Before Bob “Crooksy” Brooks entered the PA-7 Congressional Primary, I told you that SEIU’s state council was rushing their endorsement process so they could be with Crooksy on day one. It turns out that was all true. They were the only non-IAFF union to endorse the man from Nazareth. While I got that right, it turns out there was so much more to know. The story is so amazing that I almost couldn’t believe how crooked it was.

The interview process with the five candidates was done by union members in Pennsylvania. According to at least one former public sector union employee with knowledge of that room, the people doing the interview were not super impressed with Crooksy, but they liked Carol Obando-Derstine a lot. Now I’m a little bit surprised there on the one hand, because no other major union has backed Carol so far, but a lot of her message does overlap with the message of SEIU, so I tend to believe it. If the folks who actually did the interview had votes that mattered to the fat cats and big whigs, they were going to be the very first union to endorse Carol in this race. Apparently the folks in the interview don’t have votes that matter though.

Apparently in the conversations to get deadbeat Bernie Sanders to endorse Crooksy, the question of who else would come out and endorse him on day one came up. Bernie allied Congressman Chris Deluzio followed him into the race, just like he followed him out here for a rally (Note dude- this is not going to get you elected statewide, but cook bro.). The Governor had apparently decided to not get involved, but was willing to offer up the Lieutenant Governor as a consolation prize. The IAFF was in, because it would be absolutely hilarious if they didn’t back their own statewide President. But Bernie wanted a little more cover. Apparently the Sanders political operation has very good relations with SEIU’s political operation these days. One conversation lead to another, and the SEIU folks down in DC leaned their weight on the SEIU folks in Pennsylvania, and Carol lost her only labor endorsement to the man called Bob “Crooksy” Brooks.

All that work to deny the lady her endorsement, and Bobby Brooks probably won’t even show up at their picnic.