More pro-CIR cabinet picks

[J6]

News (http://www.guardian.co.uk/)
World news (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world)
Obama White House (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/obama-white-house)

Obama names cabinet choices for labour, trade and transportation

Obama rounds out cabinet by picking congresswoman, Republican and former Dallas mayor for posts




Daniel Nasaw (http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/danielnasaw) in Washington
guardian.co.uk (http://www.guardian.co.uk/), Friday 19 December 2008 20.28 GMT
Article history (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/dec/19/barack-obama-labour-transportation-trade#history-byline) http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2008/12/19/appointment476.jpg Barack Obama speaks during a press conference in Chicago on Friday. Obama has selected California congresswoman Hilda Solis, left, for labour secretary and Karen Mills to head the small business administration. Photograph: Anne Ryan/EPA



President-elect Barack Obama today rounded out his cabinet, adding a labour secretary, US trade representative and other officials to his roster.
California congresswoman Hilda Solis, is to lead the department of labour. Solis was instrumental in raising California's minimum wage while in the state legislature and is known for her work on environmental issues. The daughter of immigrants, Solis thanked Obama and her family in Spanish. She replaces Elaine Chao.


Solis is known for her close union ties and won praise from immigration activists for championing immigration reform.


Obama nominated an Illinois Republican, former congressman Ray LaHood, to be secretary of transportation. LaHood, the grandson of Lebanese immigrants, will help direct billions of dollars in federal road and infrastructure spending.


The department also regulates interstate shipping. Lahood is the second Republican in Obama's cabinet. President Bush's defence secretary Robert Gates will stay on into the next year. LaHood succeeds Mary Peters.
Ron Kirk, the African-American former mayor of Dallas, Texas, was named

US trade representative. He replaces Susan Schwab.


Also, Obama named Karen Mills to lead the small business administration.




Plus - more pro reform voices in the White House
Minus - fewer pro reform voices in the House of Reps.

[Ianus]

Hey J6,

To be honest,I think that Congressional voices are more important when it comes to pro-reform legislation.Hopefully,the replacements for the pro-reformers going to the White House will be from progressive districts to make the process easier.

[J6]

I'm thinking that allies in the White House will be key in swaying votes in the Senate especially if reform was something they felt strongly about (as is the case with Napolitano and a few others). Hmmm....are House replacements ever appointed or are they always subject to a special election?

We'll see...I haven't been posting (tired, busy, so much garbage to sift through) but I'm around.

[Ianus]

I think House members are subjected to special elections.Democrats have also never been a problem for us just the Republicans,so I'm interested how the new incoming Obama administration plans on wooing Republican moderates in order to get his agenda through plus ours.