In the wake of the president’s tepid response to the events in Charlottesville, business leaders began abandoning two presidential advisory panels.
I cannot sit on a council for a President that tolerates bigotry and domestic terrorism; I resign, effective immediately. pic.twitter.com/ip6F2nsoog
— Richard L. Trumka (@RichardTrumka) August 15, 2017
In response, the president tried Twitter-shaming:
For every CEO that drops out of the Manufacturing Council, I have many to take their place. Grandstanders should not have gone on. JOBS!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 15, 2017
Today, the two business-related panels were sunset well before their pull dates.
The CEOs on the panel actually decided to end this on a conference call. https://t.co/k1rvgOqJsc
— Steve Kopack (@SteveKopack) August 16, 2017
Elections Commission should be next
Given the nature of the controversy – the rise of neo-Nazis and white nationalism – it’s time for members of the ill-named elections commission to also resign.
However, the commission is stacked with members from states with few minorities.
The commission is headed by vice president Pence and Kansas secretary of state Kris Kobach.
Trump-Pence-Kobach Commission Members
- Mike Pence, vice president, Chair
- Kris Kobach, Kansas secretary of state, Vice-Chair
- Alan King, Jefferson County, Alabama, probate judge
- Bill Gardner, New Hampshire secretary of state
- Christy McCormick, commissioner, Election Assistance Commission
- Connie Lawson, Indiana secretary of state
- David Dunn, former Arkansas State Representative
- Hans von Spakovsky, senior legal fellow, The Heritage Foundation
- J. Christian Adams, President and General Counsel, Public Interest Legal Foundation
- Ken Blackwell, former Ohio secretary of state
- Mark Rhodes, Wood County, West Virginia, clerk
- Matthew Dunlap, Maine secretary of state
Given the ideological makeup of this group, it is unlikely that there will be a mass abandonment. But that doesn’t mean voters should not put pressure on these elected officials:
- Alan King, Jefferson County, Alabama, probate judge
- Bill Gardner, New Hampshire secretary of state
- Connie Lawson, Indiana secretary of state | @secretarylawson and @voteconnie
- Kris Kobach, Kansas secretary of state (candidate for governor) | @KrisKobach1787
- Mark Rhodes, Wood County, West Virginia, clerk
- Mike Pence, vice president | @mike_pence
- Matthew Dunlap, Maine secretary of state | @mesecofstate
These organizations are on Twitter:
- Election Assistance Commission | @EACgov
- Public Interest Legal Foundation | @PILFoundation
- The Heritage Foundation | @Heritage
Featured image, Flickr CC
Cross-posted from WiredPen
Known for gnawing at complex questions like a terrier with a bone. Digital evangelist, writer, teacher. Transplanted Southerner; teach newbies to ride motorcycles. @kegill (Twitter and Mastodon.social); wiredpen.com