SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Letter to President Obama on Professor Elizabeth Warren
Jul 23, 2010
Dear President Obama:
It is time for you to give taxpayers, consumers, and investors a reason
to believe that you are truly interested in consumer protection by
nominating Professor Elizabeth Warren to be the Director of the
much-anticipated Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).
Professor
Warren combines rigorous scholarship, a superb sense of needed change
and clear ways to communicate those needs to families and individuals
around the country. Consumer leaders know that Professor Warren has been
a strong and talented Chair of the Congressional Oversight Panel (COP)
reviewing the current state of financial markets and the regulatory
system.
In addition, Professor Warren had the vision and good sense to propose
and advocate for the creation of an entity much like the Consumer
Financial Protection Bureau.
It is troubling that Shahien Nasiripour, Huffington Post business
reporter, wrote in a July 15, 2010 article: "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."
It is equally troubling that on NPR's Diane Rehm Show, Senator
Christopher Dodd, Chairman of the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs
Committee attempted to further undermine Professor Warren. Today's
National Journal Online reports that when "Asked about Warren, who is
chairing a special commission created to oversee the bank bailouts, Dodd
said that 'no idea is terribly creative if it can't sell' and he asked
rhetorically about Warren, 'Is she confirmable?'"
With Senator Dodd showing a lack of leadership or willingness to fight
for Professor Warren, and with Treasury Secretary Geithner seemingly
preferring someone who is more willing to fight for Wall Street
speculators with other peoples' money than consumers and investors on
Main Street, it is imperative that you issue a strong and clear
statement of support for Professor Warren now.
Wall Street's "picks" for high positions in your administration have met
with your concurrence again and again. Now it is time for the
overwhelming choice of Professor Warren by consumer groups in Washington
and all the country to be respected.
If you wish to make this an adverse political issue for November, you
can. Or you can be a responsive leader and secure Senate confirmation
for the peoples' choice.
Sincerely,
Ralph Nader
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, The U.S. is on a fast track to authoritarianism like nothing I've ever seen. Meanwhile, corporate news outlets are utterly capitulating to Trump, twisting their coverage to avoid drawing his ire while lining up to stuff cash in his pockets. That's why I believe that Common Dreams is doing the best and most consequential reporting that we've ever done. Our small but mighty team is a progressive reporting powerhouse, covering the news every day that the corporate media never will. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. And to ignite change for the common good. Now here's the key piece that I want all our readers to understand: None of this would be possible without your financial support. That's not just some fundraising cliche. It's the absolute and literal truth. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. Will you donate now to help power the nonprofit, independent reporting of Common Dreams? Thank you for being a vital member of our community. Together, we can keep independent journalism alive when it’s needed most. - Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Ralph Nader
Ralph Nader is a consumer advocate and the author of "The Seventeen Solutions: Bold Ideas for Our American Future" (2012). His new book is, "Wrecking America: How Trump's Lies and Lawbreaking Betray All" (2020, co-authored with Mark Green).
Dear President Obama:
It is time for you to give taxpayers, consumers, and investors a reason
to believe that you are truly interested in consumer protection by
nominating Professor Elizabeth Warren to be the Director of the
much-anticipated Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).
Professor
Warren combines rigorous scholarship, a superb sense of needed change
and clear ways to communicate those needs to families and individuals
around the country. Consumer leaders know that Professor Warren has been
a strong and talented Chair of the Congressional Oversight Panel (COP)
reviewing the current state of financial markets and the regulatory
system.
In addition, Professor Warren had the vision and good sense to propose
and advocate for the creation of an entity much like the Consumer
Financial Protection Bureau.
It is troubling that Shahien Nasiripour, Huffington Post business
reporter, wrote in a July 15, 2010 article: "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."
It is equally troubling that on NPR's Diane Rehm Show, Senator
Christopher Dodd, Chairman of the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs
Committee attempted to further undermine Professor Warren. Today's
National Journal Online reports that when "Asked about Warren, who is
chairing a special commission created to oversee the bank bailouts, Dodd
said that 'no idea is terribly creative if it can't sell' and he asked
rhetorically about Warren, 'Is she confirmable?'"
With Senator Dodd showing a lack of leadership or willingness to fight
for Professor Warren, and with Treasury Secretary Geithner seemingly
preferring someone who is more willing to fight for Wall Street
speculators with other peoples' money than consumers and investors on
Main Street, it is imperative that you issue a strong and clear
statement of support for Professor Warren now.
Wall Street's "picks" for high positions in your administration have met
with your concurrence again and again. Now it is time for the
overwhelming choice of Professor Warren by consumer groups in Washington
and all the country to be respected.
If you wish to make this an adverse political issue for November, you
can. Or you can be a responsive leader and secure Senate confirmation
for the peoples' choice.
Sincerely,
Ralph Nader
Ralph Nader
Ralph Nader is a consumer advocate and the author of "The Seventeen Solutions: Bold Ideas for Our American Future" (2012). His new book is, "Wrecking America: How Trump's Lies and Lawbreaking Betray All" (2020, co-authored with Mark Green).
Dear President Obama:
It is time for you to give taxpayers, consumers, and investors a reason
to believe that you are truly interested in consumer protection by
nominating Professor Elizabeth Warren to be the Director of the
much-anticipated Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).
Professor
Warren combines rigorous scholarship, a superb sense of needed change
and clear ways to communicate those needs to families and individuals
around the country. Consumer leaders know that Professor Warren has been
a strong and talented Chair of the Congressional Oversight Panel (COP)
reviewing the current state of financial markets and the regulatory
system.
In addition, Professor Warren had the vision and good sense to propose
and advocate for the creation of an entity much like the Consumer
Financial Protection Bureau.
It is troubling that Shahien Nasiripour, Huffington Post business
reporter, wrote in a July 15, 2010 article: "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."
It is equally troubling that on NPR's Diane Rehm Show, Senator
Christopher Dodd, Chairman of the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs
Committee attempted to further undermine Professor Warren. Today's
National Journal Online reports that when "Asked about Warren, who is
chairing a special commission created to oversee the bank bailouts, Dodd
said that 'no idea is terribly creative if it can't sell' and he asked
rhetorically about Warren, 'Is she confirmable?'"
With Senator Dodd showing a lack of leadership or willingness to fight
for Professor Warren, and with Treasury Secretary Geithner seemingly
preferring someone who is more willing to fight for Wall Street
speculators with other peoples' money than consumers and investors on
Main Street, it is imperative that you issue a strong and clear
statement of support for Professor Warren now.
Wall Street's "picks" for high positions in your administration have met
with your concurrence again and again. Now it is time for the
overwhelming choice of Professor Warren by consumer groups in Washington
and all the country to be respected.
If you wish to make this an adverse political issue for November, you
can. Or you can be a responsive leader and secure Senate confirmation
for the peoples' choice.
Sincerely,
Ralph Nader
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.