nomination

Elizabeth Warren has been one of the most sound voices during this financial crisis. Republicans and Democrats have both looked up to her analysis of the problems plaguing our economy and have touted her as one of the brightest minds when it comes to economics.

Tim Geithner – not so much.

So this story should come as no big shock to those that follow the soap opera filled world of economics:

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner has expressed opposition to the possible nomination of Elizabeth Warren to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, according to a source with knowledge of Geithner's views.

The financial reform bill passed by the Senate on Thursday mandates the creation of a new federal entity charged with protecting consumers from predatory lenders.

But if Geithner has his way, the most prominent advocate for creating the agency may not be picked to lead it.

The last thing we need is someone heading another economic unit of the federal government, who will fall into the “good ole’ boys club”. We need differing views and opinions, because that is the basis for the best ideas. To me that is an awesome reason to give Warren the job. Let the powers disagree and argue it out. Then we might start getting sound policy to turn this train wreck around.

This is the kind of news that should be plastered on every network tonight:

The U.S. Senate voted overwhelmingly on Thursday to confirm Martha N. Johnson as head of the General Services Administration, nearly 10 months after she was first nominated to head the federal agency.

Upon assuming office, Johnson "will become the first permanent Administrator of the General Services Administration in nearly two years."

Earlier in 2009, Johnson was unanimously approved by members of the Senate Homeland Security Committee. But a single senator, Republican Kit Bond from Missouri, has used his symbolic 'privilege' to hold up consideration of Johnson's nomination since last summer. The delay was meant to pressure GSA administrators to approve a $175 million federal building project in Kansas City.

A nomination held up for 10 months because a damn Republican wanted his pork. Why isn’t the tea baggers or Republicans calling out this crap? Because they are damn hypocrites – every single one of them.

A couple of things really caught my eye yesterday. It seems like so many are quick to jump on President Obama about things he has no control over.

First off we have a video that Andrew Breitbart put together of numerous times that President Obama said that the negotiations  healthcare should be opened.

This has of course sparked outrage on the right, but with a failure to understand one very simple part of our government. The President does not control the Congress. Our Constitution specifically sets up 3 independent branches of government. So I don’t know in what universe these people think that President Obama can control the independent Congress. The decision to televise any negotiations would be between Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi, not Barack Obama. The only option he has is to take the final bill and veto it, and I really doubt that will happen.

Next John Cole points to this post by Marcy Wheeler:

Barack Obama and Harry Reid owe an explanation to both Dawn Johnsen, and the voters who worked so hard to elect them, as to why they intentionally left Johnsen’s critical nomination out in the cold so long, and then killed it outright. The main media in the United States owe their readers the duty to ask the questions and demand answers. That much, at a minimum, is owed to the citizens.

And as John points out – “Apparently he had so much fun stabbing the left wing in the back he is going to do it again:”

Erroll Southers, the nominee to head the TSA, has been in the news a lot lately because of the attempted airline bombing on Christmas Day. As I pointed out yesterday, Southers nomination has been held up in the Senate because of Jim DeMint.

But DeMint isn’t the only one to blame here. We also must look at President Obama himself. Obama didn’t nominate someone to head the TSA until September, almost 8 months after taking office. I’m all for bashing DeMint as much as possible, but we need to be fair about this and place some of the blame on Obama himself.

And we don’t have anyone running FEMA yet. But don’t blame the President or Democrats for that:

A Louisiana senator is stalling Florida emergency management director Craig Fugate's nomination as head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Fugate had sailed through his nomination hearing and Monday cleared the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee by a unanimous voice vote. Republican Sen. David Vitter said, however, that he'd blocked Fugate because of concerns he has with FEMA.

"I have a hold on the FEMA nomination because I sent a list of hurricane recovery questions and projects to FEMA, many of which have not been adequately addressed," Vitter said in a statement. "I'm eager to get full responses and meet with the nominee immediately."

Perhaps if FEMA was allowed to have a boss, then they would have someone to answer the questions Vitter has. Of course that makes sense and we are talking about a hooker loving, airport screaming hero of the right here.

Obama leads McCain by 15 points (51-36) in the latest Newsweek poll. If this is the "bump" they were saying Obama would see after securing the nomination, then McCain needs to just drop out now.

(updated to change from 16 points to 15 points. That's what I get for doing early morning math!)

Hillary Clinton today:

"My husband did not wrap up the nomination in 1992 until he won the California primary somewhere in the middle of June, right? We all remember Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in June in California. I don't understand it," she said, dismissing calls to drop out.

(emphasis added)

Not a good reason to stay in the race. She should have left it at Bill, or even brought up 1984 when it went to the convention over 40 delegates, but to bring up Bobby? Bad, bad move.

(h/t Bob Cesca).