Barney Frank: The Senate refuses to consider Obama nominees

[spanone]

By Barney Frank, Thursday, September 1, 7:35 PM

Once upon a time, we could have expected the following sequence: After considerable debate, Congress would have passed a bill creating an agency. The president would then nominate someone to head that agency. That nomination would be considered on its merits by the Senate.

But this is now. The president has nominated Richard Cordray, an able, experienced and thoughtful former state attorney general who has a record of achievement in protecting individuals against financial abuse, to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. And the Republican minority in the Senate has announced that it intends to deny any consideration of the individual whom the president has nominated pursuant to his constitutional prerogative. They will do that by blatantly distorting the Constitution, substituting a refusal to allow the constitutionally mandated nomination process for the legislative process in which they simply do not have the votes to accomplish what they want.

Cordray is just the latest capable, dedicated public servant to fall victim to a Republican mugging. He joins Joseph Smith, the banking commissioner of North Carolina who recently drew unanimous bipartisan support from the North Carolina General Assembly for his renomination; Peter Diamond, a Nobel laureate in economics who was nominated to serve on the Federal Reserve System’s Board of Governors; and others as collateral damage of the Senate Republicans’ war on financial regulation in particular and the Obama presidency in general. Cordray’s record as attorney general of Ohio puts him in a small group of people able to act effectively to deal with the mortgage crisis. No one has raised any questions about his intelligence, integrity or dedication.

Yet his nomination will not even be fairly considered by the full Senate. Forty-four Republicans have announced that in disregard of their constitutional duty to consider nominations on the merits. They will not confirm anyone until the Senate majority reverses itself to once again put bank regulators in a position to overrule virtually all of the policies that would be set by the consumer agency. The president is being told that the price of having a nominee confirmed is reversing himself on a major policy initiative that has already been enacted.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-senate-refuses-to-consider-obama-nominees/2011/09/01/gIQA2AkJvJ_print.html

[sabrina 1]

1. So, they are in the minority and Democrats have the WH.

Have Democrats never heard of 'recess appointments'? Bush made good use of them airc.

[Swede]

2. Republicans are blocking recess appointments.

Freshman Rep. Jeff Denham, R-Calif., will briefly sit in a very special chair Tuesday for a several-minute skirmish in a long-running war.

By presiding over a ridiculously short House session, Denham is helping his fellow Republicans block President Barack Obama from making appointments while Congress is in recess. It's a bipartisan tactic, as are the recess appointments it's designed to frustrate.


http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/08/22/2370448/house-republicans-working-to-prevent.html

[sabrina 1]

8. Then the President has to go to the American people and

tell them what they are doing. He needs to explain how important this appointment is and how it is for THEIR protection against the kind of thing Wall St. did to destroy the economy. If he has to do it every week, along with Pelosi and all Democrats who have access to a microphone, expressing outrage and horror that any Political Party would work so hard against the interests of the American people.

It needs to be a campaign! NOT just because of this one appointment, but because this is a travesty and for the sake of the country, it needs to be stopped.

If he wants to win this, he can. The American people would be overwhelmingly behind him if he took a stand on this. But if they don't know about it, which they don't, then nothing will happen. Some things you just have to exert time and energy for. I hope he does so.

[TheWraith]

9. And the media would stop covering the speeches after two days.

There's a reason the President doesn't make a major address every other day. Do you remember his nationwide tour talking about jobs? No? That's because the media didn't cover it.

[Tx4obama]

10. President Obama HAS told the American people about the obstruction

Obama talked about The GOP's obstruction of the nominees in the State of the Union Address he gave.
Obama also talked of the nominee's obstruction by The GOP in two other speeches that I've heard.

The obstruction has been going on for over two years and Obama HAS told the American people about it (apparently not many people are listening).

And recently the White House posted the graph on the link below:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/08/18/infographic-record-judicial-diversity-record-judicial-delays

[sabrina 1]

12. I'm talking about being specific. How many Americans

are aware of that new agency, set up to protect THEIR interests? And it doesn't just have to be the President. All Democrats should be talking to their constituents educating them about this issue.

If the President goes on popular talk shows, like Oprah, eg, and talks about the agency, and ask the people if they can understand why the Republicans want to destroy it, I know this is something the American people would support and it would make them very angry at Republicans.

He has a lot of power regarding talk shows most of which would give anything to do an interview with him, as often as he likes. Biden can also do it.

When Bush wanted to sell the war, he had his minions on every talk show they could get to.

And he has to stop refusing to mention the word 'Republican' when he talks about obstruction.

I saw him on Wolf Blitzer a few weeks ago and he was talking about the lack of cooperation in Congress. But not once did he say 'Republicans'. He talked about 'some folks in Congress don't want to do this or that'. Finally, Blitzer said to him 'you are saying 'some folks', but don't you mean Republicans'?

I thought YES, now let them have it!! Wolf GAVE him the opportunity. Instead, he changed the subject starting with 'look, Wolf, we have to get things done for the American people' etc. etc. Frankly, I wanted to throw something. I don't understand it, this reluctance to call them by name. Even Pelosi has asked him not to conflate Dems with Repubs by using that language 'some folks in Congress'. She asked him to be clear about who those 'folks' are.

[Tx4obama]

13. You think more people would hear Obama on Oprah than ...

when he gives his State of the Union speech?
And when he gives his other speeches and all the networks air them?
I totally disagree.

Going on Oprah or Leno, etc would not reach as many people as a State of the Union or a multi-network aired speech.

[izquierdista]

3. One small correction

The Repubs HAVE raised questions about his integrity; if he has any, even the tiniest bit, then they don't want him.

[McCamy Taylor]

4. It is time for a recess appointment. Like, during the GOP debate next week.

Truth is the GOP's bankster buddies want this bureau shut down.

[Swede]

6. Republicans are blocking recess apointments.

On Tuesday, before the earthquake hit, Rep. Jeff Denham, R-Calif., was scheduled to gavel the House of Representatives into session. No other members of Congress were needed. This is a partisan ploy used by Republicans and Democrats, depending on which party controls the House.

The abbreviated session achieves one thing: It blocks a president, in this case Obama, from making any recess appointments. Presidents can advance appointments that have stalled in Congress during a congressional recess. It is a temporary end-run around congressional gridlock.

During his eight-year term, President Clinton made 139 recess appointments; President George W. Bush made 171. Neither party can claim the high road here. But Republicans are playing a rather foolish game this summer.



http://www.northjersey.com/news/opinions/128368978_More_games.html

[Tx4obama]

7. Recess appointments can only be made when the Congress is in 'recess'.

The last three times when The Senate was supposed to go into recess (during holidays/vacations) the GOP blocked the adjournment to 'recess' and they had to go into 'pro-forma session' instead.

Knowing how Congress works helps when trying to talk about what should be done or not be done ;)

[Tx4obama]

5. The GOP is also obstructing Obama's judicial nominees - see chart on the link below

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x751006

[Angry Dragon]

11. In my opinion any time a politician blocks any bill or nomination

without a stated cause then they are breaking their Oath of Office
and then they are being a terrorist

These people ar enot serving this country and in my mind they are traitors

[FrenchieCat]

14. Folks should be fucking fuming about this, and on the phone

screaming at their senators!

But instead, let's just blame it on Obama,
that way, there ain't shit we got to do ourselves.....
as usual.

[Tx4obama]

15. Folks are too busy being outraged about 'the date' of a speech

We ALL need to get our priorities in order, otherwise we are not going to get out of the mess we're in ;(

[FrenchieCat]

16. I think some are wishing exactly that we never get out of our mess....

because saying "I told you so" beats everything else as a priority.

Republicans have this as their priority as well.

Peas in a pod going in the exact same direction (off a cliff),
just in separate cars.

[tkmorris]

17. I completely agree with you

That doesn't happen very often, so I thought maybe I'd better commemorate the occasion by posting to tell you so.

[toddwv]

18. The President has the Constitutional power to adjourn both houses of Congress.

Wouldn't this be considered a "recess"?

I would love to see him adjourn Congress and push ALL the nominees through. They serve until the end of the session which for the 112th Congress is in 2013.

Obama just needs to step up to the plate.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

19. +1 The powerless president mem is getting old fast.