Michael E. Baroody

Michael E. Baroody withdrew his nomination to head the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) on May 23, 2007, "amid strong opposition from some Senate Democrats.”

Baroody was nominated March 1, 2007, by President George W. Bush Baroody would have replaced Hal Stratton, who had served as Chairman since 2002 and resigned abruptly in July 2006.

Baroody is executive vice president at the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), a "K Street lobbying behemoth devoted to helping big manufacturers evade accountability for their wrongdoing." 

Baroody, who was recruited by Haley Barbour to be president of the National Policy Forum, is the son of William Baroody, Sr., who helped found and build the American Enterprise Institute. 

Severance Pay and Ethics Concerns
In May 2007, the New York Times reported that Baroody "will receive a $150,000 departing payment" from the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) "when he takes his new government job, which involves enforcing consumer laws against members of the association." Baroody informed the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's general counsel of the "extraordinary payment" (as it's called under federal ethics rules), and will "remove himself from agency matters involving the association for two years." However, Baroody claimed he can immediately consider "matters involving individual companies that are members" of NAM -- "many of whom are defendants in agency proceedings over defective products or have other business before the commission" -- and matters involving smaller trade groups aligned with NAM. 

At NAM, Baroody lobbied to limit asbestos makers' liability and advocated against fire safety standards for cigarettes. Consumer groups, firefighters, lawyers and doctors oppose Baroody's nomination, as does Senator Bill Nelson. Senators John Kerry, Barbara Boxer and Mark Pryor "have raised concerns about the nomination." The American Academy of Pediatrics warned that Baroody has "led efforts to weaken the C.P.S.C. and opposed numerous initiatives to protect children and the public from unsafe products." Unnamed officials told the New York Times they "would not be surprised if Mr. Bush, as he has done for other nominees that Democrats have found objectionable, bypassed the Senate and appointed Mr. Baroody to the commission during a Congressional recess." 

Profiles
From 1990 to 1993, Baroody was the senior vice president for policy and communications, "when he left to become president of the Republican-oriented National Policy Forum. He returned to the NAM in August 1994, to help build the Association’s public affairs program, emphasizing greater involvement by NAM members in lobbying, policy and political activities inside and outside of Washington," his NAM profile states.

"Prior to joining the NAM in 1990, Baroody had been, since 1985, the assistant secretary for policy at the United States Department of Labor. From 1981 to 1985, he served on Ronald Reagan’s White House staff as deputy assistant to the President and director of public affairs. He was research director and later director of public affairs at the Republican National Committee from 1977 to 1980, where he also served as Editor-in-Chief of the 1980 Republican Platform." 

"Baroody began his career in 1970 in the Washington office of Nebraska Senator Roman Hruska. He then worked for Kansas Senator Bob Dole, first as his speech writer and press aide at the RNC, and later as the executive assistant in his Senate office.

"Baroody is a board member of the National Center for Neighborhood Enterprise and was chair from 1997-2002. ... Baroody represents the NAM on the Executive Committee of BIPAC, the influential Business-Industry Political Action Committee." 

Baroody is a 1968 graduate of the University of Notre Dame and served two years in the U.S. Navy. 

SourceWatch Resources

 * Bush administration cronyism and incompetence
 * Government-industry revolving door
 * U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

Profiles

 * Bio: Michael E. Baroody, NAM.
 * Michael Baroody, NNDB.com.
 * Michael Baroody in the Wikipedia.

Websites

 * StopBaroody.com

Articles & Commentary

 * James R. Hood, "Consumer Safety Chief Quits Abruptly," ConsumerAffairs.com, July 19, 2006.
 * "CPSC Enters Semi-Neutered Status," The Consumerist, January 15, 2007.
 * Joseph E. Enoch, "Bush Expected to Name Industry Lobbyist to Head Consumer Safety Agency. Many Senators, Representatives With Oversight Responsibility Claim to Neither Know Nor Care," ConsumerAffairs.com, February 16, 2007.
 * "Bush Expected To Nominate Industry Lobbyist To Head CPSC," The Consumerist, February 17, 2007.
 * Amanda Terkel, "Bush To Nominate Anti-Regulatory Industry Lobbyist To Head Consumer Protection Agency," Think Progress, February 21, 2007.
 * "Bush to Nominate Baroody to Chair CPSC," Washington Wire Blog/Wall Street Journal, March 1, 2007.
 * "Michael Baroody Gets CPSC Nomination Nod, White House Confirms," The Consumerist, March 1, 2007.
 * Joseph E. Enoch, "Bush Nominates Industry Lobbyist to Head Safety Agency. Consumer Advocates Outraged; 'Laughable,' Says Former Agency Head," ConsumerAffairs.com, March 2, 2007.
 * James Gerstenzang, "Bush picks executive as consumer watchdog. Critics see a conflict of interest in Michael E. Baroody, who works on behalf of the nation's manufacturers," Los Angeles Times, March 2, 2007.
 * "Bush Continues Anti-Regulatory Efforts with Industry Nominee to CPSC," OMB Watch, March 6, 2007.
 * "President Bush About to Appoint Anti-Consumer Zealot as Chairman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). No Cronies in Our Federal Agencies, Please," Generation Green (Organic Consumers), March 27, 2007.
 * "Bush Nomination of Baroody All Wrong for Consumers," Public Citizen, April 2007.
 * Joan Claybrook, "Congress Should Reject the Nomination of Michael Baroody to Lead the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)," Public Citizen, April 2, 2007.
 * "Public Citizen Calls on Congress to Reject Baroody," Corporate Crime Reporter, April 2, 2007.
 * Ruth Marcus, "Fox-in-the-Henhouse Government," Washington Post, April 4, 2007.
 * "Bush's 'fox-guarding-the-henhouse Personnel Plan'," OMB Watch, April 4, 2007.
 * Bill Scher, "Recesspool," TomPaine.com, April 6, 2007.
 * Darryl Forten, "CPSC Falling Apart, Our Safety at Risk," American Chronicle, April 23, 2007.
 * "Groups Skewer Bush Pick for Safety Agency. Industry Lobbyist Michael Baroody the Wrong Person for the Nation's Top Consumer Safety Job," ConsumerAffairs.com, April 26, 2007.
 * "Michael Baroody is the Wrong Person for the Job, Consumer Groups Warn Groups Document Highlights Why President Bush’s Pick Should Not Be Confirmed for Nation’s Top Consumer Product Safety Position," Consumers Union, April 26, 2007.
 * "Tell Your Senator To Oppose Nominating Guy Who Hates Product Safety As Head Of Product Safety," The Comsumerist, April 27, 2007.
 * Brian Wolfman, "Consumer Groups Turn Up The Heat On Michael Baroody, President Bush's Nominee To Head The CPSC," CL&P Blog/Public Citizen, April 28, 2007.
 * Stephen Labaton, "Bush Nominee to Get Payment From Old Job," New York Times, May 16, 2007.
 * "Bush's consumer nominee withdraws," Associated Press (USA TODAY), May 23, 2007.