Timing of union donation to Nixon stinks

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon is a bright leader and astute politician.

And he should know better.

Just a week or so after he vetoed a right-to-work bill in Missouri, it is reported that Nixon accepted a $50,000 campaign donation check from the United Auto Workers.

In fact, the UAW should know better.

I don't fault the union for supporting the governor and I don't fault the governor for accepting a sizable check from his union supporters.

But come on, guys, the timing stinks.

It was common knowledge that Missouri's overwhelming GOP legislative majority was likely to put a right-to-work bill on Nixon's desk.

And it was also well known that Nixon would assuredly veto the measure.

But the timing of the "campaign donation" -- though Nixon is not running for office -- is the prime reason why political leaders are held in such low esteem these days.

What truly befuddles me is that Nixon is wise in the way of politics and he certainly should have known this donation would raise eyebrows.

Though the jury is still out, this bad timing fiasco may give steam to the potential for the GOP-dominated legislature to override Nixon's veto and make Missouri the 27th right-to-work state in the nation.

The battle lines for the right-to-work showdown in Missouri have been in the works for decades. More than 35 years ago, the proposal was put on the Missouri ballot but was soundly defeated with an avalanche of union money that flowed to the opposition.

But times have changed, and one recent national poll put Nixon and the unions on the wrong side of history, with 71 percent of Americans favoring right-to-work legislation.

We won't know until this fall if the Missouri Legislature will muster enough votes to override the Nixon veto.

As of today, the vote looks like a razor-thin showdown that could go either way.

But the UAW check is just another talking point that will be exploited in the weeks and months ahead.

The arguments for and against right to work provide dueling narratives on how workers fare in right-to-work states.

Despite the studies -- either pro or con -- the topic will take center stage in Missouri this fall and all eyes will be on the Show-Me State.

Nixon may want to use some of his newfound "campaign donations" to fight the measure.

From a political standpoint, it might be money well spent.

Michael Jensen is the publisher of the Sikeston Standard Democrat.