The Elizabeth Warren drama: another missed opportunity?

[Enrique]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-kuttner/the-warren-drama-another_b_650615.html

(...)

All of this infighting and leaking must be amusing to President Obama, the man who ultimately will make the appointment. It was Obama who personally decided that he wanted a strong consumer protection agency in the financial reform bill, partly to offset the perception that the administration was too cozy with Wall Street.

The provision survived lukewarm support by many in the administration because it was one of the few provisions in which Obama took a direct personal interest. Obama, not Tim Geithner, will choose the first head of the new agency. Strong presidents, like Franklin Roosevelt, tolerate advisers with differing viewpoints.

A reform package that should have been a clear winner politically has turned out to be a political draw because too many voters believe that the Administration has favored Wall Street over Main Street. The best possible antidote to that perception would be the appointment of Warren. She is the rare public official involved with financial regulation seen as a passionate fighter for regular people. The Administration desperately needs a dose of that.

There is a whispering campaign that Warren would be given a rough time in a confirmation hearing. But a contentious confirmation process would be a pure gift to the
White House and the Democrats.

(...)

This is the fight Warren has been waging. If Republican senators want to hold hearings defending the poor misunderstood bankers, and giving the compelling Warren a hard time for protecting consumers, bring it on. It would make terrific television and nothing would be more clarifying about which party is the bigger stooge for Wall Street. This administration needs a few star players who stand up for regular people.

(...)

[xchrom]

1. IF she were to be appointed -- she would need

Real backing from dem senators during her tenure.

And IF they gave her that continued support -
it could sharpen their rather fuzzy focus on consumer rights.

[CTyankee]

2. THis article is right on! E. Warren would make mincemeat of pubs in a confirmation

hearing. She's so natural and so passionate that the public at large will fall in love with her. Her arguments just crackle with electricity. She's also a good ole gal from Oklahoma and she often talks about growing up there. That would dilute the "Harvard law professor" label a good bit.

Bring her on!!!

[ProSense]

3. "The provision survived lukewarm support by many in the administration" That is

not accurate, according to Elizabeth Warren.

[Enrique]

4. I'm sure Geithner would deny it as well

they're going at each other with shivs in private, and French kissing each other in public.