Posted on 12/02/2008 10:52:37 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
For the rainbow cabinet of the nation’s first African American president, Mary Beth Maxwell is the perfect labor secretary you’ve probably never heard of: a gay woman, community organizer and labor leader with an adopted African American son. And this founding executive director of American Rights at Work is about to get the full-court press.
Maxwell already had the strong backing of former Rep. David Bonior, who despite repeated attempts to get his name removed from consideration continues to be on the short list of potential labor secretaries. Bonior, 63 years old, says it is time for his generation to turn over power to a new generation, and Maxwell, whose labor-backed organization pushes for expanded collective bargaining rights, is his pick.
Some labor leaders from both the AFL-CIO and Change to Win, a splinter union group led by the Service Employees International Union, back her as a consensus choice, citing her efforts on behalf of legislation to allow unionization at workplaces with the signing of cards, not secret balloting.
Today, the gay rights group Human Rights Campaign will release a letter to President-elect Barack Obama strongly backing her. The catch: The group last week backed Rep. Linda Sanchez for the post.
“You would have received our letter in support of Representative Sánchez’s candidacy for Secretary of Labor last week,” HRC President Joe Solmonese writes, asking for a mulligan.
“While we remain supportive of Representative Sánchez’s candidacy, it has come to our attention that Mary Beth Maxwell is also being considered for this crucial position. Given Ms. Maxwell’s long history of leadership on labor issues, HRC is pleased to also endorse Mary Beth Maxwell for Secretary of Labor.”
But Maxwell faces one big hurdle: star power.
(Excerpt) Read more at blogs.wsj.com ...
we had 8 years to abolish the DoL....
The DoL does some good things: I was with the Veterans Employment and Training Service (VETS) at the U.S. Department of Labor helping fellow veterans find work, training, education, counseling and business opportunities for 12 years. My team won many VFW, AMVETS, American Legion and other awards for our work.
that should go to dept of veterans affairs
labor leader with an adopted African American son.
I am so tempted to make an Obama/Webster/Different Strokes remark. Every rich white radical seems to want a black kid to raise in his own image.
We’ve been saying that for decades. It won’t, because that would make the veterans representatives Federal employees, rather than belonging to the 50 states and territories, which would make the program slightly more expensive. Believe it or not, the two programs (LVER and DVOP) have been dying on the vine, even as we fight two wars. Some of the states pay the counselors barely above minimum wage, whereas some pay really well, for the same exact duties...
I feel better already. :D
I’m sure she’ll get the department back into shape, lickety split...
i think that he’s already chosen a woman for a post who might have that orientation.
Who would that be? Or are you referencing a certain former First Lady?
At least she sounds more up to Obama’s speed, unlike the musty, dusty Clintonoids that Obama was supposed to be against.
This is the type of appointee we had been expecting from Obama and have been spared until now.
If she is appointed she will go all out for CARD CHECK.
Check her out on YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZLSXjGptCU
Waiting for an appointment for rachel madcow.
That’s nice, they had their meeting in a church./sarc
No.
Oh yeah, well I want a communist, one-legged, Aids patient with dyslexia, Alzheimers and psoriasis. They have to be into beastiality, hard core porn, and mainline China White. They have to be 1/8th Tibetan, with an African grandmother, and 2/32nds Cherokee on their father’s side. I will not accept a candidate unless they are genetic mutants, obese, have halitosis. Try to beat that one Bonior!
She looks like an older Rachael Maddow.
I’ve been wondering when he will find Janet Reno a spot. She would fit right in the circus with the rest of these clowns.
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