Mitt Romney did the usual Republican anti-labor routine today when he slammed Obama for the National Labor Relations Board’s complaint against Boeing in South Carolina:

The NLRB handles union issues, including claims of unfair practices by employers against labor unions. In a complaint, the board charged that Boeing built a $750-million airplane factory in nonunion South Carolina in retaliation against the machinists’ union for strikes at the Washington state facilities. The company denies the complaint, which is in the hearing process and could end up in the courts.

If the plant is shuttered, it might threaten jobs at the Alcoa plant in Bettendorf, Iowa, which Obama is scheduled to visit Tuesday, according to Romney.

Of course, as the author notes, the real context here is an unabashed appeal to South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint, the hugely influential wingnut who has promised that Republicans who support raising the debt ceiling before August–as independent economists and the administration suggest is vital–will be “gone” before the next Congress. DeMint wants the Boeing jobs to stick around, and Romney wants as much Tea Party support in the crucial primary state as possible. [Los Angeles Times]