AP: Hilda Solis will be Obama's Labor pick

:evilgrin:

I'm sorry... that name just scares me..... in an evil-gym-teacher kind of way.

Solis to Labor

Barack Obama has decided on Rep. Hilda Solis (D-CA) to be his Labor Secretary, according to Democratic sources, tapping the daugher of Hispanic immigrants to serve in an important post for the Democratic coalition.

Solis came to Congress in 2000 in part thanks to organized labor. With financial and organizational support from unions, she knocked off a Democratic incumbent who had supported "fast-track" trade authority in a heavily liberal Los Angeles-area district.

An ally of he fellow Californian, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Solis serves on the influential House Energy and Commerce Committee. She rates out at a 97% lifetime AFL-CIO voting record.

Before coming to Congress, Solis was the first Hispanic woman to serve in the California Senate. She is the daughter of a retired Teamsters steward.

She is the third Hispanic in the cabinet, joining Ken Salazar and Bill Richardson.

Her appointment comes after two prominent female governors thought to be prospects for the job, Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas and Jennifer Granholm, indicated they would not come to Washington

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/1208/Solis_to_Labor.html?showall

From my quick googling, she ran some Hispanic caucus and was an analyst at OMB. She seems to be anti-NAFTA which is the only labor related credential.

Sounds like a pick to appease Hispanics rather than any real qualifications. I need to know more about her though before I say she was a good or bad pick.

I found this, which seems encouraging.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=7998353&mesg_id=7998561

We definitely need someone with that mindset when it comes to greening our economy, retraining laid off workers for green jobs, and invigorating a new growth industry based on green tech.

Of course implementation is the problem. If we simply outsource all the green production to China, we keep the profit portion, but loose the jobs portion. Hopefully her anti-NAFTA stance lines up with keeping those jobs her or outsourcing to other countries where trade is fair.

"sounds like a pick to appease Hispanics" but you admit not knowing much about her? Sad.

that this is just a pick to appease Hispanics...? :wtf: Perhaps you should wait and learn more before saying that.

Very progressive democrat from east LA. This is a wonderful pick to run labor. The Republicans and big business are already tearing their hair out over this one. Mark my words. The DOJ will not rest between now and Jan 20th trying to dig up dirt on this woman.

She's good for union folks and the repubs are going to hate her. I think she's a great pick!!:woohoo: