Obama's Excellent Nominations Outweighed by His Terrible Ones
While President Obama has made some terrible high level nominations, he has made some super ones like Labor Secretary Hilda Solis and Dawn Johnsen, as head of the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel.
Now Obama has made another excellent nomination, this time one to head the FAA.
From Mike Hall at the AFL-CIO blog: "Capt. Randy Babbitt, who spent 25 years in the cockpit beginning with Eastern Airlines and served two terms as president of the Air Line Pilots (ALPA), was nominated last week by President Obama to take over the controls of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
"Current ALPA President Capt. John Prater says he is confident that as FAA administrator, Babbitt will develop a flight plan toguide the FAA into the future….Capt. Babbitt’s decisive leadership will position the FAA to take aggressive action to modernize our country’s antiquated airspace in the face of air traffic demand that is sure to escalate as the economy improves.
"The White House announcement of his appointment said Babbitt is a nationally recognized leader in the field of aviation safety and policy, and labor relations with almost 40 years of experience in the industry.
"Aside from the fact that not a single true progressive has been even considered by the administration for any position, we have Rahm Emmanuel as chief of staff – the only guy around who can make Snakehead Carville seem human. We have Hillary Clinton at State. We have the smug crook Timothy Geithner - who with a pack of the greedy idiots drove the economy over the cliff, retained to continue pillaging the Treasury and lining the pockets of their co-conspirators with tax dollars – consumer credit did not “start flowing again,” as advertised, but Timmy’s bankster buddies at Goldman Sachs got $12.9 billion of AIG’s first round of corporate welfare – the largest known hand-off of the taxpayer AIG funds to come to light, but that’s sure to be surpassed.
"I was ready to add Michelle Obama’s Spring Equinox planting of a Kitchen Garden at the White House to the positive change list – an idea I fully support. But, then [it was] pointed out the idiocy of advocating fresh, home-grown vegetables while appointing a Monsanto whore as Secretary of Agriculture
"The appointment of former Iowa governor tom Vilsack, the first 2008 presidential primary contender to withdraw (and then go on to support Hilary Clinton) represents no change at all from the pattern of appointing Agriculture Secretaries from a pool of former farm state administrators – every one tied to the Genetically Modified food giants."
Now Obama has made another excellent nomination, this time one to head the FAA.
From Mike Hall at the AFL-CIO blog: "Capt. Randy Babbitt, who spent 25 years in the cockpit beginning with Eastern Airlines and served two terms as president of the Air Line Pilots (ALPA), was nominated last week by President Obama to take over the controls of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
"Current ALPA President Capt. John Prater says he is confident that as FAA administrator, Babbitt will develop a flight plan toguide the FAA into the future….Capt. Babbitt’s decisive leadership will position the FAA to take aggressive action to modernize our country’s antiquated airspace in the face of air traffic demand that is sure to escalate as the economy improves.
"The White House announcement of his appointment said Babbitt is a nationally recognized leader in the field of aviation safety and policy, and labor relations with almost 40 years of experience in the industry.
"In 1993, President Bill Clinton appointed him to the National Commission to Ensure a Strong Competitive Airline Industry. He has served as a CEO and chairman of a worldwide aviation consulting firm and is currently part of an independent review team examining and making recommendations to improve the FAA’s aviation safety system.
"National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) President Patrick Forrey says Babbitt—after years of mismanagement of the FAA under the Bush administration—will face 'an array of big challenges.' "
Unfortunately, these excellent choices are outweighed by the terrible and wrongheaded ones like Tim Geithner and Larry Summers.
Mike Donnelly in a Counterpunch article captures Obama's personnel selection tone deafness perfectly with this:
"Aside from the fact that not a single true progressive has been even considered by the administration for any position, we have Rahm Emmanuel as chief of staff – the only guy around who can make Snakehead Carville seem human. We have Hillary Clinton at State. We have the smug crook Timothy Geithner - who with a pack of the greedy idiots drove the economy over the cliff, retained to continue pillaging the Treasury and lining the pockets of their co-conspirators with tax dollars – consumer credit did not “start flowing again,” as advertised, but Timmy’s bankster buddies at Goldman Sachs got $12.9 billion of AIG’s first round of corporate welfare – the largest known hand-off of the taxpayer AIG funds to come to light, but that’s sure to be surpassed.
"I was ready to add Michelle Obama’s Spring Equinox planting of a Kitchen Garden at the White House to the positive change list – an idea I fully support. But, then [it was] pointed out the idiocy of advocating fresh, home-grown vegetables while appointing a Monsanto whore as Secretary of Agriculture
"The appointment of former Iowa governor tom Vilsack, the first 2008 presidential primary contender to withdraw (and then go on to support Hilary Clinton) represents no change at all from the pattern of appointing Agriculture Secretaries from a pool of former farm state administrators – every one tied to the Genetically Modified food giants."
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