In the past two days a trio of ads have surfaced from pro-business groups attempting to draw some association between Gov. Rod Blagojevich, the Service Employees International Union (whose Illinois State Council sponsors this website), and the fight over the Employee Free Choice Act. It mostly amounts to desperate, guilt-by-association tactics.  But it's a trend that seems to be catching on among anti-labor forces and bears watching.

One web ad from Workforce Fairness.com says that Blagojevich wanted a "payoff" for the vacant U.S. Senate seat and that SEIU wanted "payback" in the form of the passage of the EFCA.  At the center of the so-called argument is the ad's claim that an SEIU official was "negotiating" around the appointment.  But all the Blagojevich affidavit shows is that an "SEIU official" -- presumed to be an emissary on behalf of Valerie Jarrett -- heard the governor's demands and said he would relay them back.  There is no evidence that a) the SEIU official ever did so, or b) the SEIU official returned with a counter proposal for Blagojevich (which would constitute "negotiating").  In essence, the ad takes a bunch of sour-smelling ingredients, throws them in a pot, and stirs.  But the idea that all these elements fit together into some sort of conspiracy simply doesn't pan out.

A full-page ad that appeared in the New York Times yesterday takes an even more scattershot approach.  Sponsored by the Center for Union Facts, it features a picture of SEIU President Andy Stern with lines connecting him to Blagojevich, the EFCA, and the Assocation for Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), which it refers to as "often-indicted" (see our previous coverage on the tarring of ACORN here).  Again, what we see here is a slapdash effort to depict unions as power-hungry and corrupt.  For instance, the ad asserts that "Andy Stern's SEIU has funneled millions in member dues to build political power."  I don't think Stern or anyone would disagree that they've attempted to "build political power."  What the ad conveniently overlooks is what they seek to do with that power: protect individuals from exploitation in the workplace, improve the lives of working families, and rebuild the middle class. Americans need to hear that side of the story.

Finally, TPM Election Central got their hands on a TV ad from the group Americans for Job Security and Greg Sargent seems a bit perplexed by the spot's message:

The ad makes a bunch of guilt-by-association connections that take you from Blago all the way to the Employee Free Choice Act and are a bit difficult to track. First it hits Blago, the "corrupt Illinois Governor." Then it brings up SEIU, "the union" which discussed the "Senate seat payoff." And then it describes the Employee Free Choice Act as "payback" for "union bosses" who helped elect Dems to the Senate:

The idea, obviously, is to use the alleged Blago dealmaking to tar the Employee Free Choice Act, which is a pretty big leap.

Indeed, there's no sense to their argument.  They're just throwing it all in the pot -- including a million dollars -- and hoping viewers take a bite. 

The last word goes to SEIU national political director Jon Youngdahl, who sent this response to TPM:

This attack against working people from a business-funded front group is a desperate attempt to distract from what really matters. America's families need change that works to rebuild the middle class with the free choice to join unions for better wages, benefits, and retirement security. That's why we need the Employee Free Choice Act.