I just heard this rumor from a well-placed source in the Washington political operative world that should send your blood aboiling: the National Association of Manufacturing has agreed to hold a fundraiser for the CAFTA 15. There it is, the payoff for a vote that hurt workers here and abroad.

Completely by coincidence, an hour after I got the tip, I was on the NAM’s radio show to discuss the future of labor with my blogger counterpart over there, Pat Cleary (a smart man and good writer, even if we don’t agree). I asked Pat, on the air, at the end: I hear you guys are throwing a fundraiser for the CAFTA 15. Pat’s response was roughly: we just want to say thanks.

Don’t get me wrong: I find no fault with what the NAM is doing. It is rewarding its friends and allies–it is being creative and smart about wooing the whores of the Democratic Party. The real question is: what is our response?

So, Rahm Emanuel, head of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), a question for you: is the DCCC going to raise money for the CAFTA 15, if those same folks are taking corporate money as a specific thank-you for the CAFTA vote? And, Nancy Pelosi, what’s your reponse going to be?

Personally, I hope the CAFTA 15 go to the fundraiser. We should take pictures of everyone of the CAFTA 15 entering the event and use those pics on behalf of the primary challengers that need to be fielded to boot these folks out of office. And maybe even picket the event.

UPDATE: The event is apparently next week and, from what I’m being told, is being sponsored by a few heads of business associations.