Populist Reform of the Democratic Party

rhett o rick

(55,981 posts) Sat Nov 29, 2014, 10:31 AM Nov 2014

111

Once Again President Obama Chooses a Fox to Guard the Henhouse. [View all]

Once Again President Obama Chooses a Fox to Guard the Henhouse.

President Obama’s pick to be Treasury Under Secretary for Domestic Finance is Antonio Weiss. His new job would be to oversee the domestic financial system—including the implementation of the Dodd-Frank financial-reform act, and consumer protection. He is currently the global head of investment banking at Lazard Ltd, a firm that has put together several major inversion deals. Why is this significant?
“Since 2003, more than thirty-five American companies have dodged taxes through similar deals, which are known as “corporate inversions.””

A number of progressive Senators, lead by Sen Warren have reservations. "Warren has a number of problems with Weiss. The first is the fact that his career has been focused on international transactions. “Neither his background nor his professional experience makes him qualified to oversee consumer protection and domestic regulatory functions at the Treasury,” she wrote. The second is that he’s tied up in the corporate-inversion trend, which, as she notes, the Obama administration has criticized and tried to stop."
Sen Warren further stated, “It’s time for the Obama administration to loosen the hold that Wall Street banks have over economic policy making.”

Sen Warren’s third concern is “about the fox guarding the henhouse. She ticked off a long list of people with close ties to the financial industry who now serve in high-level economic-policy positions in the Obama administration, including Treasury Secretary Jack Lew and US Trade Representative Michael Froman. Letting former Wall Streeters roost in top government perches “tells people that one—and only one—point of view will dominate economic policymaking. It tells people that whatever goes wrong in this economy, the Wall Street banks will be protected first,” she wrote.”

Read more at The Nation Magazine - http://www.thenation.com/blog/191289/next-big-fight-between-progressives-and-wall-street-dems

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Once Again President Obama Chooses a Fox to Guard the Henhouse. [View all] rhett o rick Nov 2014 OP

What are some other examples, please? searchfortruth1 Nov 2014 #1

There were two examples in the OP. How many do you need? nm rhett o rick Nov 2014 #2

And don't forget wheeler Doctor_J Nov 2014 #13

Arnie Duncan. The list is long. I've asked repeatedly for someone to rhett o rick Nov 2014 #14

well, there's Van Jones, Doctor_J Nov 2014 #16

Yes. To this day, he remains my absolute favorite Obama appointment RufusTFirefly Nov 2014 #17

Got the Chance to meet him once, Mbrow Nov 2014 #43

Yes! I am familiar with his work with the Ella Baker Center, too. RufusTFirefly Nov 2014 #46

Yes, there was Van Jones, and look what happened to him.. mountain grammy Nov 2014 #63

Warren to head the freshly minted Consumer Protection Bureau, as I recall. Want more, you just asked Fred Sanders Nov 2014 #45

Aren't you clever? But actually you make my point. nm rhett o rick Nov 2014 #58

How about Michael R. Taylor, Deputy Commissioner for Foods at the FDA RufusTFirefly Nov 2014 #18

All Broken Promises billhicks76 Nov 2014 #49

How about Taub and Hammond at the Postal Commission? merrily Nov 2014 #64

I hope your "searchfortruth" is successful. I noticed you popped in and left your post rhett o rick Nov 2014 #19

he couldn't handle it when he found it Enrique Nov 2014 #35

Geitner, Paulson, Duncan, and Wheeler at FCC nikto Nov 2014 #54

Post removed Post removed Nov 2014 #55

Monsanto CEOs, Gates and Hagel, REPUBLICANS in Defense, Bush Loyalists left in the NSA, Clapper, sabrina 1 Dec 2014 #86

Kicked and recommended! Enthusiast Nov 2014 #3

K & R +++ Thespian2 Nov 2014 #4

LOLx2, so that is why Obama went into community organizing, so he could cozy up to the banks.... Fred Sanders Nov 2014 #5

His work as a community organizer does not prevent him from being dependent on the financial JDPriestly Nov 2014 #10

What is obvious? I agree with this new member.Are you really disparaging them because they are new? rhett o rick Nov 2014 #12

Thank you! markpkessinger Nov 2014 #53

You've been here less than a year, Fred Sanders. Kermitt Gribble Nov 2014 #21

So, you agree with the new guy, Obama is a "hired hand", a lackey in the employ of and totally Fred Sanders Nov 2014 #22

Here is my conclusion. Either Pres Obama chooses conservatives because he supports conservatism rhett o rick Nov 2014 #27

I really appreciate your thought processes, R o R. grasswire Nov 2014 #79

Thank you and I appreciate your posts also. We must keep up the pressure. nm rhett o rick Dec 2014 #81

How else do you explain his appointments? Kermitt Gribble Nov 2014 #32

Isn't the whole point of a group that we don't need to have this kind of discussion? merrily Nov 2014 #65

Thank you. ~nt RiverLover Nov 2014 #67

Every other group is a "safe haven." Why not this one? merrily Nov 2014 #68

Here is my take. I would like this to be a safe haven for open discussions. I don't mind at all if rhett o rick Nov 2014 #70

There is at least one hidden post on this thread. merrily Nov 2014 #73

maybe you can explain for us all of Obama's very disappointing appointments magical thyme Nov 2014 #34

You Thespian2 Nov 2014 #42

That's so wrong--Goldman Sachs & JPMorgan were Obama's biggest donors RiverLover Nov 2014 #61

Let's see, Wall street inside for treasury LiberalArkie Nov 2014 #6

Hope and Change for Wall Street? jalan48 Nov 2014 #7

It looks to me like Pres Obama is in good with Wall Street or a higher power is calling the shots.nm rhett o rick Nov 2014 #8

I am sure it is 11 dimensional chess. zeemike Nov 2014 #9

But it's like Lucy and Charlie Brown. Lucy (BO) promising Charlie Brown (99%) that rhett o rick Nov 2014 #11

what the fan club refuses to acknowledge is that this is bad politics as well as bad governance Doctor_J Nov 2014 #15

Do you have a possible explanation for Pres Obama's obsession with appointing conservatives? nm rhett o rick Nov 2014 #20

It is possible to support Warren and twice elected Democratic party President Obama, it is not that Fred Sanders Nov 2014 #23

Obama was twice elected because he pretended to be progressive. Why not support a real progressive rhett o rick Nov 2014 #25

I see Obama as transitional, he is the pioneer as Gorbachev was....history will be the judge of that Fred Sanders Nov 2014 #26

"And all I see on his overall agenda are clear progressive policies" You must be reading rhett o rick Nov 2014 #28

Post removed Post removed Nov 2014 #39

Just a Minute saintsebastian Nov 2014 #50

So far, other than Sen Sanders, she is the best candidate we have. nm rhett o rick Nov 2014 #57

I hope by that time Warren will be so popular among most Democrats, that there Cal33 Nov 2014 #24

My greatest fear is that she's just another illusion. Like Obama 2008. Doctor_J Nov 2014 #41

She might be. But she seems like less of a cipher than the President RufusTFirefly Nov 2014 #47

my exact same fear Caretha Nov 2014 #52

X2 ctsnowman Nov 2014 #59

Watch this video from back when she was still a professor RiverLover Nov 2014 #62

I have watched Elizabeth Warren long enough to feel quite sure that she is the real McCoy. I Cal33 Nov 2014 #71

Others had been watching Obama from afar since his speech at the 2004 Democratic National merrily Nov 2014 #74

I've read that when she was working at the Treasury Dep't, she had no fear about telling Cal33 Dec 2014 #82

A decade ago, she wrote a book about the 99% getting MannyGoldstein Nov 2014 #78

He hired a lot of Republicans to run his government. Aren't there enough better Democrats around Cal33 Dec 2014 #83

Jeebus... ReRe Nov 2014 #29

He talks a good talk. It's the walk that's troubling. nm rhett o rick Nov 2014 #30

Now well into the 6th year...it does seem that's a big concern... KoKo Nov 2014 #75

The middle class are frogs in the water on the stove. The temperature is rising rhett o rick Nov 2014 #77

politics as usual highmindedhavi Nov 2014 #31

Yep. 840high Nov 2014 #33

Yeah, the fan club calls us racists and blames us for all thats gone wrong for 6 years Doctor_J Nov 2014 #38

They want so badly to have a leader they can blindly follow. Not make up their own minds rhett o rick Nov 2014 #56

Last week, Sen. Warren wrote a HuffPo blog about Obama picking Weiss red dog 1 Nov 2014 #36

Senator Warren is one of the few in Washington... Hubert Flottz Nov 2014 #37

Her and Bernie Sanders. Mbrow Nov 2014 #44

Washington is a crime FAMILY. A racket. All the insiders Obama chooses pretty much tips their hand blkmusclmachine Nov 2014 #40

The fucking Third Way. Phlem Nov 2014 #48

When Oh When? colsohlibgal Nov 2014 #51

Do you think they will harrass Hillary they way they did her husband Bill, and Cal33 Dec 2014 #85

K&R DeSwiss Nov 2014 #60

Pin of the Week! demwing Nov 2014 #66

Thanks demwing. Let's get this movement going. nm rhett o rick Nov 2014 #69

The president appoints right wing asshole and Wall Street shills QC Nov 2014 #72

There's THAT to consider. Judging him by his Appointments..... KoKo Nov 2014 #76

For a real "thrill", investigate the Bush Lazard connections. grasswire Nov 2014 #80

Nice to see this pinned! Odin2005 Dec 2014 #84

Out Cheneying-Cheney: Obama’s Likely Defense Pick Once Backed Pre-emptive Attack on North Korea wavesofeuphoria Dec 2014 #87

kick woo me with science Dec 2014 #88