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Ear to the Ground

Obama Gets His Way With Consumer Bureau Pick

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Posted on Jan 4, 2012
AP / Carolyn Kaster

Yes he can: President Barack Obama gestures while speaking at Scranton High School in Pennsylvania on Nov. 30.

Because this is one of the things he can do from the Oval Office, President Obama pulled what his Republican opponents will no doubt characterize as a fast one by forcibly installing Richard Cordray on Wednesday as his chosen leader of the recently configured Consumer Financial Protection Bureau while Congress was on recess. Mitch McConnell is not pleased.  —KA

Bloomberg:

“I am now the director and my work will be to protect American consumers,” Cordray said at the airport in Cleveland, where he was accompanying the president to a speech on the economy. “I’m going to be 100 percent focused on that.”

Obama nominated Cordray to be the bureau’s first director in July, almost one year after enactment of the Dodd-Frank financial regulatory law creating the agency. Republicans blocked Cordray’s confirmation by the Senate last month. Putting him in the job today may set up an election-year court fight between the White House and Congress.

The president’s decision drew quick criticism from Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, who said in a statement that Obama “arrogantly circumvented” the American people and upended “long-standing” practices that limited recess appointments.

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By Seriatim, January 5, 2012 at 2:22 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Yes, agree Denise Comstock - no amount of gutsy moves now will make up for his
outrageous abandonment of the amazing Elizabeth Warren.

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By SarcastiCanuck, January 5, 2012 at 8:56 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Wow,Mitch said that Obama,”“arrogantly circumvented” the American people and upended “long-standing” practices that limited recess appointments.”
I disagree.I think that Obama arrogantly circumvented the GOP crooks who only care for the plutocracy and themselves.Nice try on the fantasy denial Mitch.I’m sure some of the lemmings will believe you…

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By ElkoJohn, January 5, 2012 at 8:39 am Link to this comment

Notice how—come election time, Obama gets some gonads!!
Maybe we should make him run for office every 6-months.

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By vi, January 5, 2012 at 6:46 am Link to this comment

“He’s making a politically savvy move…”

Indeed. By waiting until Wednesday to make the appointment during the proforma session, rather than doing so during the Tuesday safe window of recess, O’b gets his cake silver plate. It’ll be open season on Cordray beginning with his first public utterance—we’ll find him standing in front of the ever-receptive SCOTUS in short order. The pro forma gambit was cheered when the otherwise spineless Reid employed it to stonewall GW’s attempts at recess appointments. Now it will come back to bite progressives on the behind while the president can sit back and say, once again, “It’s them, the GOP. I tried, honest…”

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Not One More!'s avatar

By Not One More!, January 4, 2012 at 9:53 pm Link to this comment

Obama may be getting his way. Corporate America may be getting their way. But the consumer who wants a responsible agency head that protects consumer’s rights is getting the shaft.

Again, here is the false narrative how Obama did something ‘bold’ while he fails to do the correct thing by failing to appoint Elizabeth Warren.

Of course, the intended audience for this, those who will vote democrat no matter how unacceptable Obama is to supposedly ‘democratic’ principles (ending the war, stopping corporate corruption, universal health care for all).

Don’t throw your vote away, vote third party.

http://www.NotOneMore.US - The Pledge for Peace

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Sandy Berman's avatar

By Sandy Berman, January 4, 2012 at 9:49 pm Link to this comment

Dear President Obama;

At long last, it seems that you have finally abandoned your noble quest for
“bipartisanship”.

The GOP is on the record that they will refuse to ‘compromise’.. and that all
they want is to destroy you.

I fully realize that you, the most honorable man in government, were trying to
fulfill a campaign promise to be inclusive and I fully realize that you, the most
erudite man in government felt compelled to do the “right thing” as an
American.

I also fully realize that you, the most patriotic man in government needed, at
least, to try and act with true leadership based on the ideals that were imbued
into your soul by your forebears, but you must realize by now that those whom
you are honestly trying to embrace hate you.

They hate the fact that you are smarter that they are… they hate the fact that
you won the election by stirring those who were rendered powerless by the
thugs who were your predecessors…

They hate the fact that you are a black man.

They will never ally themselves to you no matter what position you might take..
their singular purpose is to destroy your Administration.. even if it meant that
they would be abandoning their own best interests… even if it means bringing
the entire Country down with you.

They are worthless… worse, they are outright destructive.

Do the right thing, Mr. President.. and to hell with them if they don’t like it.

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Sandy Berman's avatar

By Sandy Berman, January 4, 2012 at 9:49 pm Link to this comment

@@Ian ~~

Pap.

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By Ian, January 4, 2012 at 5:17 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

He’s hardly “getting his way” with this recess
appointment. He’s making a politically savvy move but
the practical/policy implications are really bad. 
Everything the agency does going forward will be
under a legal cloud and there will no doubt be
lawsuits to fight the agency’s actions. Unfortunate,
and not really his fault given the GOP’s absolute
resistance to any real reform.

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By Denise Comstock, January 4, 2012 at 1:55 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Notice Obama did no such thing for Elizabeth Warren.

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By Jimnp72, January 4, 2012 at 12:20 pm Link to this comment

The daily kos want us to thank the president by sending him an email

thank him for finally doing a tiny bit of his job

Daily Kos must have mental health issues for supporting him

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OzarkMichael's avatar

By OzarkMichael, January 4, 2012 at 12:08 pm Link to this comment

Obama used a technique that even George W. Bush decided was too heavy-handed.

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