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Opposition expected for president's pick to head Labor

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    Chris Stirewalt explains

  • Duration 7:14
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Fox News alert on new fallout from the president's announcement just an hour ago as he taps a controversial lawyer from the Department of Justice to be the new man heading up the Labor Department.

Welcome to America live everyone -- Megyn Kelly.

Tom -- red is currently leads the DOJ's civil rights division.

And could wind up being the next US labor secretary.

A cabinet member who will play a key role in the president's efforts to raise the minimum wage and reform immigration laws among many other responsibilities.

But with at least one former DOJ attorney describing mr.

Peres as -- quote radicals radical.

Who abuse the law as quote a nuisance.

You can bet that the fight over this man's nomination may get intense.

Chris -- -- Fox News -- -- politics editor and host a power play out foxnews.com live.

-- her as his ten year heading up the civil rights division at the DOJ has been controversial to say the least.

But he is beloved by those on the left as someone who embodies.

-- virtually all the principles they stand for what does it say that President Obama is proceeding with that nomination despite.

Some of the controversy that -- -- emerged when they floated a trial balloon earlier.

Well in Washington we can tell a lot more.

About somebody's intent by what they do than what they say in what we've heard a lot said from the white house of late.

Is -- their interest in reaching out two Republicans in forming -- -- And looking to get past some of the partisan bickering that's gone on back and forth.

What the president has done today.

In nominating.

Mr.

Peres for this job is to throw down the gauntlet to Republicans who -- afford them.

As you say he is the embodiment of a kind of activists liberalism.

That they say is at the core of what's wrong with the Obama administration.

There are other people who probably share every bit of mr.

-- views as it relates to the use of the law.

Labor unions empowering labor unions fighting against employers who don't want to offer benefits and union access.

There's probably somebody who does all those things but isn't -- controversial.

As mr.

Peres but in choosing mr.

present president sends a clear message to Republicans that says Obama 2.0 is still -- we mentioned.

Some of it.

Sound bites in the introduction.

About mr.

-- from up from somebody who used to work of the DOJ that somebody is -- Christian Adams he was the DOJ attorney he worked -- that new black -- case that got dismissed.

That mr.

Perez testified about leader.

And he is.

And open the conservative man mr.

-- is not so they clearly have an ideological divide between the two of them but he.

He went on the Mark -- radio show last week and had the following to say about mr.

press.

Totally -- look this is the man who -- -- law is a new symbol.

He'd bring the cases you might remember against school districts still allowed children addressing drew -- People -- pro life protesters and portal where a judge awarded.

Good and 20000 dollars and sanctions.

Against the Justice Department I mean this is the man who -- -- -- -- -- -- Using his power in the Obama administration.

And justice to follow up now that the case against the pro life protests from Florida.

He's he's right that sanctions attorneys' fees were awarded because the DOJ was thought to have overstepped in -- -- -- about the kids dressing in drag it.

My understanding is there is some real evidence that the little -- are being really severely persecuted so you know the civil rights division stepped in on their behalf however his point is.

That this is a guy pretty far to the left on most issues.

And whether you like -- you don't immediately that his point is that's where.

He comes from.

Who else would you expect President Obama to nominate Chris I mean it's it does it -- any particular surprise that he's going with the man who.

Is is an open openly liberal may have.

It ideology.

Aside if there is a question of person now and the question here.

Relates to actually that new black -- case and other things we've had an inspector general's report.

At the attorney general's.

But at at the Department of Justice that said that this unit that mr.

-- unit was basically rent.

By ideological divisions before.

And then win and a democratic president came in and appointed a very liberal attorney general and very liberal attorney general put mr.

Peres in charge of this agency or this this subgroup.

That it didn't get better that in fact it got worse in some ways and that it was dysfunctional and that it was sort of a reprisal if you will.

Of liberals against what they'd seen as excessive conservatism in the bush era and back and forth and it dysfunctional agency.

And so there are other people who are less controversial and as I say would share mr.

peres' -- picking Perasa sort of like what they did with Chuck Hagel two to appoint somebody.

They could've found another person who -- chuck eagle's view on what the Department of Defense ought to be that wouldn't have been as controversial as well.

-- a little bit but let me ask you this before they go because of that IG's report by the way found that mr.

-- In it that he missed led.

Investigators on the new black panther case but that it was not intentional but he should have done his homework more.

Before he gave testimony in the case but not that he went in there knowingly lie that was the Yankees conclusion.

However they did back up at that accusation that there is a racial hostility as you point out within the civil rights division.

When it comes to enforcing this civil rights laws equally where that defendant in the case is black and the victim in the case is white.

That there is a racial hostility with in the DOJ when it comes -- those cases.

And that it -- ticketed that exists under mr.

-- civil rights division added it as it did prior.

In the bush administration.

Is it not less controversial than to have Topper -- move over to labor and to -- -- stay at civil rights.

With a and it depends on what you think is more important if you -- four members of congress were gonna have to from members of the -- are gonna win this nomination what's more important.

The business of America.

Or the issue of individual liberties and civil rights because where he is he his his -- -- yes it affects businesses through the Americans with disabilities act and other things.

At the Department of Labor if he brings the same spirit that he has it justice to the Department of Labor and adds up over there.

He's going to be have a broad portfolio to be able to deal with how employers interact with their employees.

And if he's much of an innovator in finding ways to push the envelope on liberal issues -- the Department of Labor.

As he is there he'll have a much broader effect on the economy and much broader effect on the way people work and are employed.

As we speak we are just getting this breaking news in that senator -- That senator bidders coming out and saying that he will block the Perez -- -- nomination.

Saying he is committed to doing that that.

That he was directly involved in the controversial new black panther voter intimidation case.

And that his record should be met with great suspicion by those in the senate.

And -- in particular his home state of Louisiana needs to be.

Needs to have cause for concern about this nomination already begins Chris thank you.

Yes --

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