A Look at the Relationship Between McConnell and Chao
Posted by Stephanie Taylor on August 9, 2007 at 04:44 PM
The tragedy at the Crandall Canyon mine in Utah, where six men are currently trapped underground, has brought to light the partnership between Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and his wife, Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao--and how they are aligned against the interests of working people. For example:
McConnell filed legislation for three years, starting in 1998, to curb the mandatory annual raise in wages of legal immigrant farmworkers under the government's H2A program. By 2001, the wage in Kentucky was $6.60 an hour, which struck some agricultural businesses as too high. (Agribusinesses have given McConnell more than $1 million for his campaigns--out of $21 million from all donors over 22 years, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.) But the bills kept failing.
In 2001, Chao ordered an indefinite delay in the release of an annual Labor Department wage report that triggered the farmworker raise. It was an insider move, not noticed by most Americans, but praised by McConnell's Republican congressional colleagues and business groups in letters obtained from Chao's office.
There’s a lot more where that came from. Read the article here.
Comments (5) «
"Think of it. Here was a Democrat-controlled Congress that vowed to hold the White House accountable for its attempts to trample on the Fourth Amendment. And now it has done just the opposite. The danger can't be overstated. President Bush, Vice President Cheney and Attorney General Alberto Gonzales have never hidden their disdain for the niceties of the law, nor have they ever shown any compunction about using the powers of their office to go after political opponents. And now they have the power to invade Americans' privacy with impunity. There will be no checks and balances, no reports to Congress, no accountability. The potential for abuse is frightening."
Unwarranted Betrayal
Also:
Video of Jack Cafferty announcing we are going to get development rights to Iraq's oil. All out in the open now, isn't it?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOM2mFDmmow
This seems to be standard operation procedure for GOP administrations. They put spouses in the cabinet and then work the Senate through the other end. The Dole marriage comes to mind.
I'm curious. And this is Off Topic, but where does --or will -- the DNC stand on medical cannabis?
If anyone was tied into the John Kerry message board last election they know how big the topic (and its larger cousin, th War On (some) Drugs) was there.
There are an estimated 20 million cannabis consumers in the US. Many of us vote. In fact I am in Oregon, a state with (according to the Mirons report on legalization from Harvard) there some 300,000 cannabis consumers here in my state.
In '04 Oregon voters turnout was one of the highest in the nation, at or near 90%. An AARP poll a couple of years ago had 75% of members polled supporting medical cannabis. Its time has come and so has the Democratic party's to support it. It is not controversial in a nation with a broken health care system.
I do not exaggerate when I say that should the DNC and Democratic candidates embrace medical cannabis (at minimum) they will garner millions of new supporters, independents and fed up Republicans.
And with the Democratic Convention being held in Dencer, a city that will have a "lowest priority" (for cannabis enforcement) on the ballot, I suspect it will be difficult for the Dems to avoid and flake out on the issue like JK did last election.
What say ye?
(I hope I'm not intruding... I did, reluctantly, vote for Kerry last election, but will avoid the Democratic presidential candidate like the plague should the party not support medical cannabis)
We hope all negative thinking people will stay away from the Democratic Party. If you can't appreciate how strong and how much work into the many Bills the Democrats have accomplished then you have nothing in mind to help the Democrats.
Thank You Democrats for all the wise actions and all the Bills you have passed since coming to power.
I very much appreciate much of the Democratic leadership. I am asking a policy specific question. I live in Peter DeFazio's district and Pete is a great Rep.
Please don't distract from a politely framed question.
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