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Given how contentious the process was surrounding Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel's confirmation process, it was easy to forget that Jack Lew's Treasury Secretary nomination was advancing at roughly the same time -- and Senate Republicans don't like him, either. Indeed, in early January, some GOP senators began criticizing Lew's nomination before it was even announced.
But with his detractors unable to generate any meaningful controversies, and with Hagel drawing the most fire, Lew managed to earn confirmation late yesterday without much trouble.
The Senate confirmed Jacob J. Lew to be Treasury secretary Wednesday, despite opposition from some GOP senators who criticized Lew's part in budget negotiations and questioned his personal finances and connections with Wall Street.
Senators voted 71-26 to confirm Lew, President Barack Obama's choice to succeed former Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner. The votes against Lew came from Republicans, including Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, and Vermont Independent Bernard Sanders.
The New York Times said Lew's relatively smooth confirmation process offered a look at the Senate in "a more affable mode." I think that's correct, but it's a reminder of how far expectations have fallen.
Consider it this way: President Obama nominated a qualified official to a key cabinet post; the nominee had already been subjected to Senate confirmation processes before -- five times -- and had never received an opposition vote; and the nominee's detractors couldn't find anything especially wrong with him. But when it was time for a vote, 25 of the Senate's 45 Republicans opposed the nomination anyway.
In other words, when the Senate is in an "affable" mood, and a cabinet nominee is considered uncontroversial, most Senate Republicans still vote no. And thanks to the soft bigotry of low expectations, many -- including me -- consider this a great example of the institution working in a reasonably sensible way, at least by 2013 standards.
Consider this paragraph from the Times piece:
The vote meant that for the moment at least, the Senate returned to its traditional role of affording the president deference in selecting his cabinet. Historically, the Treasury secretary position has been an easy one for presidents to fill, with nominees typically receiving unanimous support from the Senate.
Again, all of this is entirely accurate, but let's not lose sight of the details: even when the Senate adopts "its traditional role of affording the president deference in selecting his cabinet," more than half of the Senate Republican caucus votes to reject a qualified, uncontroversial nominee.
In the not-too-distant past, Lew would have been approved in a more lopsided vote, but in today's political climate, with Republicans reflexively opposing almost everything Obama wants, 70 is the new 90.
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Wall St strikes again. When is the left going to tire of sucking up to big banking? Anything for a buck, right?
Re: #2
Slight re-wording needed - the left, right and center all suck up to big banking.
Big Banking, yes. Now guess who sucks up to Big Oil and Pharma?
As your posts so often point out, there's a lot of sucking going on.
Oh Yeah...where is the republican version of Elizabeth Warren? The "left", as you call the majority of Americans is the only side doing anything to reign in Wall street and Bankers. The congressional republicans are just buying up jars of vaseline...not for the bankers... but for you Mr Shooter.
"President Obama nominated a qualified official"
By qualified, I guess you mean someone who will continue the business as usual, conducted by the Wall Street Mandarins. And I ain't talkin' 'bout oranges.
I'm with Senator Sanders on this one.
At least we have Elizabeth Warren on our side.
Hear hear! Even more so because it gets that punk Scott Brown out of Washington.
Whenever Bernie Sanders votes like that, you can tell the "Imperial Democrats" are bending over for Wall Street yet again.
Lew is interchangeable with Geitner, they are Wall Street bankers and their only loyalty is to their industry, not to the country.
...and the only types who can get confirmed
I hope he doesn't change his signature, even though it looks like the design on a Hostess cupcake.
At this point I am honestly past the point of concern. It doesn't matter who any of the Principals are hell it doesn't even matter who the President is because this is how it's going to be...and not just for the next four years....but for the next 200....if the Republic lasts that long
Just keeping the irons hot , in case anything needs to be warmed up .
"In other words, when the Senate is in an "affable" mood..."
Well bully for them! Being in the mood applies to "making love" NOT doing the dang job that they were sent to Washington to do! How about being in that "mood"?!
Cunning felonious manipulation and traitorous government authorities grossly enriched the Wall Street criminals, collapsed the economy, and grievously harmed millions of innocents. Justice demands both jail time and tort action to divvy their ill begotten gains among their victims. Having been among the as yet unindicted Wall Street felons, Jacob Lew is a scary Treasury Secretary choice.
With the Senate clowning around on Hagel, it's confirmation (good or bad) by diversion. Another indication of the death of reason/intended function in our system. Yippee! ..
Jacob Lew, fellating the Wall Street criminals as the Good Emperor has told him to do. Of course the criminal enablers masquerading as Senators would approve him so they can continue to get their welfare checks, er, I mean "campaign contributions."
But you're not cynical eh TCnLA? The 'game' requires picking where one might get anything accomplished and often it is through a back door and unnoticeable by ideologs.
Voters choose the progressive plan on nearly everything when plans from all sides are presented without knowing who is presenting them or whose plan it is. When the voter does not know if it is a dem plan or repub plan etc. they nearly always choose the progressive's plan. People can change to meet conditions. Necessity is the mother of change. I trust Obama more than I trust any republican.