legislators whose voting records are deemed too conservative. As of January 22, 2007, TWFU had already raised some $200,000 for this purpose." 

Candidate Criteria
Both They Work for Us and Working for Us Political Action Committee "will be on the hunt for Democrats who undermine progressive economic values and oppose the House Democratic Leadership's attempt to move America forward. These groups share a clear agenda that all REAL Democrats must support," Steve Rosenthal wrote January 23, 2007, in The Huffington Post.


 * Promoting a living wage for all workers
 * Improving access to health care
 * Fighting for more domestic jobs
 * Defending workers' rights to organize
 * Protecting retirement security, including social security, pensions, and personal savings accounts
 * Encouraging sound corporate governance

Directors
The following are listed as current WFU PAC directors (and their regular positions):


 * Tyrone Freeman, General President, SEIU Local 434B
 * Thomas Mattzie, Washington Director, MoveOn.org Political Action
 * Steve Rosenthal, President, The Organizing Group and co-founder America Coming Together

Others
"Eli Pariser, Executive Director of MoveOn.org PAC; Michael Monroe, Administrator for Government Affairs, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades; Linda Lipsen, a [lobbyist and] Senior Vice President at the American Association for Justice (web); and the blogger/activist Markos Moulitsas Zuniga." 

Top Offenders List
"In its earliest days, WFU named Representatives Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), Ellen Tauscher (D-California), and Al Wynn (D-Maryland) as the 'Top Offenders' most guilty of voting 'against the interests of their working-class constituents.'"

The "Top Offenders List" can be viewed here.

Contact Information
888 16th Street NW, Suite 630 Washington DC, 20006 Website: http://workingforuspac.org/ Weblog: http://www.workingforuspac.org/blog/

Related SourceWatch Resources

 * internet activism
 * Townhouse
 * U.S. congressional elections in 2008
 * U.S. presidential election, 2008

Profiles

 * Profile: Working For Us PAC, Discover the Networks.org.
 * Campaign Contribution Details 2008 Election Cycle: Working For Us Political Action Committee Inc., CampaignMoney.com.

Articles & Commentary

 * Jim Kuhnhenn, "New Coalition Aims to Keep Dems in Check. Coalition of labor, liberals and lawyers unite to keep Democrats focused on populist issues," Associated Press (CBS News), January 22, 2007.
 * "The Left's Club For Growth?" Hotline Blog / National Journal, January 22, 2007.
 * Steve Rosenthal, "They work for us - and we won't let them forget it!" The Huffington Post, January 23, 2007.
 * Chris Cillizza, "They (Better) Work For Us," The Fix Blog/Washington Post, January 23, 2007.
 * Jim Brown, "GOP leader says new House Democrats already moving left," Associated Press (OneNewsNow.com), January 24, 2007.
 * Josh Richman, "Tauscher's name taken off PAC Web site," Oakland Tribune (FindArticles.com), January 26, 2007.
 * Chris Thompson, "Tauscher's a Tough Target. When a new progressive coalition targeted the moderate East Bay congresswoman, it quickly had to backstep," East Bay Express, January 31, 2007.
 * Sarah Wheaton, "On the Hill: Toe the Line, or Else," The Caucus Blog/New York Times, February 7, 2007.
 * Juliet Eilperin and Michael Grunwald, "The Woman in the Middle. Moderate Democrat Is New Target of Liberal Bloggers," Washington Post, February 21, 2007.
 * Alan Q. Ota, "Senate Drug Pricing Bill Could Serve as Template for Baucus’ Pitch to Center," CQ Today, April 17, 2007.
 * Alex, "Washington Gets Purge Fever," Disinfo.com, April 25, 2007.
 * Bret Jacobson, "Another Split in the House of Labor," LaborPains.org, May 8, 2007.
 * Ari Melber, "Dems Tangled in Netroots," The Nation, May 21, 2007 (edition)/ posted May 2, 2007; The Huffington Post, May 4, 2007; CBS News, May 5, 2007.