Appointments and Resignations
Who is Dawn Johnsen and Why Did She Withdraw as Obama’s Nominee for Office of Legal Counsel?
After waiting more than a year for her confirmation, Dawn Johnsen withdrew her nomination on Friday as head of the Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel (OLC).In a statement released by the White House, Johnsen blamed Republican oppositi... read more
Mine Safety and Health Administration: Who is Joe Main?
A career union official and mine safety expert, Joseph A. (Joe) Main’s selection as Assistant Secretary for Mine Safety and Health in the Department of Labor represents a dramatic turnaround for the leadership of the Mine Safety and Health Adminis... read more
Obama Appoints Ex-Pesticide Lobbyist as Agricultural Trade Negotiator
Islam Siddiqui’s recess appointment as chief agricultural negotiator in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has sparked considerable opposition from environmentalists and organic farmers. Siddiqui served as vice president for science and r... read more
Postal Regulatory Commission: Who is Ruth Goldway?
Ruth Y. Goldway has the distinction of being the longest-serving presidential appointee currently in Washington. She was first appointed by President Bill Clinton in 1998 to the Postal Regulatory Commission’s predecessor (the Postal Rate Commissio... read more
Office of Postsecondary Education: Who is Eduardo Ochoa?
Eduardo M. Ochoa, a top administrator at Sonoma State University in California, was selected on February 23, 2010, by President Barack Obama to run the Department of Education’s Office of Postsecondary Education, which administers most of the fede... read more
Ambassador to Australia: Who is Jeff Bleich?
The government of Australia is got none other than an Elvis Presley-loving California lawyer and friend (and fundraiser) of President Barack Obama as the new American ambassador. Jeffrey Bleich was confirmed by the Senate November 11, 2009.
Bl... read more
Deputy Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services: Who Is Janey Thornton?
On April 1, 2009, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, with the approval of President barack Obama, appointed Dr. Janey Thornton the next Deputy Undersecretary of Agriculture for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services. Food, Nutrition and Consumer Se... read more
Under Secretary of Agriculture for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services: Who is Jim Miller?
James W. “Jim” Miller, confirmed as under secretary of agriculture for farm and foreign agricultural services on April 2, 2009, is a longtime farmer from the state of Washington who also has lobbied on behalf of agricultural interests in Washingto... read more
Chairman of the James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation: Who is John Cornyn?
Replacing Edward “Ted” Kennedy as chairman of the board of trustees for the James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation is U.S. Senator John Cornyn III (R-TX), one of the most conservative members of the Senate. The Foundation was founded by Cong... read more
Assistant Secretary of Energy for Fossil Energy: Who Is James Markowsky?
President Obama’s selection to serve in the Department of Energy as Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy, Dr. James J. Markowsky, is an energy industry veteran with a strong technical background in research and development. While exciting and nov... read more
Marine Mammal Commission: Who is Daryl Boness?
Daryl J. Boness, nominated on January 19, 2010, by President Barack Obama to be the next chairman of the Marine Mammal Commission, is a retired scientist who spent most of his career working at the National Zoo and studying seals, sea lions and wa... read more
Nuclear Commission Nominee William Magwood Accused of Conflict of Interests
William Magwood’s nomination by President Barack Obama to serve on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has come under attack by groups on the left claiming the nominee has too cozy of a relationship with the nuclear power industry. Environment... read more
Ambassador to Suriname: Who Is John Nay?
President Barack Obama appointed a new ambassador for the South American nation of Suriname, a relatively prosperous country in northern South America with a fairly well-developed mining and manufacturing sector, whose population is almost evenly ... read more
Ambassador to Latvia: Who Is Judith Garber?
President Obama has chosen a career diplomat, Judith (Judy) G. Garber, to represent the U.S. as ambassador to Latvia, the first career diplomat to the small Baltic nation since Brian E. Carlson served in Riga from 2001 to 2004. Garber’s two immedi... read more
Why are Republicans Objecting to So Many of Obama’s Nominations of Women?
Congressional delays of President Barack Obama’s appointments to federal posts are considerably worse than they were during the beginning of former President George W. Bush’s first term. After one year in office, Bush was still waiting for 70 appo... read more
Airport Security Nominee Withdraws; Leadership Still Vacant: Who was Erroll Southers?
On Wednesday morning, January 20, 2010, the White House announced that Erroll Sothers, President Barack Obama’s nominee to lead the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) had withdrawn his name from consideration.
A former police officer... read more