Obama Giveth And Obama Taketh Away
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As President-elect, Barack Obama continues to surprise and puzzle me. I was, like many, disappointed to find out he’d given the spot of invocation for the inaugural to legendary religious huckster, homophobe, and all-around worshiper of false idols Rick Warren. I was equally disappointed to find out that for the increasingly important position of Transportation Secretary, he’d tapped a guy who has a mixed (but decent) record on rail issues, but was more infamous for leading impeachment proceedings against the last Democratic president.
So I took a night to ponder over this, and was all set to write a heartrending essay detailing how I expected this from Obama and that it’s another sign of how he intends to govern…and then he does this:
President-elect Barack Obama will select California Rep. Hilda Solis for labor secretary, an official told the Associated Press.
The
official spoke on conditions of anonymity because an announcement has
not been made yet. A call to Solis’s office was not immediately
returned. Solis, 51, has focused on immigration and environment issues while in the House. An announcement is expected from the Obama transition team in the next few days.
First
elected in 2000, Solis is serving her fourth term in the U.S. House of
Representatives. She represents California’s 32nd Congressional
District, which includes portions of East Los Angeles and the San
Gabriel Valley. Prior to her election to Congress, Solis served eight
years in the California state legislature. In August 2000, Solis became
the first woman to receive the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award
for her pioneering work on environmental justice issues in California.
Solis is not only a big win for fighters for environmental and immigration rights, but labor issues as well-her support of the Employee Free Choice Act will no doubt ensure its passage in 2009.
So what does all this mean? Is Obama serious when he says he intends to govern for everyone, and his policies and personnel will reflect that? More after the jump.
Read the rest of this entry »
As President-elect, Barack Obama continues to surprise and puzzle me. I was, like many, disappointed to find out he’d given the spot of invocation for the inaugural to legendary religious huckster, homophobe, and all-around worshiper of false idols Rick Warren. I was equally disappointed to find out that for the increasingly important position of Transportation Secretary, he’d tapped a guy who has a mixed (but decent) record on rail issues, but was more infamous for leading impeachment proceedings against the last Democratic president.
So I took a night to ponder over this, and was all set to write a heartrending essay detailing how I expected this from Obama and that it’s another sign of how he intends to govern…and then he does this:
President-elect Barack Obama will select California Rep. Hilda Solis for labor secretary, an official told the Associated Press.
The
official spoke on conditions of anonymity because an announcement has
not been made yet. A call to Solis’s office was not immediately
returned. Solis, 51, has focused on immigration and environment issues while in the House. An announcement is expected from the Obama transition team in the next few days.
First
elected in 2000, Solis is serving her fourth term in the U.S. House of
Representatives. She represents California’s 32nd Congressional
District, which includes portions of East Los Angeles and the San
Gabriel Valley. Prior to her election to Congress, Solis served eight
years in the California state legislature. In August 2000, Solis became
the first woman to receive the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award
for her pioneering work on environmental justice issues in California.
Solis is not only a big win for fighters for environmental and immigration rights, but labor issues as well-her support of the Employee Free Choice Act will no doubt ensure its passage in 2009.
So what does all this mean? Is Obama serious when he says he intends to govern for everyone, and his policies and personnel will reflect that? More after the jump.
Read the rest of this entry »