Labor Leaders Hail Obama's Pick For Labor Secretary
Obama's choice of California Rep. Hilda Solis as labor secretary, which was confirmed to us by a Democratic official, is thrilling labor officials, and more than compensates for unease about Obama's economic picks and his initial delay in picking someone for the key labor post.
"It's extraordinary," SEIU president Andy Stern said in an interview with us a few moments ago. "On every issue that's important to us, she has stood up for an America where everyone's hard work is valued and rewarded."
Some labor officials had initially thought that an elder statesman type with stature would be best in the gig. But Stern said he thinks the choice of Solis by Obama, who has a keen appreciation of the power of biography, wanted someone with a bio steeped in labor, someone who has the kind of built in dedication and passion that could make her a kind of labor star in a cabinet that is stocked with a fair amount of star power already.
"As opposed to some candidate [for whom] this would have been just a job, for Hilda Solis it's the fulfillment of a life-long dream," Stern said, adding that that Solis was one of the names that labor officials had privately communicated as acceptable to them in talks with the transition. "Her father was a teamster. She is the American dream."
Although there's a proud tradition of interest groups rushing to praise officials once they're appointed, Stern outdid that with some truly extraordinary praise: "She probably will be the labor secretary that has been on more picket lines and rallied more in support of workers rights than potentially anyone in American history." Stern added that she'd been on the forefront of battles on behalf of farm workers and hiking the minimum wage.
Meanwhile, the pro-union group American Rights at Work sends over statements from two of its top officials, both of whom were also in the running. Former Rep. David Bonior hailed her as "a terrific leader who I know first hand will work tirelessly on behalf of America's working families."
And Mary Beth Maxwell, the openly gay labor official who was a dark horse pick of many progressives, as well as of Bonior, said she was a "great choice" who would "champion common sense policies."
Incidentally, Stern said that the person who knows Solis perhaps best is writer Harold Meyerson, and as it happens, Meyerson has already weighed in with his take right here.
yeah, but Rick Warren is still a jerk!
December 18, 2008 3:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
this is true.
December 18, 2008 3:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm lovin' your attentiveness to the threads these days. Good to have you around.
December 18, 2008 3:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
dude, I live for the threads...
December 18, 2008 3:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
Don't knock it.....
December 18, 2008 3:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
live to thread, thread to live
December 18, 2008 4:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
Excellent pick. And most importantly Labor is happy, that's what matters. Hey don't mean to change the subject but it appears that Ex-Dallas, TX Mayor Ron Kirk will be the next U.S. Trade Rep. Is this good or not? The only thing I know about him that he's black, the former Mayor of Dallas and that he ran for the Senate in 2002 but lost to then Attorney General John Cornyn by ten points.
December 18, 2008 3:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah, I don't know much about Ron Kirk, either....Tena, you there? Anything to contribute about your former mayor?
December 18, 2008 3:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
Another EXCELLENT cabinet pick by Obama!
December 18, 2008 3:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
On topic, it is immensely encouraging to hear Meyerson talk about Solis' support of Environmental Justice causes in LA....When the Federal Government starts paying attention to those working to protect the least fortunate and voiceless among us, it's cause for celebration.
December 18, 2008 3:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
Environmental Justice is one issue that is sorely in need of more attention. And given Obama, we might just see the president talking about how the environmental conditions in urban low income areas has led to the rise in asthma, which causes a rise in health care costs, lowers educational achievement, etc.
December 18, 2008 4:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well I think this sets a record for most Hispanics ever in a Presidential administration.
Hopefully, this means that winning TX, CA, FL in 2012 should be a far easier challenge.
Kudos, to you PEOTUS, Obama...you have done an outstanding job and will go down in history for having selected your entire cabinet prior to Xmas.
You have earned a much deserved vacation and I hope that you and your family will have a blessed holiday season so that you are well rested and can get off to a flying start in Jan.
Now on to the confirmations!!
whoopee
December 18, 2008 3:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
His administration had already set the record for the number of Hispanics, before this appointment.
So perhaps the press will now stop talking about his Hispanic problem?
December 18, 2008 3:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well, last I knew the press was beginning to laser in on a lack of "southerners" in his cabinet.
December 18, 2008 3:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
When does New England get a taste, huh?
December 18, 2008 3:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
I must admit that I fall far short of our President-elect's ability to rise above crap, because when I read that (about southerners), my immediate reaction was "Serves 'em right for voting for McCain!"
As for the noreasters, dorn? What about UPers? Downeasters? Catalina Islanders?
December 18, 2008 4:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
EPA Lisa Jackson is from New Orleans , so unless media looking for good ol' boy pick.....
December 18, 2008 4:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
But her last job was in NJ apparently so her NO roots don't count. The media can't compute that sort of cognitive dissonance....
December 18, 2008 4:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
She presently resides in NJ, so they probably didn't bother to look up her hometown.
December 18, 2008 5:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
Actually, for whatever little my humble powers of prediction are worth, I expect that there will be little to no mention of a "Hispanic problem" anymore. I expect that, instead, we will begin to see the emergence from Right-Wing-Talking-Heads of the meme that "those people are only voting for Obama because he is black." In other words, while once it was useful for Republican electoral purposes to try to stir up a conflict between African Americans and Hispanics, now that this strategy has proven a failure, the same folks who once advanced this meme will now try to use Obama's electoral success among Hispanics in order to stir up an anti-Obama resentment amongst certain White constituencies. At least that is my prediction; we will see in time whether this comes to pass or not.
December 18, 2008 4:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
CT Voter, I knew that it is a record. I was not focused on today being the day the record was set, rather simply acknowledging that inDEED it is a record number of Hispanic appointments. In short, whatever the record was prior to this appointment, the bar was raised further today.
December 18, 2008 5:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
Chu and Solis are my 2 favorite picks so far.
December 18, 2008 3:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
What's not to like, an Experimental Physicist and an Environmental Justice Crusader!
Sounds like the new Superfriends!
http://www.uga.edu/asu/index_files/main_files/superfriends.jpg
December 18, 2008 3:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
Room for General Shinseki at the top of your list?
December 18, 2008 6:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
But wait, I thought Obama had abandoned all his progressive principles because he invited Warren to say a prayer at the inauguration. Am I dreaming?
Is this not a lovely response to all the union-busting games being played in the lame duck Congress?
Those who haven't figured out that there is a new progressive sheriff in town are now on notice.
December 18, 2008 4:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
Perhaps you are just being sarcastic or facetious, but let's stop this "who is more bigoted and who understands Obama better" frame of conversation, shall we?
I know there are real bad comments from the "angry left" (heck, I don't and won't go read DKos's comments for that reason) but few regulars here who disagree with the Warren decision reject Obama's entire election/transition process as you insinuate (i.e., "abandoned all his progressive principles" -- how many people suggested such a thing?). Plus, this "who understands Obama better" thing is starting to serve as a new axis of division that can alienate those in disagreement. Which bothers me, honestly.
December 18, 2008 4:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
Sorry, if the sarcasm went down wrong, but after having read the very long, and often abusive, TPM thread that followed Obama's comments on the Warren issue today, that is exactly how I felt. Whether the regulars should be deferred to on this issue is entirely up to how they conduct themselves and their arguments.
I don't claim to know Obama's mind any better than the next person, but I would point out that when it comes to policy positions and appointments (which is really all we have to look at right now since he hasn't taken office yet) he appears to be following every promise he made in the campaign, including reaching across the culture war divide to engage those with whom he may disagree.
No surprises here.
December 19, 2008 12:31 AM | Reply | Permalink
"Is this not a lovely response to all the union-busting games being played in the lame duck Congress?"
If, come January 2010, we still have a viable UAW, and EFCA has passed, then I will share your schedenfreude. But not until then.
December 18, 2008 4:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
Rick Warren get an invocation and a homosexualy labor official gets passed over. Hmmm.
December 18, 2008 4:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
Oh dear. Do you really want to live in a country where a gay candidate for a job, once mentioned, must be picked lest the supervisor doing the hiring be proclaimed a homophobe? I can understand the backlash against the Warren pick, but please do not try to make the Labor Secretary pick the second data point to define your trendline here. The results of that line of thinking are obvious and atrocious.
December 18, 2008 4:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
Evidently Solis has a bit more credibility with union leaders than Maxwell, so this is an entirely defensible selection.
In fact, judging by the immediate reaction of the people that she'll serve, Solis represents one of Obama's best choices so far.
The transparent pandering in the name of "tolerance" that Warren represents is in no way related to this pick.
December 18, 2008 4:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
Evidently Solis has a bit more credibility with union leaders than Maxwell, so this is an entirely defensible selection.
In fact, judging by the immediate reaction of the people that she'll serve, Solis represents one of Obama's best choices so far.
The transparent pandering in the name of "tolerance" that Warren represents is in no way related to this pick.
December 18, 2008 4:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think Warren is going to find his way into every thread. And there are some of us who don't see it as "transparent pandering" but a sincere attempt to reach out and include a sector of the community that might not feel included given Obama's stance on issues such as abortion.
In the end, neither of us knows what is in Obama's heart on this matter, for both of us it is merely speculation.
December 18, 2008 4:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
Absolutely right. As I noted in another thread, Maxell is "staff," not "leadership." By contrast, Solis will be a peer in a Cabinet filled with strong leaders. This has nothing to do with Maxwell's sexual orientation.
December 18, 2008 4:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
You're not very good at trolling.
December 18, 2008 4:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
Homerun. For some of us this is the reason in a nutshell that we supported Senator Obama for president. I am genuinely ecstatic.
December 18, 2008 4:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
I also think this appears to be yet another shrewd and intelligent pick for Obama. Is anyone thinking, however, that this might be another example of appointing to provide political cover to Obama as he stears policy more away from the ideological poles?
There has been a lot of discussion about Gates being a good pick because it provides credibility and legitimacy with the right while still allowing Obama to steer the military away from the Bush Doctrine. Likewise, Hillary is to the right of Obama on Iraq and voted for the war so is seen as an effective lever to implement the withdrawal without looking weak. Could Solis be a sop to the unions that actually portends Obama's plans to tack more centrist on labor issues? With a strongly union supported Labor Secretary, he may be better able to mete out some tough love on trade/union issues. Anyone considering this pick in this light?
December 18, 2008 4:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
While there is no certainty he will succeed, PE Obama is setting himself up for competence, excellence, and a results-based style of governance. It's a masterful lesson on the power of detailed planning. And there is something about this man that leads me to conclude he can pull it off. In the high 60s, if not a full 70%.
Of course, let's talk again in 6 months...
As for the bloody invocation, the fuss is misplaced. It's not about Warren, mostly, because he has not earned the power he gets from heated attacks. It's about, why the fuck do we have backwards cult ceremonies opening our political events? I really don't care of David Dule or Maya Angelou gives it: I want religeon out of all govt., period.
But that's just me...
December 18, 2008 4:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
I work in Solis district and know of her work. She will be very good in this role. But, can Obama possibly find any other cabinet members that are not already in congress? Geeze, he is gutting the Democratic majority. No guarantee who they will get replaced with...Just saying!
December 18, 2008 4:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
So, I assume we will soon be hearing about how she is ineligible to serve because of the emoluments clause? You know, the same way Hillary, as a member of Congress, can't serve as Sec of State because the salary of the position was raised?
December 18, 2008 10:50 PM | Reply | Permalink