Editorials & Other Articles

NRaleighLiberal

(60,014 posts) Thu Feb 16, 2017, 12:18 AM Feb 2017

Slate interesting take - "Why Sinking Andrew Puzder's Nomination Isn't the Victory Democrats Think"

http://www.slate.com/blogs/moneybox/2017/02/15/sinking_andrew_puzder_isn_t_that_great_a_victory_for_democrats.html

by Jordan Weissmann

Andrew Puzder, Donald Trump's embattled pick for secretary of labor, has tapped out. As it became increasingly obvious Wednesday that his nomination would die on the Senate floor, the fast food CEO withdrew himself from consideration, making him the administration's only cabinet selection to collapse in Congress so far.

Progressives are celebrating. Activists have badly wanted to derail Trump's nominees, and Puzder's public profile was especially detestable. (You almost had to wonder if our Twitter troll of a president had picked him just to antagonize fast food workers, organized labor, and feminists.) As the the chief executive of CKE Restaurants—parent of burger chains Hardee's and Carl's Jr.—Puzder argued against minimum wage increases and talked eagerly about replacing workers with kiosks. (“They're always polite, they always upsell, they never take a vacation, they never show up late, there's never a slip-and-fall, or an age, sex, or race discrimination case,” he once said of the machines. Classy!) A Huffington Post investigation found that Hardee's franchises were rife with wage-theft violations, which, while common in the fast food business, suggested that Puzder might not be a stickler about enforcing labor law. His company ran fratty, sexist TV spots featuring models chowing down on burgers while wearing bikinis. (“I like our ads. I like beautiful women eating burgers in bikinis. I think it’s very American.” he explained.) During their divorce in the 1980s, his ex-wife accused him of domestic abuse, and appeared in disguise on Oprah to talk about her experience. (She recently recanted the allegations).

And now lefty groups are doing their version of a sack dance. My inbox is full of celebratory emails from organizations like Public Citizen, declaring that “Puzder’s Withdrawal a Win for Working Families.” Even NARAL—the pro-choice group—felt compelled to tweet, showing that this isn't merely being interpreted as a win for labor, but for the broader anti-Trump #resistance.
Take note: Organizing is powerful. Resistance WORKS. ✊ Let's keep it up! #AntiLaborSecretary #Resist #JoinTheResistance pic.twitter.com/TehDMvis1g

— NARAL (@NARAL) February 15, 2017
Symbolically, that may be true. But substantively, Puzder's demise may turn out to be a subtle defeat for the left.

Despite his business credentials, many conservatives have been uncomfortable with Puzder because they viewed him as soft on immigration. This is because he was, in fact, extremely soft on immigration. A vocal advocate of comprehensive reform—he loved the old Gang of 8 bill that went nowhere during the Obama administration—he was prone to waxing rhapsodical about America as the land of opportunity for those brave and determined enough to journey here. He also liked that immigrant workers at his restaurants were just thankful for “the fact that they have a job,” and weren't prone to cause trouble. He wasn't an ideal voice for America's undocumented workers by any means; advocating for immigrants so you can exploit their labor doesn't make one a great ally. But in an administration dominated by white nativists, Puzder was poised to be the only notable dove on this issue. Best yet, it was conceivable that he might exert some influence on the president, whom he had advised and fundraised for during the campaign. Both men are wealthy, outspoken businessmen with a habit of objectifying women and a love of fast food, not to mention a record of hiring immigrants. They spoke the same language.

snip - food for thought. With trump, there's always something worse around the corner.