Obama Appoints Two C.U. Alums During Congressional Recess

The Cornell Daily Sun ^ | March 31, 2010 - 3:53am | Evan Preminger

[fight_truth_decay]

As the Senate left for vacation last week after intense debates on health care, job creation and student aid, President Barack Obama appointed fifteen long standing nominees, including Michael Punke, J.D. ’89, and Mark Pearce ’76. Appointing these individuals now, while the Senate is in its spring recess, allowed the president to circumvent the usual Senate confirmation hearings, which are often subject to intense political machinations.

[fight_truth_decay]

Michael Punke: Recently worked as a novelist and screenwriter; under Clinton was a trade official. Punke had worked as trade counsel to Sen. Max Baucus, chairman of the finance committee.

SEIU was linked to the ACORN who will likely file for bankruptc NLRB has a 3-1 pro-labor composition with one vacancy still. In the absence of another Republican nominee when Schaumber’s term expires come August, the NLRB will be comprised entirely of former union-side labor attorneys.

Mark Pearce: New board. New controversy? There is No Doubt. This week the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) officially starts the Era of Obama, with the President’s recess appointments of two new members to the board, Craig Becker [associate general counsel to the SEIU ] and Mark Pearce.

[Redleg Duke]

Wasn’t there a new Senator named Obama who railed against President Bush’s recess appointment of John Bolton?