The American Spectator : The Spectacle Blog : Reid Files Cloture on Controversial Obama Labor Nominee

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The Spectacle Blog

Reid Files Cloture on Controversial Obama Labor Nominee

By Philip Klein on 1.28.10 @ 6:58PM

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has filed cloture on the nomination of Patricia Smith to be solicitor of the Department of Labor. While her nomination hasn't received that much attention, I wrote about her record in New York in a piece that appeared in the December/January issue of the print magazine:

(Obama) also tapped two women with close ties to unions -- Patricia Smith and Lorelei Boylan -- for other top positions within the department. While working for the New York State Department of Labor, Smith and Boylan spearheaded a controversial program in which the state partners with unions and other liberal community groups to police workplaces.

"Just as no one wants to live in an area riddled with crime, nobody wants to live in a neighborhood where workers are paid sweatshop wages," Smith said when announcing the program in January 2009. "New York Wage Watch will increase labor law compliance by giving regular people a formal role in creating lawful workplaces statewide, and thereby improving the quality of life in their communities. It will also help law-abiding employers, who struggle to compete with businesses that undercut them by violating the law."

But in practice empowering "regular people" actually means that the government is deputizing unions to help police workplaces.

"New York Wage Watch is labor law enforcement at the purest, most grassroots level," boasted Stuart Appelbaum, president of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, in the press release announcing the program.

Boylan, who runs the initiative, was nominated by Obama to head the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour division, but her nomination was withdrawn in October. Smith, who actually devised the Wage Watch program in New York, was appointed by Obama to be solicitor of labor. Sen. Mike Enzi (R-WY) placed her nomination on hold, meaning that Democrats will need 60 votes to move it forward. Her status was still in limbo as of this writing.

Americans for Limited Government has more on Smith here. The group notes that the Solicitor of Labor position is "the third highest official and the person with the final word on all legal advice in the Department."

View all comments (12) | Leave a comment

Liberal Reader| 1.28.10 @ 7:59PM

Look:

If you're going to take the position that EVERY word Obama speaks is a lie, and EVERY action he takes verily treason, then of course ANY nominee is -- to put it mildly -- going to be "controversial."

I can't think of a less interesting, less urgent, less substantial charge than the one that says "This nominee is controversial." At this point, the right has a hard time maintaining basic decorum when Obama's in the room. You have people in Congress and running for Congress who claim not to believe Obama is a citizen! (Of course they do, but they're willing to sink to that level to appeal to the imbeciles among you.) In brief, you've not criticized in good faith. You've not maintained loyal opposition. Why should anyone listen to you?

Margie| 1.28.10 @ 9:31PM

The only imbeciles among us are those who vote or will still vote for Obama.

Susan Tenofsky| 2.5.10 @ 1:35PM

Right ON!!! Obama is Obama...The Future is what counts now and having Obama OUT OF IT!

ds80| 1.29.10 @ 7:49AM

Liberals (Bush is a Nazi) have no leg on which to stand. Including Liberal Readers. Your protestation sounds like "boo hoo waah waah waah".

Jeffrey Lord| 2.8.10 @ 7:23PM

LR..

Well said! Robert Bork for the Supreme Court!

Jean| 2.9.10 @ 4:11PM

I believe that pointing out Patricia Smith's plan to create workplace snitches who inform on alleged workplace abuses to the government is a fairly substantial criticism, whereas the left's allegations that Geo. W. Bush planned the 911 attacks so as to enter into a war with Iraq lack both substance AND intellect. LiberalReader should let the scales fall from his eyes concerning Obama, his policies and the realities of socialism. Perhaps a reading of Orwell's 1984 and Animal Farm should be on YOUR agenda.

bluecollarbytes| 1.29.10 @ 7:52AM

I can't think of a less interesting, less urgent, less substantial charger than the one you're peddling.

Folks might be "surprised" to find chargers for sale all over the internet, for sale through Reputable outlets who don't rip off bandwith from comment boards.

martin j smith| 1.29.10 @ 8:22AM

OK , when BHO utters the word " I' that is not a lie.
When he utters the word "the" that is not a lie.
But when he talks about jobs and oes not admit that he made serious economic policy errors which contributed to our situation. In fact when he blames everyone else ( Bush ) but himself for the problems we have now, I think he is irresponsible and cannot be trusted.

The only answer is to get started now with a"get out the vote campaign and get ready to send a political message to the Democrat party--which Obama leads that he cannot be arrogant,condescending and dictatorial towards the majority of the American voters who oppose many and even most of his policies.

One more thing: If we get hit by a significant terrorist attack I think theat Obama should hear the word IMPEACHMENT. I would would blame him and the Democrat leadership for any attack.

Those people who support Obama , espeically the "true believers" deserve some level of blame for any attack on our soil our interests as well. especially those in the MSM.

Sam| 1.31.10 @ 11:48AM

Worry more about the war of 'haves' against 'have nots' domestically and internationally. And then, there will be no terrorist attacks.

Chris Reaka| 2.9.10 @ 2:03PM

HaHa! Controversial here and on Faux News, so I'm guessing this is probably good for the laborers of our country.

Robert| 2.10.10 @ 1:19AM

"Just as no one wants to live in an area riddled with crime, nobody wants to live in a neighborhood where workers are paid sweatshop wages"

Hey Smith, the Keep-Blacks-from-taking-the-Jobs-of-Whites law (a.k.a. minimum wage) pretty much ensures that everybody gets far more than sweatshop wages in the U.S. Now if you're really interested in addressing a REAL problem, take careful note of how so many unions have become nothing more than vehicles for rape, pillage, and plunder - of employers, of their own members, and even of taxpayers.