Jack & Jill Politics

…but his Treasury Secretary is objecting.  I told y’all about Tim Geithner, and he continues to show his ass, just like he did when he headed up the New York Fed.  From Susie Madrak at Crooks and Liars:

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.

Someone needs to ask why is he objecting to Obama’s choice.  Need I remind anyone on this board that Tim Geithner helped to craft that Bailout of Wall Street, and then he got picked to ENFORCE IT?

You gotta love the “unity” in this Administration. (snark)

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.

Warren, a professor at Harvard Law School whose 2007 journal article advocating the creation of such an agency inspired policymakers to enact it into law, has rocketed to prominence since the onset of the financial crisis as one of the leading reform advocates fighting on behalf of American taxpayers.

I’ll ask the question AGAIN: Why is Timmy Geithner objecting to Elizabeth Warren being named as the head of the Agency she wrote an academic paper suggesting, to actually look out for the interests of you and me, the American Taxpayers?

I’m going to answer my own question.

The Cabinet members have NO INTEREST IN ACTUAL ENFORCEMENT of the regulations they are responsible for.  They just want to look like they’re actually doing something, so they can go before a Congressional hearing and tout how they’re actually “working hard for the American people.”

To which I call bullshyt.  If you really want to help the American People, why not do it by giving the job to someone who is actually QUALIFIED to perform the duties?

This is another “Either Obama is the Commander-in-Chief” or he isn’t moment.  I appreciate he’d like everyone getting along at the table, but the American People, for whom he has tried and succeeded to change things (even that slug Charles Krauthammer is warning his GOBP Thug Bretheren that they underestimate the POTUS at their own peril); on this pick, he needs to give Geithner an ultimatium: GET ON BOARD WITH WARREN OR LEAVE YOUR RESIGNATION ON MY DESK.

I remember Geithner from my days at the Board – he was and still is a prick without a shred of common decency or empathy.  And his tax mess really rankled me, because he’s running the IRS and you haven’t paid your OWN TAXES; yet Bill Richardson got shown the door when he was nominated as Commerce Secretary because he had COTS.

Mr. President, I know that can be distasteful, but if it’s any help – use the same approach you did to show Stanley McChrystal the door when he tried to clown you in Rolling Stone Magazine this month.

And, BTW, you might wish to consider the same approach with your inept Press Secretary, Robert Gibbs, as well.  Frankly, anyone working for me, going on TV to suggest that the opposition is going to defeat my majority in the Fall, is begging for his pink slip.

UPDATE:  There are at least three diaries at DKos (including a petition that has 20K signatures) supporting Elizabeth Warren for Chair of the Consumer Financial Protection Services Agency.  Most telling is why Tim Geithner is opposing Liz Warren for the job:

…it now appears that Secretary Geithner will oppose Elizabeth Warren becoming the new chief regulator responsible for protecting consumers from defective financial products – despite the fact that she has led the way for this issue, on both intellectual and political fronts, over the past decade.  The financial sector has abused many of its customers badly over the past decades.  This simply needs to stop…

The diary I’ve linked also includes a complete list of screw-up in the financial sector by Geithner, going as far back as 1997, and up to and including his tenure at the New York Fed (I had to resign my position at the Fed for exposing his lack of Diversity in hiring Economists, and my boss was more than willing to cover it up).

SMH on this one….