The AFL-CIO executive board has approved a budget of $53 million for voter education and get-out-the-vote efforts in the 2008 election, certain to be used in the aid of the Democratic nominee for president.

Controlling for inflation, the amount is slightly less than the $50 million spent in 2004 — but this is still impressive given that in 2005 several major unions, including the Teamsters and SEIU, quit the AFL-CIO and thus caused a severe budget crunch for the federation.