Obama to appoint Melody Barnes as head of Domestic Policy Council.»

[babylonsister]

http://thinkprogress.org/2008/11/24/melody-announcement/

Obama to appoint Melody Barnes as head of Domestic Policy Council.»




Later today, President-elect Barack Obama will announce that our friend and former colleague Melody Barnes will be named as Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council. The Council “coordinates the domestic policy-making process in the White House and offers policy advice to the President.” In her new role, Melody will be working with allies such as incoming HHS Secretary Tom Daschle to bring about comprehensive health care reform. Her policy portfolio will include issues such as education, immigration, criminal justice, and other domestic issues. Melody was a former Executive Vice President for Policy at the Center for American Progress, and previously served as Senior Domestic Policy Advisor for the campaign and as co-chair of the Agency Review Working Group for the transition. We wish her the best of luck.

[Thrill]

1. What? A Progressive?

What will the hand-wringers say?

[last1standing]

2. We'll say "Fantastic".

This is a good thing and I hope there are more such appointments in the wings. What else should be said?

[phleshdef]

3. You mean ANOTHER progressive?

[Jennicut]

4. OMG, someone say something bad about her quick. Its not the same unless we criticize

Seriously, she sounds wonderful.

[Thrill]

5. notice how few replies there are

[babylonsister]

6. Yes, where are the whiners? Not much to whine about here. nt

[otohara]

7. The Hottie We've Been Waiting For

finally!

[mkultra]

8. where are the haters

i mean, i know there are still a bunch of appointments to make, but shouldn't they be criticizing the order in which the appointments where made. Come on pre-primary obama haters, where is your CONCERN?

[Schema Thing]

9. Well Hello, domestic policy chief

Brains and beauty and progressive to boot. I am in love.

[Alter Ego]

22. *wolf whistle*

[Jennicut]

23. She is adorable and smart at the same time. It can be done.

Take notice Sarah Palin.

[Uzybone]

34. HELLO!!!!!

[DCBob]

35. Where/How did you get that pic?

Too cute. :)

[TheWraith]

42. It's from Washingtonian's Ten Well Dressed Women article. nt

[FrenchieCat]

10. Foiled again!

[JackBeck]

11. When I heard PE Obama mention the Center for American Progress

I couldn't help but hear Al Franken singing his lead-in song whenever he had a segment with their correspondents.

And then I thought I better check-in here to see the loads of threads congratulating Obama on his pick.

Won't hold my breath.

[Sunnyshine]

21. This is great news! Melody was chief counsel to Sen. Ted Kennedy on Judiciary Comm. for 8 yrs.

Thank you PE Obama!

[Ozma]

12. Wow! What a great pick!!! She even

poses for pictures progressively!

[CitizenLeft]

13. unless I'm mistaken, wasn't she a frequent guest on AirAmerica?

Especially on Franken's show? If that's who I'm thinking of, she was great - brilliant!

If not, she's probably brilliant anyway~ :)

[ellacott]

18. Maybe you're thinking of Melanie Sloan

She started CREW(Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics).

[CitizenLeft]

26. YES... thank you!

That's the name I remember.

Great pick anyway, from what I've read! :applause:

[Pirate Smile]

43. It was Christy Harvey from the Center for American Progress who was on Al's show.

:)

[DireStrike]

14. Alright!

That's a nice, solid bone to gnaw on.

...I wanted to use that analogy, but now I feel weird about it.

[Mass]

15. Great news...

[anonymous171]

16. OMG ANOTHER DLC PUPPET!!!!!!

:sarcasm:

[happychatter]

17. personally, I'm stoked - no text

[democracy1st]

19. K & R

[Blu Dahlia]

20. isn't she a Clinton re-tread?

[cali]

29. don't know. would it matter if she was?

[stillcool]

44. maybe you can glean her purity test from here.....

From Barnes’ official biography: “From December 1995 until March 2003, Barnes served as chief counsel to Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA) on the Senate Judiciary Committee. As Kennedy’s chief counsel, she shaped civil rights, women’s health and reproductive rights, commercial law, and religious liberties laws, as well as executive branch and judicial appointments. Barnes’ experience also includes an appointment as Director of Legislative Affairs for the U. S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and serving as assistant counsel to the U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Subcommittee on Civil and Constitutional Rights.

“During her tenure with the Subcommittee, she worked closely with members of Congress and their staffs to pass the Voting Rights Improvement Act of 1992, which was signed into law. Barnes began her career as an attorney with Shearman & Sterling in New York City and is a member of both the New York State Bar Association and the District of Columbia Bar Association. She is also a member of the Board of Directors of The Constitution Project, EMILY’s List, and The Maya Angelou Public Charter School. She received her law degree from the University of Michigan and her bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she graduated with honors in history.”

[Sunnyshine]

24. K & R

We like to move it, move it!

[Blu Dahlia]

25. she's pretty

[Runcible Spoon]

27. great pick.

signed,
hand wringer :evilgrin:

[Hutzpa]

28. How many progressives has he named so far???

anyone know????

Just curious....


:shrug:

[leftofthedial]

30. the only somewhat progressive pick he's made.

Congratulations! I hope she can kick the butts of the supply-side corporatists on his team.

[babylonsister]

31. Mike Lux:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/11/10/obama-hires-progressive-l_n_142648.html

And FTR, Obama never said he'd hire progressives. Is it okay if he acts progressive?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=7917142&mesg_id=7917142

[leftofthedial]

38. his role isn't really a WH staff position I don't think.

Although it might be. It's not really clear what his role is.

[Uzybone]

37. Wouldnt the professor from Berkeley also count?

Christina Romer? I doubt she of the moderate/conservative viewpoint.

[leftofthedial]

39. it is her view that tax cuts for the wealthy help the economy

(or conversely that tax increases for the wealthy slow the economy) that is her and her husband/partner's main thesis.

Never mind that every major US economic boom has happened during periods of high taxes on high incomes (except when the economy is artificially boosted with trillions in hot checks--and even that doesn't work anymore because the deficits are WAY too high).

She's moderate at best from what I can tell.

[Zynx]

40. I can't name too many supply-siders Obama has around.

Larry Summers is a possible exception, but he's not really supply-side.

[leftofthedial]

45. Obama himself is a supply-sider.

as is Geithner, an IMF, "free-market,"

Obama supported the wall street bailout, which is a 100% supply-side philosophy and program.

He now says he will not roll back the bush supply-side tax giveaways to the rich and to corporations.

Obama has a clear pro-corporate record. Corporations are the place where "supply-side" lives.

If he and his team were not supply siders, day one, job one would be reinstate FDR taxes on the rich and on corporations and implement a new New Deal.

[Uncle Joe]

32. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, babylonsister.

[TheWraith]

33. Chief counsel to Ted Kennedy from 1995 to 2003.

Executive Vice President for Policy at the Center for American Progress.

Director of Legislative Affairs for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

I think I'm in love.

[LWolf]

36. hmmm...

On the two issues at the top of my priority list, she's not exactly what I was looking for. Of course, it's more likely that Obama will appoint people that agree with his policies than those that agree with my opposing views, lol.

Education? She's going to help him "fix" high-stakes testing:

<snip>

"We have to deploy and employ the proper kinds of assessments...portfolios for example and other forms of assessments that may be a little bit more expensive but they are allowing us to make sure children are getting the proper analytic kinds of tools."

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2008/10/not_so_fast_obama_wont_dump_nc.html

That could be okay; I'd appreciate better assessments. It doesn't matter, though, how good the assessments are if they are misused; and high-stakes testing is a misuse of assessment.

Health Care?

She wants affordable insurance for all, and more preventative care. Good as far as it goes. Another good fit for Obama. Will they listen? Will they support HR 676?

I'm glad that she's a little more "progressive" than his other appointees. Hopefully, that will help when we are working to move authentic progressive reforms in education and health care forward.

[scarletwoman]

41. Seems like a very fine choice. I especially like that she's a former exec from C.A.P.

Thanks for posting this.

I have no idea how many different "Councils" are part of the executive branch, subject to Presidential appointment. I wonder if there's listing somewhere? It would be way cool to see more of this sort of appointment at that level at least.

sw