If you thought liberals stopped admiring President Barack Obama as the Messiah, think again. In an October 15th piece about union membership’s lack of enthusiasm for the 2010 campaign, the Associated Press interviewed Herb Johnson, secretary-treasurer of the Missouri AFL-CIO. He gave his explanation as to why he thinks union members and their households are less than excited about this year’s mid-term elections:

“Sometimes you have to remind people that, `Hey, Jesus Christ couldn’t do anything more than President Obama has on the agenda we supported two years ago without the United States Senate having the votes for cloture to overcome a filibuster” by Republicans, said Herb Johnson, secretary-treasurer of the Missouri AFL-CIO.

This is just another example of liberal alliances who find themselves stuck in a campaign 2008 mind-set. Public employee unions continue to pour millions of dollars into campaigns to defend Democratic incumbents. While union leaders hope is to bring out their members to vote, support from members themselves for the labor- endorsed candidate is not guaranteed. The AP report continues:

But workers have not reaped all the rewards they expected. Unemployment remains above 9.5 percent. States have been slicing public employee pensions and laying off unionized workers to compensate for declining tax revenues. And, despite Democratic control, Congress has been unable to pass legislation that would make it easier for unions to organize workers.

“I voted for Barack Obama. I believe in Democratic ideals, but he is a big disappointment so far, mostly because he hasn’t been able to do anything to help the economy,” said James McQuillen, 53, a retired United Auto Workers union member who lives near Detroit.

McQuillen still plans to support Democrats this year, but he says other union retirees he talks with are looking at Republican candidates. One recent poll in Michigan showed Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Snyder leading Democrat Virg Bernero among union members.

With such little control over how their own members will ultimately vote this election season, is it any wonder why union leaders want private ballot smashing legislation like card check?