Obama has ‘seconds’ to recess-appoint Cordray

[bigtree]

from Ronald D. Orol at MarketWatch: http://blogs.marketwatch.com/election/2012/01/03/obama-has-seconds-to-appoint-cordray/

January 3, 2012, 10:10 AM

President Barack Obama could use a rarely-used presidential maneuver Tuesday morning to install his nominee to run a controversial new consumer watchdog bureau.

Guggenheim Securities LLC analyst Jaret Seiberg notes in a report Tuesday that Obama could try to use the brief seconds between sessions of Congress to recess-appoint former Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray to head the Consumer Financial Protection Agency for year 2012. The appointment would have to take place in the “few seconds” between the end of the first session today and the beginning of the second session of Congress that starts today at noon . . .

Seiberg notes that Teddy Roosevelt and Harry Truman are the last presidents to use the few seconds between congressional sessions to recess appoint an official into a job.

“That means Obama would be taking steps that no President in the modern age has done,” Seiberg said. He added that Obama could also order the Senate into recess, something no other president has ever done.


read: http://blogs.marketwatch.com/election/2012/01/03/obama-has-seconds-to-appoint-cordray/



January 3, 2012. The first family returned to Washington from their Christmas and New Year vacation. REUTERS/Jason Reed

[Vincardog]

1. Who expects BOLD action from him?

[bigtree]

7. I know where you're coming from

. . . but there is something. His speech in Kansas and the analogies to TR. He specifically highlighted the Cordray nomination in that address. It would be in line with what he said at the time:

"Speaking before an audience at the Osawatomie High School, Obama championed last year’s passage of the Dodd-Frank Act and portrayed opposition by congressional Republicans as a major hurdle to implementing the act’s key provisions. He gave as an example the case of Cordray, whose confirmation most Senate Republicans have vowed to block unless organizational changes are made to the bureau.

“For the first time in history, the reforms that we passed put in place a consumer watchdog who is charged with protecting everyday Americans from being taken advantage of by mortgage lenders or payday lenders or debt collectors,” Obama said of the CFPB. “And the man we nominated for the post, Richard Cordray, is a former attorney general of Ohio who has the support of most attorney generals, both Democrat and Republican, throughout the country.”

In describing Republicans’ refusal to confirm Cordray, Obama asked the audience, “Does anybody here think that the problem that led to our financial crisis was too much oversight of mortgage lenders or debt collectors?”
“No!” the crowd responded, according to a transcript posted on the White House’s website.

“Every day we go without a consumer watchdog is another day when a student, or a senior citizen, or a member of our Armed Forces - because they are very vulnerable to some of this stuff - could be tricked into a loan that they can’t afford - something that happens all the time,” Obama said. “And the fact is that financial institutions have plenty of lobbyists looking out for their interests. Consumers deserve to have someone whose job it is to look out for them.”"

article: http://www.mortgageorb.com/e107_plugins/content/content.php?content.10431

[Vincardog]

17. Oh I expect him to give a nice speech especially in the campaign season

But as soon as he is reelected, I expect the same bunch or corporate insiders to be making
every key decision in favor of the corporate line.

[bigtree]

21. shifting argument

the recess appointment is still expected this week.

'Who expects BOLD action from him?' I do.

[Vincardog]

28. It is a false argument to say that doing his job is a bold move. How may times did

aWoL do recess appointments? 171 I think

[warrior1]

2. You mean like the time

he killed Osama, ended the Iraq war, etc.

[Fawke Em]

5. Obama killed Osama?

Hmmm... didn't know Obama was part of Seal Team 7.

Seriously... when someone says "bold" action, they don't mean having the military act as hitmen.

[11 Bravo]

8. Team 6 got bin Laden.

[warrior1]

9. he ordered him killed

Bush never did that.

[11 Bravo]

11. I'm on your side here.

I was just pointing out to the other poster that it was not Team 7 that was involved in the op that took out bin Laden. (And I don't think there can be any doubt that it was a seriously bold move to give the "GO" order.)

[Fawke Em]

18. Thanks for the correction, but... so the fuck what?

Seal Team ... whatever... has NOT mattered.

[Ian David]

6. AND he brought us motherfuckers DONUTS...

[Fawke Em]

19. I find that actually funny.

[RC]

15. Obama did not end the Iraq war. We were ask to leave, period.

And we left behind our mercenaries to carry on.

[Ian David]

3. I would have mixed feelings about him doing this. n/t

[mmonk]

4. Just do it.

[LynneSin]

10. "rarely-used presidential maneuver"

seriously?

Did this idiot fall asleep for 8 years during the Bush administration?

[rfranklin]

12. Bush used this power 171 times, Obama only 28 times...

How Often Have Recent Presidents Made Recess Appointments?
President William J. Clinton made 139 recess appointments, 95 to full-time positions. President
George W. Bush made 171 recess appointments, of which 99 were to full-time positions.2 As of
December 8, 2011, President Barack Obama had made 28 recess appointments, all to full-time
positions.
http://www.senate.gov/CRSReports/crs-publish.cfm?pid='0DP%2BP%5CW%3B%20P%20%20%0A

[LynneSin]

13. rarely my ass

Rarely is if they use it once or twice

171 means it should be called 'commonly used'



Thank you for that information

[surfdog]

24. "Thank you for that information"

To be honest I don't think you read the information

[onenote]

14. I think the author was referring to making recess appointments

during a recess of three days or less, something which, I believe, has only happened twice. The most recent was Truman, who made a single recess appointment (re-appointing a member of the Civil Aeronautics Board whose term had expired) on the first day of a three day recess between sessions in 1948-1949. The only other example of recess appointments being made during a recess of less than 3 days -- and the only example of recess appointments being made during the "constructive" recess that occurs in the fraction of time when Congress adjourns one session and begins another immediately thereafter is Teddy Roosevelt, who made over 150 recess appointments in 1903, mostly military commissions as I understand it.

So I think its fair to say that if Obama made a recess appointment in the fraction of time that exists between the adjournment of the first session of the 112th Congress and the commencement of the 2nd session, he'd be employing a "rarely-used presidential maneuver."

[surfdog]

23. Really?

Bush made recess appointments in a few seconds in between congressional sessions ?

I sure would like to see a link for that

[EC]

16. He should have had a whole list

to appoint during recess...

[joshcryer]

20. I highly doubt he'll do it, but if he does he'll get 5 minutes of feigned support...

...before the bashing resumes.

[Motown_Johnny]

22. kicking due to Obama's speech in Ohio

[surfdog]

25. Bump because people are still confused

[Earth_First]

26. I don't like this at all...

I don't like the whole concept of 'slipping one in' governace; regardless of who is doing it.

[Motown_Johnny]

27. compared to refusing to confirm anyone no matter what

I think this is a lesser evil