Thread: Andy Puzder: Why America’s CEOs Must Speak Out

Andy Puzder: Why America’s CEOs Must Speak Out

By Andrew Puzder
Published April 24, 2018
Opinion FOX Business

Andy Puzder, CEO of CKE Restaurants, departs after meeting with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump at the main clubhouse at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, U.S., November 19, 2016. REUTERS/Mike Segar - S1AEUNUWTGAA

Progressives are attacking President Trump with intensity rare even in today’s partisan political environment. There is a group of individuals with the experience, credibility, and presence to assist the President in defending capitalism even against these attacks: America’s entrepreneurs and CEOs.

Those who have seen capitalism work its magic from the inside can best explain how it creates opportunity and prosperity for all Americans, putting the lie to the Left’s self-identification as defenders of the underclass.

My principal regret over the success of the Progressives’ attack campaign that killed my nomination for secretary of labor is that other CEOs may be reluctant to risk standing up for the system from which we have all so obviously benefitted. Of course, Progressive interest groups work tirelessly to assure that will happen.

In January and early February of 2017, armed with a plan to roll back regulations, bring more people into good paying jobs and improve life for American workers, I went to Washington to meet with the Republican and Democratic senators on the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) committee in preparation for my confirmation hearing as the President’s nominee for secretary of labor. My meetings with the Republican committee members went well. Many of my meetings with Democratic senators were also constructive, considering none of them had expected a Trump victory or to be sitting across from a Republican cabinet nominee.

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Senator Christopher Murphy from Connecticut asked particularly thoughtful questions. My meeting with Senator Tim Kaine from Virginia, went so well that I genuinely felt, in a less fractious political climate, he might have considered voting for me.

Perhaps the most pleasant surprise was my sit-down with Senator Bernie Sanders from Vermont. We acknowledged our differences (he is an admitted Socialist after all) but he seemed open to discussing areas where we could work together, especially on job training and trade policy.

Senator Elizabeth Warren from Massachusetts offered little in the way of surprises. Senator Warren seemed committed to her misconceptions about what I believed, the facts be damned.

At the same time as I was making my case to each senator, the media was full of stories in which my opponents launched smear after smear against me, personally and professionally. In mid-January, Senate Minority Leader Schumer made it clear that I was “one of the Democrats’ biggest targets in the confirmation hearings.”

They brought up an undocumented housekeeper my family employed years ago and who I let go when I learned she was here illegally. They fabricated claims about our company’s excellent record on labor issues. They rehashed allegations of spousal abuse that my ex-wife made during our divorce almost thirty years ago and which she long ago admitted were untrue – something she confirmed yet again in a heart-felt letter to the HELP committee.

None of that mattered to the media or their Progressive supporters. A group tied to the Service Employees International Union sent protestors to our front door, held a rally in our hometown, and drove a billboard through our neighborhood accusing me of abusing women. A package containing a mysterious white powder was sent to my wife. Their obvious intent was to intimidate me directly or through my family. In that regard, they failed. My family and I remained steadfast. But, unfortunately, a few of my Republican supporters waivered. That was all it took.

On February 15, Vice President Pence called to let me know we just didn’t have the votes. Not wanting the President to suffer a defeat on the Senate floor with my name on it, I withdrew my nomination. In a way, that set me free. During the nomination process, I couldn’t defend myself; that’s the protocol for nominees. I would have enjoyed the chance to go at it with my critics, to get at the heart of the real reasons I wanted to be secretary of labor, and the real reasons they fought against me. The last thing they wanted was a secretary of labor who understood business.

Progressives know that if their push for an ever bigger and more powerful government is to prevail, they must first defeat the American business community. For this reason alone, derogatory personal attacks on business leaders will continue. The good news is that such attacks are the best they’ve got. On substance, they cannot win.

This is why it’s more important than ever for America’s CEOs to fearlessly speak up despite personal attacks. If we are to grow our economy, curtail the expansion of government, and create the jobs and careers that lead workers to the middle class, it is essential that business leaders have the courage to say what they know to be true.

I’m well aware that CEOs need to protect their companies and their stakeholders. When the Left attacks, your Board of Directors gets nervous as the email complaints start coming in. Your shareholders wonder if your comments will negatively affect the company’s value.

I know that there are risks. I’ve lived them. But the personal danger is small - unless you’re planning to become a cabinet member in a Republican Administration. If you’re a long-standing CEO in a successful business, you should never apologize for that success, but you should recognize the debt you owe to the country, and the economic system, that enabled your success. The risks are small compared to the threat big-government Progressives pose to America’s promise of economic freedom and individual opportunity secured through limited government.

Andrew F. Puzder started in the restaurant industry at the age of 16, scooping ice cream for minimum wage at Baskin-Robbins. By working a variety of jobs from painting houses to jackhammering concrete, he supported his family while putting himself through college and law school and settled into a successful career as an attorney. Quick-service magnate Carl Karcher brought Puzder back into the restaurant business, first as Karcher’s attorney and then as an attorney for Karcher’s CKE Restaurants, the company behind Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s. When the company became troubled, Andy’s innate appreciation for the intricacies of the business made him a natural choice for CEO, a position he used to lead the company out of financial turmoil. His nearly 17-year career as CEO brought unparalleled success to CKE. Always ready to provide a businessman’s perspective, he is a prolific author on economic and political issues and a much sought-after guest on cable business shows. Puzder served as an adviser to Gov. Mitt Romney’s and Donald Trump’s presidential campaigns. In 2017, President Trump nominated him to serve as United States Secretary of Labor.

https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics...must-speak-out

I really like Andy Puzder. He would have been a great Secretary of Labor.

Originally Posted by Judy

I really like Andy Puzder. He would have been a great Secretary of Labor.

Not where illegal immigration is concerned! I supports amnesty and the cheap labor agenda.