Dear President Obama...enough with the "strong hints." Please just appoint Ms. Warren.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Obama Strongly Hints At Warren Nomination To Head Consumer Bureau

First Posted: 09-10-10 01:36 PM | Updated: 09-10-10 02:41 PM



President Obama hailed his long friendship with Harvard Professor Elizabeth Warren on Friday, crediting her at his new conference with the idea for what has since become the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, when asked whether she was still the leading candidate to run it. After calling her a "dear friend" and adding that he's known her since he was in law school, he strongly hinted that she would be the eventual nominee by qualifying that he was "not going to make an official announcement until it's ready."

Obama's clear emphasis on "official" left little room for doubt that the matter is all but decided. Speculation has swirled that Obama would name Warren to head the agency during the summer recess to avoid a confirmation battle. His opportunity to do so expires early next week, when Congress returns. But he could also recess appoint Warren in October, after Congress recesses to campaign for reelection.

"The idea for this agency was Elizabeth Warren's. She's a dear friend of mine. She's somebody I've known since I was in law school. And I have been in conversations with her. She is a tremendous advocate for this idea," he said. "I'll have an announcement soon about how we're going to move forward. I have had conversations with Elizabeth over these last couple of months. But I'm not going to make an official announcement until it's ready."

Obama's confidence in Warren comes as the Wall Street Journal continues its assault on her, questioning whether she could handle the job in an editorial Friday. "We hate to pick on Harvard law professor Elizabeth Warren, the front-runner for the consumer post, because the other candidates floated so far may know even less about banking than she does. The White House should step back and review a new list of prospects with an eye toward a healthy banking market, not merely a positive reaction from the Huffington Post," offered the Journal.

The GOP's campaign against Warren has been going on since 2009, when House Republicans attempted to amend the financial reform bill to include language preventing Warren from becoming the CFPB's chief.

Warren met on Tuesday with Obama.

Asked by Bloomberg News if he was concerned that Warren would have trouble being confirmed by the Senate, Obama said that even an appointment for dogcatcher would have trouble getting through the divided Senate under such partisan conditions.

"I'm concerned about all Senate confirmations these days. I mean, if I nominate somebody for dogcatcher," he said. "I wasn't trying to be funny. I am concerned about all Senate nominations these days. I've got people who've been waiting for six months to get confirmed who nobody has an official objection to and who were voted out of committee unanimously, and I can't get a vote on them."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/10/obama-hints-at-warren-nom_n_712282.html

[katandmoon]

1. What's he waiting for? November 2012?

[ClarkUSA]

2. He's waiting for anonymous bloggers who always think the worst of him to tell him what to do.

Better give him a call.

[Cha]

5. Yeah, he'll do it when he's ready and that's what

I'm waiting for..and not a minute sooner.:)

[katandmoon]

20. Why bother? He knows he's not going to nominate her. If he were he'd have done it already.

He's setting it up to proclaim her too valuable to be spared from the TARP commission.

[ClarkUSA]

24. lol! You seriously think you know what "he knows"?? Bookmarked for crow-eating in near future. nt

[msanthrope]

6. The Senate to come back from recess. n/t

[dionysus]

8. shall i fetch you the smelling salts? you have an odd reaction to good news.

[katandmoon]

22. What good news? Did Obama actually nominate Warren? No. And I didn't think he was hinting that he

was going to, either.

[midnight armadillo]

16. Right. November comes and he appoints SOMEONE ELSE

Meanwhile, they will have played the progressive wing just enough to get some voting enthusiasm going.

Ok, maybe that's a little too cynical. But don't believe for a second Rahmbo hasn't thought of that strategy.

[jefferson_dem]

17. Why do you care?

You wouldn't give him credit if he installed her anyway.

[DevonRex]

19. You'll just find some reason to dislike her once she's appointed so what's the hurry?

This gives you a lot of time to get your talking points ready. Here are some to get you started: she's been bought; she really has no power anyway since she's just a figurehead; she was another bait and switch Dem; she's a member of the Bilderberg Group; she's George H. W. Bush's love child.

[katandmoon]

21. This isn't about me. It's about why Obama hasn't appointed a very qualified person

that progressives are clamoring for him to appoint, why he keeps stalling every time and instead of just nominating her already, talking way too much about how wonderful she is. Well, if she's so wonderful, why is he stalling on nominating her, and why is he allowing Geithner to pack the commission with his own cronies in the meantime? Make sense to you? Because it doesn't to me, unless Obama has no intention of nominating Warren and is just stringing progressives along hoping they'll move on to another lost cause so he can quietly nominate another banker friendly pal.

[ClassWarrior]

3. Amen.

'Nuff said.

NGU.

[sailor65]

4. He's waiting for the questionnaires

to come back.

[izquierdista]

7. Nice progressives, sit!

Now beg! Come on, here's your treat! Up! Up! That's a good boy! Who's Daddy's favorite little progressive? Did you miss me all 20 months? Jump! Jump! Oh that's a good little progressive! Show Daddy a trick.....can u roll over? Come on, roll over. Daddy has a treat for you!

[impik]

13. Nice demagogy, really nice. And good spin too. It's the

self proclaimed "progressives" who treated him like a dog over the past 20 months, not the other way around. But spin away, why not.

[IndianaGreen]

23. Treat him like a dog? We are the ones suffering in this economy and dying in his wars!

Fiociciocoiuwdfjfao

[ClarkUSA]

25. "We"? Get real. You don't speak for all progressives or military families re: Obama. nt

[midnight armadillo]

15. ROFLMAO

good one.

[jefferson_dem]

18. Ha Ha...

Not really clear on what you mean but gave me a chuckle nontheless. Thanks.

[amandabeech]

26. ROTFL + a million!!! n/t

[ClassWarrior]

9. K&R

NGU.

[Peacetrain]

10. Probably because it will be a recess appointment to keep the hell hounds

from trying to disembowel Ms Warren figuratively. (yes I know the time frame) . It will happen when it happens.

[DrSteveB]

11. Problem is...the recess ends on Monday

"Congress gets back Monday from a five-week recess for what will be its last legislative session before voters decide lawmakers' fates in the midterm elections." http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129784897

[Peacetrain]

12. It either happens or it doesn't

:shrug:

[hulka38]

14. No shit. Hey you liberals, look what I'm about to do.

I'm really going to do it. Wait for it, it's about to happen...

[Aramchek]

27. Obama better focus on my pet issue and do exactly what I want or I'm taking my ball and going home

:sarcasm:

[Ramulux]

28. I think hes saving the announcement

Probably not for long though and he will hopefully and most likely make a big deal out of it. This is going to be Obamas big olive branch to the progressive community and in some ways his biggest last ditch effort to enthuse the liberal base. I sincerely hope it works and people come to understand what a great thing it will be to have her in this position.