The scoop on Elaine Chao what the hell is she qualified for?

Elaine Chao: Livin' the American Dream
First Daughter for the First Son
By LAURA FLANDERS

The following is an excerpt from the book, BUSHWOMEN: Tales of a Cynical Species, by Laura Flanders (Verso.)

When it comes to one's personal history, it sometimes suits a politician for the public to know very little. Better yet for the public, the media, and fellow politicians to know little, but assume much. Such has been the happy fate of Labor Secretary Elaine Chao.

''Elaine Chao believes deeply in the American dream because she has lived it,'' effused George W. Bush when he announced her nomination to his cabinet in 2001. ''Her successful life gives eloquent testimony to the virtues of hard work and perseverance and to the unending promise of this great country.''

The Organization of Chinese Americans welcomed the first Asian American to hold a cabinet position. Chao, they said, would help the Bush administration ''represent the diversity of the nation.'' Union leaders John Sweeney and Morton Bahr supported Chao because they'd worked with her when she ran the charity United Way. Conservatives in the Bush administration were reassured because Chao stood a good chance of getting an easy ride from labor. And Chao's colleagues in the right-wing Heritage Foundation were delighted, for reasons they kept all to themselves.

As far as the members of the Senate health, education, labor, and pensions committee were concerned, one of the best things about Elaine Chao was that she was relatively unknown. Chao is married to a powerful GOP fundraiser, Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. Decorum would rule out any tough questioning of this nominee in the Senate chamber-and outside it, Chao had a powerful personal story, and that's about all the public would hear.

http://www.counterpunch.org/flanders04012004.html

Mitch McConnell's wife, that apparently is all it takes to become a holder of a cabinet position.

On Chao:

Instead, we're getting stereotypes, the type of stories that the White House plays to. For example, Elaine Chao, who says, "I've come to this country as an immigrant from China." She doesn't exactly mislead the public, but when she says, "I came to this country not speaking a word of English," it sets off a preexisting narrative in the public's mind that summons to mind images of sweatshops and Chinese takeout -- which is just not her personal experience! She grew up in a well-to-do shipping magnate's family, her father benefited from opening trade with China, she went to Mount Holyoke and took a golf class. Fair enough, that was her experience, but let's get the details so we're not off thinking that she has credentials to bring to her job that she doesn't in fact have.

more…
http://archive.salon.com/books/int/2004/04/12/flanders/index.html

Sec of Labor just doing her job for her homeland. Did her shipping magnate dad benefit from his daughter's U.S. cabinet position.

Typical bush policy.

She isn't qualified for very much. I was astounded that every time she was asked a question that required a real answer, she asked her assistant to please respond.

It certainly looked to me like she had the corner office, but everyone esle did all the work. She didn't even seem to be able to relate the answers they got.

Chao-McConnell needs to be investigated for her association with US Labor and Foreign markets.

Could there be something in an investigation that would shed a tarnished light on the lovely, innocent, flying just under the radar, Chao?

Does her GOP hubby have foreign market interests? Who's profitting from trade with China, what US co.s are investing in China and how has Chao's role as sec of Labor influenced ties between US trade policy and her father's business? What's the connection?

Quite obviously, like everything else in the Bush cabal, the dirty profiteering is always hidden well behind an innocent frontman (woman).
'Just another pretty face.'
Abuse of Powers
of the Highest Office
of the USA.

.......Sen. McConnell Does chair a Foreign Commerce Committee and his father-in-law does handle the majority of shipping contracts between the U.S. and the new and improved "free market" oriented(wink,wink,nod) Chinese Govt......The 17,000 Longshoremen strike was threatning the shipping profits to the U.S. because unloading in Mexico and then trucking products north was making Elaines daddy and his circle of Chinese Govt officials nervous.....Can't let those Americans think we give a damn about their health-care woes.....Mitch steps in and almost single handidly shuts down the strike.....Remember the mobilization of the U.S.Naval dockworkers and the promise to bring them in if the workers continued with their strike which actually was a Company Lockout!!!!.....One needs only to look at the status of labor retirement funds to ascertain Elaines qualifications and intent......Aren't they the perfect GOP family though???.....The new and improved Doles'.......

.... but it was funny as hell a few months ago tho, watching her on tv trying to defend the corporate-price-controls-aka-overtime reform.....

They don't want good competent people, they just want someone who will do EXACTLY what they ask, who will tell people what Bush wants, and who will do so without asking questions and without an ounce of conscience.

people...only "yes men". I see that proven by all the ones who quit.

clipping the hedges. Light manual labor maybe- might teach her to value the workers she is supposed to be protecting, but routinely betrays.