I think it's safe to say that the NLRB is now about as impartial a body as Robespierre's Revolutionary Tribunal that condemned tens of thousands to the guillotine during the French Revolution.
Now that SEIU flunky Craig Becker has been added to the board via recess appointment, it will be as if Andy Stern woke up on Christmas morning with this heart's desire in his stocking:
But Becker's appointment drew strong denunciations from Republicans because his overt pro-union disposition and former writings have convinced many that Becker will push provisions making it easier for employees to unionize through the NLRB, instead of the White House having to move such actions through Congress."In his January State of the Union address, President Obama pledged that he would work in a bipartisan fashion to confront the challenges facing our nation. Instead of living up to that pledge, the President today ignored the Senate's bipartisan rejection of a highly-controversial nominee," said Sen. Orrin Hatch, Utah Republican.
All 41 Republican senators sent a letter to the president Thursday urging him not to recess appoint Becker.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce said the president was "overriding the will of the Senate."
"This is the first time since 1993 that the Chamber has opposed a nominee to the NLRB. The Chamber's opposition is based on Mr. Becker's prolific writings, which suggest a radical view of labor law that flies in the face of established precedent and case law and is far outside the mainstream," said Randel Johnson, the Chamber's senior vice president for labor, immigration and employee benefits.
The Obama administration has increasingly looked to the NLRB as the forum in which to accomplish its pro-labor goals, rather than through Congress, after support for the Employee Free Choice Act, also known as "card check," dissipated last year.
Do we detect a pattern here? Obama can't get cap and trade through the senate so he tasks the EPA with doing the dirty work. Now that it looks like card check is stalled, Obama is "reaching out" to the NLRB to fulfill his dream of the Unionized States of America.
Oh, by the way - if Mr. Becker isn't radical enough for ya, how about Lesbian activist Chai Feldblum for EEOC commissioner who has promised never - repeat never - to rule in favor of religious liberty when opposed to sexual liberty.
Welcome to the new Mainstream.
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