The fruit of Tom Perez’s labor (possible AG pick)
With Attorney General Eric Holder’s resignation, lots of people are suddenly talking about Labor Secretary Tom Perez.
But over in the White House, they’ve been talking about him — and to him — for a while.
And now he’s emerging as an inside contender in the speculation about who the White House will pick to replace Holder.
Perez hasn’t had much of a public profile and isn’t known for being a major presence — one-on-one, he’s the kind of guy who acknowledges how boring a topic “upskilling” is, then launches into a deeply detailed discussion of the Labor Department’s upskilling programs. But behind a microphone, he gets fiery — impressing even usually dismissive White House aides who’ve come to trust him to carry the administration’s message on his own, and even give him the rare speaking slot ahead of the president when they travel together.
Already, the White House’s domestic agenda, and most of what’s in President Barack Obama’s midterm stump speech, is almost entirely the Department of Labor agenda he’s been putting together. Name the topic: minimum wage, job training, community college, student loans, the Working Families Summit, every executive order about government contractors (for the minimum wage, equal pay, LGBT non-discrimination protections, fair labor practices), even the Latino side of My Brother’s Keeper.
Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2014/09/tom-perezs-attorney-general-111366.html#ixzz3ETjpFQob
Perez would be a fantastic pick!
