In the end, it wasn’t even close:

President Obama’s nominee for the National Labor Relations Board fell short of the 60 votes needed to break a Republican-led filibuster. The Senate vote was 52 yes and 33 no. Two Democrats, Blanche Lincoln and Ben Nelson voted against Craig Becker.

With a showing that shabby and with multiple Democrats not only willing to oppose but also to filibuster a nominee, it now seems unlikely that Obama will try to slip Becker in by a recess appointment. It also suggests just how out of tune the White House is with its own party. In time we may see just how isolated the Obami are, as Red State Democrats flee from the Obama agenda, afraid for their political lives. This vote is also a telling reminder that for all its millions in campaign donations to the Democrats, Big Labor has gotten precious little since the 2008 election. Its members may want to know why all that dues money was wasted.

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