It's not exactly a secret that Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels once opposed passing a so-called "right to work" law in his state, but it's nice to have the video reminder that in 2006 he said, to a union audience:
We cannot afford to have civil wars over issues that might divide us and divert us from that path. I have said over and over, I'll say it again tonight: I'm a supporter of the labor laws we have in the state of Indiana. I'm not interested in changing any of it. Not the prevailing wage laws, and certainly not the right to work law. We can succeed in Indiana with the laws we have, respecting the rights of labor, and fair and free competition for everybody.
Amanda Terkel traces Daniels' shifting positions on the issue:
In March 2006, the South Bend Tribune in Indiana noted, "Daniels had said earlier this year that he opposed right-to-work legislation as too divisive. But he did not address its inherent merits or demerits."
In December 2010, however, Daniels said that the right-to-work issue was "legitimate" but was "too big to do without having discussed it out in the open first."
"I'll also say I think it would have the potential -- just tactically -- to possibly reduce or wreck the chances for education reform and local government reform and criminal justice reform and the things we have a wonderful chance to do," he added, acknowledging that it would be incredibly controversial.
Today, though, the Republican war on workers is in full swing and Daniels has not only given in to Republican legislators in his state who hold hurting workers and unions as their top priority, he's become the face of their campaign.