Regulatory Retreat

So, I wrote yesterday about the uptick in conversation about regulation and how it should work in the Obama administration. Which of course means I wake up this morning to find that one of the more aggressive regulators Obama nominated, Lorelei Boylan, the New York State wage law enforcer, who was tapped to run the Labor Department's Wage and Hour division, has withdrawn from consideration. Boylan faced considerable opposition from Republicans, who objected in particular to her role in a program that trained employee advocate groups to spot and report labor law violations. Perhaps she decided that a confirmation battle would be too bruising, leaving her unable to operate as aggressively as she would have liked even if she made it through. Perhaps she thought she could simply do more by going back to New York. But her decision to withdraw is a reminder that the regulatory agencies are important, and treated as such by legislators and issue advocates alike, even if they're not in the headlines.