The Teamsters and the SEIU are doing some serious bashing on the democrat party base. And who can blame them. They are tired of wasting their dues (a private form of taxes on member’s hard earned money) trying to buy politicians. Bob Novak has a good commentary out today [hat tip: RealClearPolitics

The $10 million a year each saved by the Teamsters and the SEIU means money that has gone into Democratic coffers will be used for organizing.
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They may not know how to cure what ails the nation’s unions, but they cannot buy Sweeney’s notion that salvation lies in electing Democratic politicians.

The silliness of all this is the liberal mindset, where government is the only solution. Therefore, the only way to gain that solution is invest in democrats to solve your problems for you. Happily, most people can solve their problems and grow with a little initiative and support from others. That is how companies do it. And there is little reason labor can’t evolve and flourish in this new century either if they apply their own innate talents and drive and experiences in the market place.

And this self awakening by the unions, that the answers are not in democrat pols, is breaking the democrat base at its foundation:

Sweeney’s political illusion was that the conjunction of Democratic control of the Senate, House and presidency would somehow restore labor’s health (though that alignment was not therapeutic when it existed during Bill Clinton’s first two years as president). In any event, pouring labor money into Democratic coffers proved an absolute failure, climaxed by Republican victories in 2000, 2002 and 2004.

That is a large ‘donor’ base for the dems to loose. I doubt it will change voting patterns right away, but even a minor shift could result in a few more new Republican seats in 2006.