Some In Labor Frustrated With Obama Administration For Not Sending Signals On Solis
Why hasn’t Hilda Solis been confirmed as Labor Secretary yet, and why haven’t we heard from the unions or from the Obama administration about it?
Some top operatives in the labor movement are frustrated with the Obama administration for not giving them the go-ahead to publicly target Republicans who appear to be stalling Solis’ confirmation, people in the labor movement familiar with the situation tell me.
The silence from Obama aides on Solis is ominous to some labor officials, because they view the Republican efforts to hold up Solis as a first shot in the larger coming war over the Employee Free Choice Act, a top labor priority. Some labor officials worry that the Obama administration’s refusal to make an issue of the hold-up on Solis is a sign that the Obama team won’t act aggressively on Employee Free Choice.
“The anonymous hold on Solis is a clear proxy fight for Employee Free Choice,” says a top operative at a prominent union. “And from the Obama Adminisitration … crickets.”
It’s not entirely clear exactly why Solis’ confirmation has yet to happen. Talking Points Memo recently reported that Republicans were slowing down her confirmation in the Senate health, education and labor committee because she hadn’t been forthcoming enough during her hearings about her stance on Employee Free Choice.
Odder still is the silence from both the labor unions and the Obama administration about this apparent GOP hold-up of such a high-profile nominee.
Another senior labor official at another big union says that labor operatives are awaiting a signal from Obama aides that they can start making a stink about the hold-up, but they’ve gotten nothing from the administration.
“People are just frustrated because they are not getting a clear signal of when and where to fight,” the official says, though he adds that a second school of thought within labor holds that there’s nothing to worry about, and that labor should be “comfortable” with Obama’s “timing on the Solis nomination.”
Still, some in the labor movement were already worried about the administration’s commitment to acting on Employee Free Choice in his first year, as Sam Stein recently reported. And for these people, the administration’s silence on Solis is making it worse.
“Labor is itching to move on confirming Solis, and on finding who the holder is,” the first operative says. “For whatever reason, labor has its muzzle on while the Republicans trample all over Solis’ nomination.”
Ok, that makes how many special interests who are frustrated so far? There’s Republican opposition to: the bailout; Holder; now Solis – Rahm and the president only have so many hours in a day and they are the same number of hours we got – LOL!
I cannot for the life of me imagine Obama abandoning labor. He’s not crazy – in fact, he’s the sanest president I can ever recall.
I think the labor folks may be over-reacting, but it’s not clear to me why this repub hold is being met with silence…
I don’t get it either. What do I know about labor anyway? Texas is about as anti-labor as it gets. What do we need that mess for – we have slaves from Mexico. LOLOLOLOLOL!!!!!!!!
God I hope nobody takes that totally seriously.
I don’t think anyone will, tena
The best face I can put on it is that they want to get the stimulus package done before they press on anything that else that might rile deficit hawks and business conservatives. But it sucks.
SqueakyRat – I kind of agree. Labor really came through for Obama in the election. I’ll never forget the speech on racism – was it the president of the AFL-CIO? – gave. It was incredible. Beyond that obvious debt, however, it’s just right.
“Why hasn’t Hilda Solis been confirmed as Labor Secretary yet, and why haven’t we heard from the unions or from the Obama administration about it?”
Perhaps this is connected to Woodward’s cryptic reference to further nanny-type problems?
But if I saw one thing during the campaign, it was how good Obama’s timing is.
There was a lot of noise when he just carried on calmly when the stock market dropped and McCain “dropped” his campaign. It worked out beautifully. I don’t think he’s infallible, but I have to keep learning the hard way not to underestimate him.
I do hope personally that since he more than extended the hand to the Republicans, who then bit it off that Rahm goes all Chicago on em. It’s time – they’re not going to play nice. I could have told Obama that, but I think the gestures he made were deliberate so that the public could see why he had to when he lowers the boom on them.
But this is just my private scenario that I’m hoping for. I’d like to remind Rahm, in case he forgot, that John Boehner is just Tom Delay in a John Boehner mask and you can’t trust him.
Perhaps this is connected to Woodward’s cryptic reference to further nanny-type problems?
Nice guess – I sorta disregarded Woodward, but that’s a nice guess, now that you bring it up.
Senate rules should be changed to eliminate anonymous holds on nominees.
hey all, just wanted to let you know, we’re going to try to do an open thread daily at happy hour, called “Happy Hour Roundup” or “Happy Hour Open Thread” or some such.
I hope you’ll all jump in…
Just wanted to let you all know, the UFCW has responded to the obstruction of Solis’ confirmation here: http://www.ufcw.org/press_room/index.cfm?pressReleaseID=416
Senate rules should be changed to eliminate anonymous holds on nominees.
I need to know the reason for the rule in the first place before I know whether it’s a good idea to get rid of it; obviously, I don’t know.
If he doesn’t see the torches and pitchforks coming, he can’t make arguments that the people are serious about EFCA, for example, or the family planning component just shot down. We need to provide the angry mob of “leftists” (hilarious joke) who are going to demand the reversal of these policies that the GOP and some Democrats have pursued wherein the Paris Hiltons of the world get everything they want and we go suck eggs. Angry mob of simple peasants, please report to Congress!
SBJ, comments re nanny problem — why is it that it is OK for men not to pay their taxes, but not for women.
“Senate rules should be changed to eliminate anonymous holds on nominees.”
Yes, Eric. See my Diary on this here.
Waiting for Obama???…. isn’t it the other way around, don’t we tell him/them what we want?
This is absurd…
HOW STUPID CAN YOU GET. WHITE LABOR LEADERS DON’T WANT HISPANICS IN CHARGE OF NOTHING. Also if any American was in their right mind neither would they. They are here only for the New World Order. Hispanics are at war with all Hisenglishes, better wake up. The hispanics are mosquitos in obama inner buthole, so he throws them their bones, but he expects Americans to be smart enough to rage War against any President against American boarders, jobs, stealing taxes. President Reagan gave them Amnesty and sold out Americans. It is time for an American Party, to include Libertarians, Green Party. The Dems and the Republicans have sold out, the Hispanics will trash this country into nothing but anarchy and chaos, and killing. For the love of your children wake up Americans. Liberals just want someone to clean their houses, while they are anti-Americans if they want any Hispanics to have voting power. Americans should rise up and revoke the first amnesty and all their descendants voting Power. Because all violated the Constitution including Prez. Reagan!
I want to learn the history of gambling. Can anybody forward me to a worthy site? Btw – Kudos on a great site