Opinion: Commerce Department nominee deserves the job
Publisher’s note: This editorial is from the June 21, 2011, Los Angeles Times.
John Bryson’s nomination to be President Obama’s next secretary of Commerce has been met with the predictable combination of delusion and obstructionism that characterizes the modern confirmation process. Some Senate Republicans vow to hold him hostage to the passage of several long-sought free-trade agreements; others insist they will reject him based on his presumed politics, which they wish were more like theirs. None has advanced an argument worthy of defeating this nomination, and though sensible people will withhold a final judgment until after Bryson is questioned, his credentials are encouraging, as are the endorsements of those who know him.
Bryson is a familiar figure in Los Angeles. A longtime chairman and chief executive of Southern California Edison and Edison International, he is a pillar of the region’s business community, admired by the Chamber of Commerce and his fellow executives. He also was a founder of the Natural Resources Defense Council, where his work earned him respect and appreciation from California’s environmental movement. He’s been president of the California Public Utilities Commission and even served as a director of Boeing, dipping his toe into the nation’s military-industrial complex. He is thus the rare nominee to present himself to Congress with endorsements from the Chamber, military suppliers and the nation’s leading environmental organizations.
The guy ran a monopoly.
No competition.
Lots of smozzing with government regulators.
When you consider America is a country based on a free enterprise form of capitalism it is no wonder why we are hurting from the Cronified type of capitalism we now have. This nominee is a terrable choice is he not?
His background and perspective is based and represented in state controlled markets.
As predicted for decades, our very poor history education and yrs of
socialism indoctrination at liberal public schools has damaged the
critical thinking skills of generations.
It’s not rocket science.
We are where we are because of the choices we made.
It’s destructive crony capitalism brought on by our bad sellections of leaders. At many levels.
Liberalism kills. It’s all tied together.
I hope this guy never gets appointed and that we do a better job on future choices.
GBA
Another crap choice of the Obama administration.
I didn’t mean to sugar coat that last posting so much.
Really, I am mad over what we are doing to ourselves and our country.
Come on, PubWorksTV, tell us how you really feel!
Seriously, you’re absolutely right in your analysis. Keep writing, please!
Once again, I hope and trust that both ‘PubTV’ and Dogwoman click “Read the whole story’, as Mr. Bryson has a very balanced resume, unbeknownst to outright partisan choice, the preference of today’s mean-spirited, but outmoded Republican thought.
Even the Tea Party element is a revolt against the ‘party’, trying to outdo and take-over their ‘guiding light’.
Continuing on a path of obstructing everything, while trying to corral as much political funding as possible is a ‘dead-end’ road, as the problems are too large to be held hostage to political divide. Everyone needs to grow up . . .
If this were in fact “rocket science”, there would be even less understanding than what you possess now – the result of ‘knee-jerk’ reactions that have nothing to do with our current or impending reality.
Perhaps it’s time to redirect some of that angry energy towards widening your horizons, as the future will not stand for much more narrow-mindedness euphemized as discipline or focus.
Anger is most destructive focused on the wrong cause, but is now most effectively channeled for the true conservative cause – misguided as that is, given today’s conditions.
Begin to think in terms of something larger than yourself and what you’ve been indoctrinated to believe, so you won’t be tragically deflated when you discover that there are other, way more important truths beyond current Democrat and Republican thinking.
This is why both are so lowly regarded; they are not worthy of such support (either negative or positive)as you seem to want to bestow on them – they are out of touch with almost everything now.
“Cronyfied” (?)- hope you’re not too shocked when you hold a mirror up to the current Republican diatribe – already bankrupt for new ideas beyond the failed Reagan policies (of a quarter century ago now).
They are not even true to those – “trickle down” is now “trickle up” – to our continued detriment.
One of the log-time political science definitions of politics is “the art of the possible” (compromise and all), but it is certainly not helpful when it is transformed into “the art of the impossible (our current stalemate).
Look again. . .and raise your sights.
We all deserve better. . .