Mary Beth Maxwell, Labor Secretary?

The Wall Street Journal reports on Obama's possible pick for Labor Secretary, Mary Beth Maxwell:

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.

As Marc Ambinder notes, "Maxwell, who'd be the first openly gay cabinet secretary, is being vetted for the job, along with Jennifer Granholm of Michigan and Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas."

Read Maxwell's blog posts for HuffPost.

Comments

[woodcut]

Last night I wrote this in a reply & now I see it's not fair.
".... those of us who are gay know this is about more than the bedroom."

PFLAG and millions of people who aren't gay are helping us, and I'm very thankful.
====
Right now, labels are important - beginning with the BIG CHEESE - and what a mosaic this cabinet is !

[Emmagoldmanbabe]

Thank you for this. I am a PFLAG member and ally and think that it would be fantastic to see an openly gay person in the Cabinet. And a woman, too!

[rbspickles]

OMG!!!! An openly gay person? As our labor secretary? .....and that has what to do with her ability to do the job?

I can see the Christian fundies' heads exploding over this one. Bwahahahahahahahahaaaaaaaa :D

[nobozos]

It's important to note that she is openly gay.
It's important to note that Obama doesn't give a sh*t about that if she's qualified.
Baby steps lead to bigger steps.

My wish as an old hetero gal is to see gays assimilated in society so we no longer continue to use good peoples' personal lives as political footballs.

I hope she gets the job.

[bilmardre]

I DON'T GIVE A DAMN WHO SHE SLEEPS WITH! I DON'T WANT TO KNOW.

If she is qualified she should be considered for the job. period.

[dm10003]

but by not mentioning this, you assume she's straight, right? your not wanting to know reveals your fear -- you'll work that out in time.

it should be mentioned as an issue until mentioning it ceases to be an issue.

we can't avoid it out of fear anymore, we have future generations to educate and set examples for!

[kissmygrits]

Word.

[okayigive]

President-elect O.bama continues to impress me by trying to show A.merica who A.merica is; a country filled with diversity. IMO, he will continue to fill positions with representation of those who are qualified, yet have been overlooked because of ideological opinions, backgrounds (racial,sexual, social, belief system,and economical), or physical abilities. He continues to seek those He deems to be the brightest, most qualified, knowledgeable, and intelligent enough to understand the needs of this country and help him right this sinking ship. I look forward to A.merica presenting a capable team of diversity to the world and to ourselves of who and what A.merica is with the capacity to work together with respect and understanding of our diversities. As an opened-minded person I truly hope that Mary Beth Maxwell is selected as Labor Secretary based on her qualifications of having been in the trenches for and with the working man. Although, I think any of the potential candidate can and will fill the bill, we also must be mindful not to strip the supporting cast of Senators, Representatives, and Governors from their duties, as they too play an important part in righting this ship called A.merica.

[timberdoodle]

The main obstacle of labour is the American culture. What I mean is the way people think workers in the Auto Industry should have their wages reduced to those similar to a Walmart greeter. Until people can get it through their heads reducing people's incomes is not the right path to prosperity and increasing incomes provides people with disposable income to keep the economy moving then all is lost.

[SammyD]

this only works if you have products people want to buy at a price that supports the inflated wages

[Grunty1]

It certainly isn;'t the fault of the assembly line worker that the high-ups keep designing crappy cars and making bigger SUVs when gas is $4 a gallon.

[nobozos]

We have inflated wages in this country alright -- But only at the very top.

Do some research and you will see that compared to all other industrial nations, the salaries of the American CEO, CFO, COO, CTO, and all the other Cs are way out of proportion to the salaries of the worker bee.

People with your thinking are victims of self-inflicted wounds.

[Joeblue]

You have rocks in your head. Starting wage in many European countries is about 14.00 dollars an hour whats ours, more than half that.

[Giglawyer]

No, no, no, no, no. The main obstacle of American Labor is American Labor. The American Labor Unions and their members continue to fail to reflect the flexible, multi-tasking workforce needed by American companies. They continue to be stuck in a robotic, "not-my-job" entitlement mentality. The unions in America have been dying on the vine for years, primarily because there is no place for this mentality in the modern workforce.

Where I live, I watch the United Auto Workers trying to unionize the nurses at the local hospitals. My first question was - why? Why are is the UAW trying to organize nurses? But the reason is obvious - tey are losing autoworkers left and right, and they have to expand to maintain the bloated carcass they have become.

One hospital system did unionize. The other did not. I personally know nurses in both systems, and those who unionized overwhelmingly regret it. They cannot get rid of problem nurses, patient care is suffering, and the overall quality of services provided is on the decline. The mentality has kicked in, and it is telling.

The forenign car companies are killing us. Yes, we have retriemnt costs that they do not have. But, they also have a flexible, multi-tasking workforce free from the union mentality. That will always give them the edge.

[Babysnake]

Nurses are slaves. They need to be unionized. Everyone's health is at risk the way it is.

[Krackonis]

Labour Basher. Bug off. There are three ways to have power in the world.

Money, Democratic Votes and Organized Labour.

Each of those can tell capitalists what they can and cannot do. Getting rid of Unions only means that people will organize without them and we are back to teamsters of the 1930's arming themselves and protecting the workers from the big bosses and robber-barons.

People regret unionizing because they are attacked, they are told "you should have accepted your place" but they didn't and they pay for it.

However, in Canada, all nurses are unionized. Almost all manufacturers aswell. Which is better, no address of grievances with no power to change, unless force is involved, or negotiations and peaceful human resolution?

The choice is clear. What you guys need to to unionize the country vs the thieves who are stealing your money and sweat.

[isadora]

The strength of a union can help in the fight against the ugly name calling of nurses by the likes of the governor of California who broadly labelled them "greedy" and other ugly things when the nurses were genuinely concerened about the serious health issue of nurse-to-patinet ratio. I've been a union activist for decades, and have very, very, often been in demostration and other events that did not directly benefit me, such as the Farmworkers. Labor activists have had ugly things done to them, are looked down on by repubs, and keep going and going like the energizer bunny. Viva Labor! Where would you elisitis be without it.

[ratcity]

Its about time that this country grows up and understands that gay people have the right to fight our wars, fall in love and help run this backward country. I fear that the republicans will once again start with the lies about gays and the red necks in this country will believe every word.

[CUL8R]

I, too, do not care if Ms. Maxwell is gay as long as she is qualified, which she appears to be and then some. Here's to the day that this stuff doesn't matter!

[Rebecca]

Sssh...It's the Republicans that want to know if she swings naked from the headboard. The rest of us just want to know if she's capable and can honestly do the job. I trust my President (Obama, that is).

[Cherubim]

I am sorry folks, but the Maxwell choice is so weak, because the workers in the U.S. don't know
who the Hell she is. She cannot move the American work force into what is needed
a "Green" economy. America already knows who John Edwards is, and he was the only candidate who dared speak against the moneyed interests who have taken over our government and the U.S. treasury (your tax money) which is being sent as "bail out" money directly into the pockets of the already super rich. So far, Obama has chosen, mostly, Wall Street promoters to in his cabinet. John Edwards would be a refreshing change. Is not change what Obama is supposed to be about? John Edwards is for the workers and unions, i.e. Main Street, not Wall Street.

Watch: In the first video he explains that the problem is "corrupt capitalism".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VT780q7-GiE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItdN2BYwA-8

He also walked and comforted people whose homes were being foreclosed:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9i_GWrYkcCI

John Edwards is, also, the only candidate for President that actually went down to New Orleans on several occasions and worked along side those striving to try to bring back the areas that remain so devastated from the effects of Hurricane Katrina.
Watch the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DaofQCkbA8

[PrairieDog]

Unfortunately, he disappointed many who voted for him in the primaries. I was one of them. It would be very hard for him to bring these issues up without distracting from them with the circus that follows people who have tainted their private lives.

[Cherubim]

Oh please, what the Hell is a "tainted private life".
What would Jesus Christ say?
"Let he who is without a "tainted private life" cast the first stone."

[Thinking-It-Through]

It's not President - Elect Obama's job to rehabilitate John Edwards. He disqualified himself for any consideration with his actions. How in the world can someone with so much negative press coverage about his duplicity during his own presidential run have clean enough hands to run Labor or any other agency? Just the mere mention of his name will start a feeding frenzy into his personal life. The American workforce needs better.

[gossamer]

Wrong. With everything that's been done to the NLRB and DOL over the past 8 years, we don't need some deserving figurhead who won a friggin' popularity contest in the role of Labor Secretary.

Also, it's dubious to say that the "workers in the US don't know Maxwell."

Maxwell has a vast background in the labor movement. She founded and has spent over 5 years running a national organization that is on the forefront of reversing the damage by anti-union appointments to the NLRB over the past 8 years. She's one of the strongest voices for the employee free choice act, and she's been involved in the labor movement for over a decade. Perhapse most importantly, she has a strong background in organizing - something the labor movement needs help with.

Beyond walking a few picket lines, John Edwards has done WHAT in the field of labor? Oh, okay, he's got some debate clips under his belt. Meanwhile he has absolutely NO background in labor. He has NO experience with the Department of Labor, NLRB, etc.. And judging by multiple campaigns that failed to generate wide-spread national enthusiasm, he's got little to say for his ability to organize at a national level.

[Banji81]

Do you know "who the hell" Elaine Chao is? I didn't think so. She's your current Secretary of Labor. Lame argument.

[Cherubim]

I and no one else knows who Elaine Chao is, because she has done nothing for workers. We need someone who can get something done. God Help Us.

[canucklivinginUSA]

Oh, the GOP would love to have John Edwards as nominee for Labor Sec. so they could grill him on his infidelity. COME ON!

[NearlyNormalWarren]

Great! And now we need Robert Kenedy, Jr as head of EPA! That appointment would be real change.

[PatCroft]

Well this appointment would be the greatest first beginning.

The challenge remains restoring dignity and respect inside the work place for Labor. At one time a person could work for 20 years and retire. Not so true anymore. Pensions have been stripped away. Wages have fallen to new lows. And SSI is broken.

Passing the ERA. Why is there an arbitrary glass ceiling (and this is a very low ceiling) for new hires and women in the work place. After several pro bono interviews and board reviews a worker usually has to go through credit checks, piss tests and drug tests to be put on probation period that is Indefinite

Establishing a glide path for judicial arbitration. Try to find an attorney to seek legal restitution.

And why is there a whole lot of occupations that force the worker to work for free.

[riverhead]

So what.

[JDJase]

I see the intelligent comments have run amok today

[dm10003]

yeah, the "keep quiet about it cuz i'm down with it" attitude puts it back into the closet. gay has to be an EASY topic, whether it's a news story or a bar pickup line, but must not be silenced.

[Giglawyer]

Exactly. I don't care if she has horns and a cloven hoof - can she do the job? Great - hired!

[SeanGardner]

Wow. This woman is tight!!!! She has the qualifications and background. And, because gays and lesbians are not only a key constituent of the Democratic Party (and participants in this thing called Democracy), why can't they be represented by someone who is openly gay?

I know people will say that it doesn't matter, you know, the person's color, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, party affiliation, religious preference, or geographical location. But of course it does. Yes, the person should be qualified to do the job. Ok. But don't tell me that none of the variables I laid about above don't matter because mountains of data indicate otherwise.

Obama has indicated that he wants to run a coalition government. And you do that by embracing the beauty and scope of this country's diversity. Yes, he wants people who are certainly qualified to do the job. But he also wants people who are advancing, improving, and transforming the lives of our country, while visually reflecting this country.

Obama's 9,000 plus job hires will embody the differences that make us unique, and, the commonalities that bring us together.

Maxwell should be selected: http://bravenewfilms.org/blog/42099-mary-beth-maxwell-on-why-can-t-america-have-human-rights.

[OlskoolDem]

She would be a ton better than self serving Andy Stern.