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

[fifitrixiebelle]

Great choice!

BUT there is now proof that Sarah Palin faked her pregnancy

http://www.palindeception.com/blog/

[confuseddemocrat]

And why is it necessary to mention that she is openly gay?

Why is choosing someone gay seen as adding diversity to a cabinet?

Why is it important to know who she prefers romantically?

Her qualifications are the only attributes that should be discussed regarding a potential appointment.

One's sexual proclivities should be private and not up for discussion.

[Willow712]

I agree. I don't care what she prefers in the bedroom. I want people who can do the job. If she can do the job, fine. If she can't, I don't care what her preferences are. I would assume that PE Obama wants her for the job because she's the best qualified.

[Hakha]

Because as a gay American we are damn proud to have the first openly out gay person at a Cabinet level when our own constitutional rights are vulnerable to erasure through the caprices of the majority. In the year of Prop 8, she would be a sweet appointment.

[JohnDewey]

Your comment says more about you than perhaps you realize. My Random House dictionary defines "proclivity" as:

PROCLIVITY (noun): A strong habitual inclination or tendency, especially toward something bad.

In what way is being gay or lesbian a, "proclivity?" Here's a thought experiment. Think of the married hetero people you know - maybe yourself, your parents, your siblings, your children, your friends - then ask yourself if their marriages are due to their sexual proclivities.

Whatever could or should be done in an ideal world is open to debate. However, in the world we live in, sexuality is seen as a defining characteristic, much as gender & ethnicity all too often are. In addition, there is a long history of hatred and oppression of LGBT people as well as active resistance to it. Our community realized that only by being open and honest about who we are can we ever hope to lessen or eradicate bigotry. It's a lot harder to hate us when you realize that we're your family, friends and neighbours.

Try watching, "Before Stonewall," or, "The Times of Harvey Milk." Read about the work of The Daughters of Bilitis and The Mattachine Society. Educate yourself about how and why the various historical gay meccas/ghettos came into being (San Francisco, Provincetown, Fire Island, Greenwich Village, South Beach, etcetera). Do you know what the Stonewall Riots were?

Members of the LGBT community have been answering your rhetorical questions for years. Have you done as much to educate yourself?

[cdub1991]

yeah--what he said...

[situationcritical]

The problem is that mentally and emotionally lazy people of the heterosexual persuasion wouldn't lift a finger to try to understand the people they enjoy persecuting. What would be the fun in that?

[situationcritical]

Or someone's color...

I'll tell you why - because people like you who only pretend to be fair, discriminate based on race and sexual preference, the feign ignorance in a post like this in an attempt to cover it.

That's why.

[JohnDewey]

Well said.

P.S. Thanks for saying in a sentence what takes me an over-long essay to get at. I admire (and envy), concise writing.

[woodcut]

Harvey Milk said to "come out" so that everyone will know a gay / lesbian person. We need role models for gay youth.
It has nothing to do with her qualifications, but is part of her IDENTITY, same as mentioning someone is Hispanic or a woman.

[fulanita]

I agree that one's sexual proclivities should be private and not up for discussion but seeing as how this country clearly does NOT leave that a private matter by continuously striking down laws that would provide civil rights to people who's "sexual preferences" are different than what many hold to be ill-suited for marriage of parenthood, that topic is fair game. Clearly this woman has amazing credentials and the way I see it, it's a sort of "by the way" mention that she's gay. Her qualifications are clearly being discussed so that is a given. The number of openly gay people in top government jobs is rare and would in fact add to diversity.­The main focus should be whether or not she can get the job done, obviously but that does not require excluding more about who this person is. Spare me this talk about how this is an irrelevant discussion. Homosexuality in America is anything BUT a private matter.

[Danigirl65]

I know nothing of this lady BUT if her credentials speak the volumes I have read, I would LOVE her to be the Labor Secretary. It's about time we start judging people by the content of their character instead of the color of their skin OR sexual preference.

I never cease to be amazed at the choices I am seeing. This cabinet is truly representing this nation.

[newshawk14]

I hope the lady proves to be outstanding, but I can also see how some members of the labor
movement might see this as a bit of a thumb in their eye. I think this would be a mistake as I
think Obama will prove to be the most sympathetic presidents to labor in a number of generations.

[woodcut]

Many Teamster locals are supportive of gays / lesbians. A bond was formed with the COORS BEER boycott.

[newshawk14]

I wasn't aware of this development, I remember returning from Germany, as
a member of the Army in 1967, and having my first American beer, a Coors, it
was so bad in comparison with the German beers I had been drinking that I
nearly hurled it on the spot. I hope this trend of supporting all union members
continues.

[ceti]

The rest of Obama's picks have been so disappointing that her identity is secondary to the fact that she is the first actual progressive to be vetted for a cabinet post.

[demetra]

whine whine!!

[ICUrTrueColors]

Enough! Please stop criticizing people for expressing concerns about Obama's cabinet picks. He is not the King nor is he the Emperor. He is President-Elect of a democracy and we have a right to express our opinions about his policy choices, including the histories and backgrounds of his major appointments.

That said, I am very disappointed by the fact that every major cabinet appointment so far has been either a war-hawk or an entrenched Wall Street insider. The appointment of Mary Beth Maxwell would go a long way toward adding a little bit of balance to the dramatically rightward slant of his current picks.

[toypiano]

Great experience, great candidate. Excellent!

[StopThePress]

She's absolutely qualified.­....I read up on her and I think she'd be a great pick.

[jeanrenoir]

What a great guy Bonior is! He's dead right. It's time for the Boomers (I'm a 65yrold whitie) to turn the reigns over to Gen-X and shuffle off the stage.

[confuseddemocrat]

But Barack is a boomer, Gen X starts in the late sixties

[Tunghoy]

Thanks -- although officially, the last year of the Baby Boom was 1963. Obama was born in 1961. But he's close.

[happyboston]

a move like this would have lefties cooing like election day! i am one. =p

[aOsO]

It will be a bold move on PE Obama's part if she gets it.

[hortonhearsawho]

Openly competent.­..

[SPQR1052]

Not to belabor the issue BUT it is my sincerest hope that our president-elect appoints US AMBASSADORS that are just as diverse as his cabinet. As an American who travel - a lot since the election of 2000 - I am so exhausted with all the wealthy WASP's getting the juicy assignments. Bush did have a gay US Ambassador to Bulgaria of all places. Actually a great move because Bulgarians are VERY HOMOPHOBIA like most of Eastern and Central Europe - as well as sexist and racist and in the case of Poland if you are not Roman Catholic ----- I say "That One" should stir things up and appoint some community organizers from diverse backgrounds to ambassador and Consulates.

Lets' start a petition for ambassadorships to be selected from O"s donors - I'd like first to be considered for Switzerland, Spain, France, Italy or Czech Republic. :-)

(Ambassador only have to be intelligent and are mostly appointed based upon their friendships and association with the incoming administrations - BUSH's appointment were social connected and large contributors to his presidential campaign.)

[antiprop1]

Knowing the culture and language might also help a bit.

[yoli647]

Well I wish her luck!

[duze]

So what.! What's gy got to do with anything. She an American and she's qualified end of story!

[dm10003]

RACE is obvious, sexual PREFERENCE is not ovbious and for me i nice to know. sexual PRACTICE is not my business, straight or gay or bi and should not be confused with PREFERENCE.

[XME]

Such a pick would be a good step for this country...­and as a perk, it would drive the evangelical right absolutely nuts.

[ohmercy]

YES-
Exploding heads are always entertaining!
LOL