GOP Won't Derail Solis Nomination Over Husband's Taxes

Republicans aren't going to derail Labor Secretary-nominee Hilda Solis' nomination over her husband's tax problems, but they still have serious reservations about her ties to labor unions.

Key Republican senators on the committee vetting the California Democrat's nomination say they won't blame her for the problems facing her husband, Sam Sayyad, who paid around $6,400 last week to settle tax liens against his auto-repair company.

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[JackND]

I don;t find them "worrisome", I find them refreshing.

Big Business has enough champions in American government.

Too many.

It's time for workers to have theirs.

High time.

[citizensrus]

Republicans had no problem with the nomination of Linda Chavez. She was heralded as being a good candidate for the position. It was her nannygate and her dishonesty with Bush that was her undoing. Here's her book:
"Betrayal" How Union Bosses Shake Down Their Members and Corrupt American Politics

[xenophon]

With the Republicans it's all about class war. Their constant sub-text that labor unions are at best socially presumptuous and probably criminal, and certainly in defiance of God's Natural Law gets really tiresome.

In the early days of the Bush administration a visiting delegation of teachers all of whom were union members visited the Dept. of Education and had a meeting with the Sec. of Education who, during his speech, announced to them that their union was a terrorist organization.

Personally I'm quite happy to see a Sec. of Labor nominee with Ms. Solis's background, and I hope she succeeds.

[steve-annie]

How could "her role in an organization lobbying Congress violate[] campaign finance rules" when she wasn't paid anything by American Rights at Work? She did volunteer work for them and her role was described as largely "ceremonial." As far as I know, members of Congress retain their Constitutional right to freedom of association. (Although maybe I should double-check that, after the last eight years!)
In any case, don't members of Congress "lobby" each other every day? That's how they work! If no money, gifts or special favors change hands, where's the problem?
There is only one reason Republicans are delaying (and looking for a way to block) Ms. Solis's nomination, and that is her stand as a staunch supporter of unions and the Employee Free Choice Act. According to her profile on Wikipedia, the main asset owned by her or her husband is his auto repair shop, valued at about $100,000.
She is a true public servant, NOT one of those who "went to Washington to do good but stayed to do well."

[TexasDem0]

No, but they WILL oppose her confirmation to defer to the corporate aristocrats that own the GOP.

[fireW]

I wonder what they're really up to. We should believe that this time they're not going to resort to garbage politics as usual by injecting endless lies and utterly irrelevant assertions into the process while smugly declaring "it's their job" to do so? The obvious question to be asked is what nonsense will they pull in the meantime to satisfy their base?

[nomobull]

enough i think they're afraid people will start digging in their yards.

[Grannysue]

And we should believe the GOPERS because...­..........­..........­.

[lunchlady]

I hope the Republican cabinet nominees were as closely audited as all the Democratic nominees. Somehow I doubt it, but I've gotten cynical.
The objection to Solis has more to do with her labor union positions, not her personal taxes. I sure the business lobbyists are swinging hard on this one. They want someone who is willing to sell out the unions after one phone call

[Geranium]

What the hell - what is one more teeny tiny tax evader in the cabinet - No biggie.

[nellpost]

It's her HUSBAND!!!

[TakingBackTheUSA]

Yeah, but it ISN"T HER!!!

Besides, he's a freaking car mechanic. They're ALL having hard times lately. Having a tax lien against a small biz is nothing big. Just more GOP B-S trying to hold things up for spurious reasons.

[Geranium]

They file jointly. Is she that stupid that she blindly signs without checking?

[TexasDem0]

How much do you know about running a business and tax liens?

[billw8017]

I agree with Lawrence Summers that the extreme inequality of income is a major source of our present problems. Aside from a rapidly rising minimum wage, unions are the best way to secure and hold a living wage despite an impending inflation. Solis' labor ties are an excellent reason to confirm her nomination.

[steve-annie]

Of course they are ... but Republicans want another Secretary of Management like Elaine Chao.

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

It would be fun to throw one-time Republican challenger to Hillary Clinton for the NY Senate seat, and defeated candidate for NY AG, Jeanine Pirro's hubby in their faces.

"Pirro's husband Albert served time in federal prison after being convicted on tax fraud charges in 2000. He also caused embarrassment to his wife by fathering an illegitimate [child.] Pirro faces former federal Housing Secretary Andrew Cuomo in the attorney general's race.

Albert Pirro is a millionaire lobbyist who served time in federal prison after being convicted on tax fraud charges in June 2000 which involved hiding income by disguising personal spending as deductible business expenses. He spent 11 months in prison."

http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/politics&id=4604769

Maybe another time.

[Reaniel]

The title should read "GOP Unable To Derail Solis Nomination Over Husband's Taxes, So They Will Just Stall Some More".

[cblcar]

Amen.

[LeftofCentaur 08]

Exactly!

[MaryK2924]

Absolutely!

[TakingBackTheUSA]

Can I get an "AMEN"?

[Takae]

lol. Ack, I don't know why I laughed, considering how tragically true that seems.