Is Union Priority A Dunn Deal For Obama?

During the Democratic primary, an arm of the powerful Service Employees International Union pressured Hillary Clinton’s campaign to fire its top strategist because he made a good living fighting unions and their policy priorities. So what will the union do now that a top Obama aid is married to a lawyer who’s tied to a firm advising clients on how to avoid unions?

The quick back story: In April 2008, Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign was forced to demote its top strategist in large part because he was advising a campaign to push a free trade agreement with Colombia and operates a firm that fights union campaigns — both taboo for Democrats’ biggest special interest, organized labor.

But check out this twist, courtesy of LaborUnionReport.com. President Obama’s White House Communications Director, Anita Dunn’s husband is partner in a law firm that advises the president and fights union drives:

Ms. Dunn, according to Politico and other web resources, is married to a man named Bob Bauer. Mr. Bauer is a partner and Chair of the Political Law Group of Perkins Coie LLP.

Interestingly, according to the bio on his law firm’s website, Mr. Bauer is Counsel to Obama for America and General Counsel to the Democratic National Committee, and he has been counsel for many years to the Democratic Senatorial and Congressional Campaign Committees. Mr. Bauer is also the President’s personal attorney.

Sounds like Mr. Bauer is pretty connected, and his law firm sounds like a big deal. But LaborUnionReport.com also tracked down a wealth of evidence suggesting Bauer’s law firm actively helps companies prevent successful union drives, publishing a seminar document that explains “employers are strongly encouraged to have a candid discussion with experienced labor counsel about what they can do now to adequately prevent unionization.”

The law firm’s website specifically addresses the “card check” bill — organized labor’s top special interest power grab.

So SEIU and its allies forced Clinton to drop a top aid because he helped companies combat union smear campaigns … what will they do now that they know a top Obama insider works for the kind of union-avoidance firm that fights the ridiculously misnamed Employee Free Choice Act?

Will Obama continue to push EFCA and card check? Or will they take their lawyer’s advice and drop a bill that’s bad for small business and threatens to kill jobs. Or will he drop Dunn and Bauer?

Stay tuned!