Today's Washington Times reported on the defeat of Presidential nominee Craig Becker to the National Labor Relations Board. Scott Brown, the newly-elected Massachusetts Senator who was not supposed to be sworn in until tomorrow, voted against the nominee. Two Democrats also voted against the nominee--the vote was 52-33. The two Democrats who voted against the nominee were Senators Ben Nelson of Nebraska and Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas. Both Senators are in serious danger of losing their Senate seats in the upcoming elections, and we can expect both of them to turn sharply right in order to stay in office. Nebraska is a right-to-work state, and Senator Nelson wisely realized that the confirmation of Craig Becker would not be welcomed by his constituents.
The fear on the part of the Senators who oppose Mr. Becker's nomination is that he will institute policies through the National Labor Relations Board that the Democrats were not able to pass by way ofthe legislative process. His appointment would probably mean that card check (the end of the secret ballot in union elections) would be implemented through the Labor Relations Board, rather than having to be passed in Congress.
The article points out:
"A review of decades of writings by Mr. Becker have revealed that he has advocated for the most radical theories of labor law," said Sen. Michael B. Enzi, Wyoming Republican and ranking member of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. "In addition to his writings, Mr. Becker has spent the majority of his career serving as counsel to the two largest labor organizations in America, which has raised questions about his ability to fairly adjudicate cases involving those unions."
One of the problems that the Obama Administration is having right now is that it is seen as anti-business. This nomination was seen as anti-business. This perception of the Obama Administration is also one of the factors that is slowing down any financial recovery that is beginning. Until business owners feel that it is 'safe' to run a business and make a profit, they will not be taking any risks in growing their businesses and hiring people--no matter what tax incentives they are promised.
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