Solis Is Cabinet's Lone Progressive

Obama's Cabinet stocked with moderates—except Solis
By Gabriel Winant,  Newser Staff
Posted Dec 19, 2008 1:39 PM CST
Solis Is Cabinet's Lone Progressive
The choice of Rep. Hilda Solis, D-Calif., as labor secretary is one of the few cheered by progressives.   (AP Photo)

Progressives are viewing Barack Obama's ever-so-centrist Cabinet with disappointment, except for the notable pick of union friend Hilda Solis for labor secretary, Politico reports. Solis, a rising star in the House who had been viewed as a potential Speaker, is the daughter of a teamster and a factory worker, and she has a nearly unblemished voting record on behalf of unions and worker safety.

“We're confident that she will return to the Labor Department one of its core missions—to defend workers' basic rights in our nation's workplaces," said AFL-CIO chief John Sweeney. Also buttressing Solis' progressive credentials are strong ties to the Hispanic community: Her Mexican father met her Nicaraguan mother in citizenship class. “She will bring a compelling voice on behalf of working families, particularly women and Hispanics,”said a fellow congresswoman.
(More Barack Obama stories.)

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