Serious question: How many progressives have been named to Cabinet posts by Obama?

[rateyes]

[MadBadger]

1. WEll, what do you define as progressive?

[rateyes]

2. How many nominated define themselves as progressive?

DLCers, for example, don't qualify. How many would be in the progressive caucus if a member of Congress??

[Occam Bandage]

17. Hilda Solis is the friggin' VP of the progressive caucus. nt

[MADem]

3. Pretty close to none, if not none.. NT

[MadBadger]

4. What about Chu and Solis?

[MADem]

12. Well, for their particular areas of expertise they might be regarded as such

Solis is pro-union and pro-labor with a knack for consensus building, but I'll bet she's centerline-right on social issues.

The Chu thing will be interesting. He's progressive within his little area...but I'm wondering how ticked off Obama's "Clean Coal" big money donors are?

[MadBadger]

13. Solis is a VIce Chair of the COngressional Progressive Caucus.

[MADem]

14. I know, and their charter doesn't say jack about certain hot-button social issues. NT

[MadBadger]

18. Here are some points from ontheissues

100% rating from Naral
100% from the LCV
No on Cafta and against promoting free trade with Peru
Rated F by the NRA

http://ontheissues.org/CA/Hilda_Solis.htm

Look it up yourself, I dont think she is center or center right at all.

[MADem]

21. I'm not arguing her liberal credentials.

I actually think she's a great pick. I know she's a Catholic (pro-choice) but I don't know where she comes down on the "Issue du Jour" of gay marriage.

[phleshdef]

22. How does that issue matter when you are talking about the labor secretary?

I don't know where she stands on it either and I also am not asking the question because she won't be making any decisions regarding gay marriage.

And gay marriage is NOT the only progressive issue, Christ we are turning into single issue voting Republicans around here.

[MADem]

26. I didn't say it does. It's simply the Issue Du Jour. NT

[phleshdef]

29. Oh, I get what you were saying now. Sorry, this place has me on the attack today.

We all really DO need to calm down.

[MadBadger]

24. HRC gives her a 100% rating

[phleshdef]

5. Most of his choices support the progressive agenda in their respective area.

[scheming daemons]

6. Chu, Napolitano, Rice, Holis.... to name a few...

None of those are DLC-ers.

[Spryboy]

7. The correct answer is: ZERO n/t

[scheming daemons]

8. I'm curious as to why you would say Chu, Holis, Napolitano, and Rice are NOT progressives

Please explain.

[MadBadger]

9. Chu and Solis?

[eyesroll]

10. Hilda Solis is VP of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

http://cpc.lee.house.gov/index.cfm?ContentID=166&ParentID=0&SectionID=4&SectionTree=4&lnk=b&ItemID=164

[MadBadger]

11. But they all said Obama has no progressives!!!!!11

[phleshdef]

15. Also, keep in mind most of the people saying none don't even know what the friggin' word means.

[Occam Bandage]

16. Chu. Solis. Jackson. Napolitano. Rice.

[JoseGaspar]

19. Reasonably, the answer is one and a half.

There is no way that Napolitano is "progressive". I also don't get how Rice ends up there. Rice was well known as a "Hawk" and a Strong-on-Defense Democrat when she was at the State Department. Her papers are all on line at the Brookings Institute. Read a few, sometime.

As far as the other two... yeah, maybe (a one half point deduction for uncertainty). Solis is "progressive" enough, but she is not a boat-rocker.

All is all, I would say that there are a couple fewer possessives than in Clinton's cabinet and one more than in George Bush's.

Not much, is it?

[phleshdef]

23. Horse shit. Most choices currently support current progressive ideals related to their position.

Daschle for instance supports a progressive health care system.
ALL of his national security choices support getting us out of Iraq AND support talks with supposed enemies. Even Hillary Clinton has came around on that one.
Holder is against torture, against illegal wiretapping and supports greater government transparency.

Those are just a few of many examples I can give.

Its a progressive cabinet when you look at it in the proper context and add in a little freaking common sense.

[JoseGaspar]

28. You can make Jones a progressive too, if you like.

He is nice to his dog.

None of the others represent the Left-Wing of the Democratic Party, which is the only meaning this question can have. By your standard, everyone who was selected or could have been selected must have been progressive in some way because they were selected, weren't they?

You can keep your horse shit to yourself. "Its a progressive cabinet when you look at it in the proper context and add in a little freaking common sense." What double-talk.

[phleshdef]

30. Progressive does not equal the left wing of the party. So again, horse shit.

A progressive administration pushes a progressive agenda and most of the picks are in line with the progressive agenda for the position they were given. Period.

You can't change that no matter how much you would like to. Obama is going to operate with a progressive agenda and you can't do or say anything thats going to stop that from happening.

Furthermore, progressive does not mean being "left wing". Progressive means that you are willing to take bold measures in order to PROGRESS the nation.

Go read up on Teddy Roosevelt and the history of the progressive movement then come back here and chat when you actually know what you are talking about.

[JoseGaspar]

38. My turn.

Its my turn to say horseshit.

According to you, anybody who Obama appoints is progressive because of his progressive agenda, therefore the question in the OP has no meaning because the answer is, "all of them" and can never be anything else. Beyond that, you want to tie "progressive" to Teddy Roosevelt, a Republican, despite the fact that the term has nothing to do with its usage a century ago, just as "populist" has nothing to do with William Jennings Bryan. The only other definition you offer is that, "Progressive means that you are willing to take bold measures in order to PROGRESS the nation", which is so open-ended and mealy-mouthed (not to mention, grammatically wrong) that it applies equally to George Bush, absent your subjective judgment of course.

Congratulations. You have graduated from double-talk to double-speak.

And you seem quite angry about it, too.

[mkultra]

39. progressive simply means supporting policy to improve conditions

the BOLD part is a fabrication of your preference. Anyone who seeks to improve conditions in America through public policy is a "progressive." Anyone who wants to detract policy and governmental intervention is a conservative.

[Jennicut]

20. Obama is not a progressive to begin with

but maybe DU should be named progressives underground as that is all is who is accepted here.
I always considered myself a liberal but I am not so sure any more. I think I am a right winger these days.

[MADem]

25. Well, I think "Obama Underground" would probably be a better name.

See, you must be progressive, except when Obama doesn't want you to be. Then, you get a pass. People with progressive views that do not agree with Obama's are fair game for scorn and ridicule and can be bullied for failing to go along and get along, all in the name of "open discussion."

Thus, even though it's in the rules that DUers must support gay marriage, it's OK if Obama does not... that rule is apparently NOT ENFORCED.

It's hard to follow...I've given up trying. Basically, the only rule that seems constant is that if someone with influence hits the alert button, your post will be removed. So watch what you say, and watch what you do (to quote the rather unprogressive Ari Fleischer).

[ellacott]

27. And now it seems that the litmus test of a progressive is gay marriage

Andrew Sullivan supports gay marriage. I imagine there are other conservatives who support gay marriage just like there are conservatives are pro-choice.

This board is actually funny.

[Jennicut]

31. I never knew that was in the rules.

I am for gay marriage and it is legalized here. Love my state.
Anyways, I never knew.

[ellacott]

32. It's not specifically stated but it's spelled out in an old post by Skinner

[Sebastian Doyle]

33. What kind of a "progressive" does NOT believe that all people should be treated equally?

What kind of "progressive" believes that it's acceptable to take away existing civil rights?

[ellacott]

34. I'm saying that all who believe in gay marriage are not progressives

So that can't be the litmus test. We get too caught up in labels

[NorthCarolina]

35. A Progressive doesn't

but America is clearly confused by the terms "Conservative/Liberal/Progressive". When questioned whether Conservative or Liberal, a majority will identify themselves as "Conservative", but when polled on issues a majority are identified as "Liberal". The media has helped the conservatives to ingrain a negative connotation with the word "Liberal" in the feeble minds of Americans to the point that they no longer can accurately identify their political leaning.

[Sebastian Doyle]

36. It goes without saying that we need to destroy the whore media

by "any means necessary". But that's entirely another thread.

And I'd agree that "progressive" is somewhat of a weasel word for both those too chickenshit to call themselves Liberal AND for right wingers (including DLC'ers) pretending to be something they're not.

As for myself, I'm Liberal, and proud of it!

[NorthCarolina]

37. Liberal and proud here also

:fistbump: