Elizabeth Warren and Barack Obama.. The back story.. he needs her NOW

[Peacetrain]

Elizabeth Warren and the President have known each other since law school. The idea for the agency is based on Ms. Warrens thoughts. They are close and dear friends. The hounds of hell on the right have been skewing up to block any appt she would have for almost two years now.

Excerpts that might clear the mud a little:

The president went on to call Warren “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. It’s only been a couple of months, and this is a big task standing up this entire agency, so I'll have an announcement soon about how we’re going to move forward.”

Naming Warren as an assistant or counselor to both the president and Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner would allow the president to bypass a Senate confirmation process that could prove lengthy and contentious.

“I’m concerned about all Senate confirmations these days” including if he were to “nominate somebody for dog catcher,” the president said Friday when asked if he was concerned about Warren’s ability to be confirmed. “I’ve got people who have 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.”

Since nominees facing the confirmation process also enter a period of public silence, avoiding the confirmation process would also allow Warren to publicly discuss the agency and its benefits, which the president is eager for her to do.













http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2010/09/exclusive-president-obama-to-this-week-name-elizabeth-warren-to-special-advisory-role-to-white-house.html

[babylonsister]

1. Exactly. KO (I think) had a good segment on this last night. nt

[Peacetrain]

3. I caught just a couple of segments of KO last night..

Missed that part.. glad to hear he did something on it also.

[Me.]

4. I Believe That Was Rachel

Here's what I don't understand. Once a nominee clears the committee, isn't it then up to Harry Reid to bring it to a vote?

[babylonsister]

5. Thanks. I think the problem is

'clearing the committee'. rethugs have been stalling and obstructing on every one of Obama's nominees. He's on to them, and had to find a way around these clowns.

From Steve Benen:

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_09/025687.php

snip//

Why not just appoint her to head the commission? The White House came to believe that the Senate's dysfunction would leave Warren in limbo for months, if not longer, leaving her unable to work and the consumer-protection agency unable to function. (And if the Senate ultimately killed her nomination, it would set back the process even more.) The approach the president chose allows Warren to have the authority to start making a difference right away.

snip//

Ideally, of course, these circuitous tactics wouldn't be necessary. The White House could nominate an overwhelmingly qualified official to a key post, and the Senate would vote on her nomination. But as Annie Lowery reminds us, the "confirmation process is broken," forcing the administration to get creative. It's bad for the country and our system of government when unprecedented Republican tactics make a branch of government this dysfunctional.

But until there's meaningful Senate reform, workarounds are necessary. In Warren's case, the solution appears to be a good one.

[Diamonique]

7. I think Senators can put a hold on nominees...

in which case it can't be brought to a full vote until the hold is released.

This is just coming from my memory, but I think it's correct.

[Me.]

8. I Know They Can Place A Hold

I just didn't know all these nominees have one.

[bluestateguy]

2. I prefer her in a role where she is as close to the president as possible

The bad advice of Emanuel, Summers and (usually) Geithner needs a counterweight.

[Cant trust em]

6. THe confirmation backlog is a good point. If she takes the special assistant job she can work NOW.

Why wait months while her nomination gets stalled?