This again shows you he has the right priorities. Still, Greg Sargent's question kind of tells you where we're at. Here was his subtitle in today's post discussing Watts:
"Will Republicans filibuster Obama's pick to oversee Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac -- a well-qualified former Congressman who is devoted to bringing relief to distressed middle class homeowners?"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2013/05/01/the-morning-plum-a-good-move-on-the-housing-crisis/
Put that way the answer is obvious: hell, yes. Ok, hopefully not, but if I have money on it, that's the way I'm betting. However, that works out, this is a very good pick. More good news: top libs Elizabeth Warren and Keith Ellison are getting behind the President.
Of course, many in the past have argued Obama doesn't get it on housing. However, there's no denying this is a major step forward:
The failure to adequately deal with the ongoing housing and mortgage crisis is one of the more disappointing aspects of Obama’s record, so it’s good to see that he’s nominating a strong pick to oversee Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. From the Huffington Post:
"Will Republicans filibuster Obama's pick to oversee Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac -- a well-qualified former Congressman who is devoted to bringing relief to distressed middle class homeowners?"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2013/05/01/the-morning-plum-a-good-move-on-the-housing-crisis/
Put that way the answer is obvious: hell, yes. Ok, hopefully not, but if I have money on it, that's the way I'm betting. However, that works out, this is a very good pick. More good news: top libs Elizabeth Warren and Keith Ellison are getting behind the President.
Of course, many in the past have argued Obama doesn't get it on housing. However, there's no denying this is a major step forward:
The failure to adequately deal with the ongoing housing and mortgage crisis is one of the more disappointing aspects of Obama’s record, so it’s good to see that he’s nominating a strong pick to oversee Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. From the Huffington Post:
President Barack Obama will nominate Mel Watt, a longtime Democratic congressman from North Carolina, to oversee government-controlled mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in a move that may give the White House greater control over housing policy.Obama will announce his nomination of Watt to lead the Federal Housing Finance Agency on Wednesday, people familiar with the matter said. The nomination, subject to Senate approval, would thrust the Yale-educated lawyer into the center of U.S. economic policy as the government weighs how best to maintain the housing recovery while reducing the government’s role in propping up home prices and providing loans.
"Watt would replace the Bush-appointed Ed DeMarco, who has been widely pilloried by liberals for refusing Obama administration requests to allow Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to offer relief to distressed home borrowers. Dems are pointing out this morning that Watt has a record of supporting legislation to fight predatory mortgage lending practices."
This brings us back to hell yes
Watt is all but certain to face opposition from Republicans. HuffPo again:
Many Democrats have argued that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac should be used to advance policies that would aid the broader housing market, and by extension the economy. Republicans are opposed to using the mortgage financiers as tools for economic or social policy.Industry executives and Washington lobbyists view Watt as a potential FHFA chief who would go along with Obama administration requests. For that reason alone, Watt may face an uphill climb to confirmation due to potential Republican opposition. Since its creation in 2008 the FHFA has never had a Senate-confirmed director.
"It will be interesting to see if Republicans filibuster Watt. As one Dem remarked to me this morning, the optics will not be all that great if they block a well-qualified black Member of Congress who is devoted to bringing relief to middle class homeowners amid the continuing housing and mortgage crisis."
Here's Elizabeth Warren on Watts:
"The President has made an excellent choice in nominating Mel Watt to be Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA). Congressman Watt is a thoughtful policymaker with a deep background in finance and a long record as a champion for working families. The Senate should confirm Congressman Watt soon so he can get to work stabilizing shaky housing markets and helping struggling homeowners."
It seems clear that liberals will get behind Watts:
"Two top liberals — Senator Elizabeth Warren and Dem Rep. Keith Ellison, the co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus — both assured me that Watt is a solid choice for the left. “Mel Watt is the strongest consumer advocate you’re going to get,” Ellison told me. “He has a clear record on fighting predatory lending and protecting home owners. He is a key author of Wall Street reform. He is the kind of person homeowners can trust.”
"Indeed, Watt is on record supporting “principal reduction,” i.e., helping distressed borrowers with loans backed up by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Watt, along with other House Dems, signed a letter calling for it to be included in the fiscal cliff deal. So presumably he’ll support it if confirmed to head the new agency, though he should be asked this during the confirmation process."
Yes, there are caveats:
"Some liberals, such as David Dayen and Matthew Yglesias, have noted that Watt has received a good deal of financial contributions from the banking industry and that he’s likely to be a reliable ally of banks headquartered in his home state of North Carolina. These are legitimate concerns, since the question is whether this would mean Watt would not be confrontational enough with mortgage lenders and investors when it comes to defending homeowners still struggling in the foreclosure crisis. It could allow GOP attacks to muddy the waters on which party is beholden to Wall Street."
Not saying they aren't at all important concerns, still things will be 1000 percent better just getting Ed DeMarco out of there.
Senator Warren thinks Watts is a guy we can trust:
"I asked Senator Warren to respond to these concerns. ”He has a long, established track record of working for families and strengthening the communities they live in,” Warren said. “If that puts him at odds with mortgage lenders and Wall Street investors, I think he has the courage to stand up and do what’s right.”
Warren noted that part of the new gig will be “monitoring the mortgage lenders as they deal with the families who are in trouble on their payments,” which would mean “mortgage lenders will advocate a point of view that he will have to evaluate.” But she added that the more important part of the job is to “set the policies for Fannie and Freddie, both in terms of new lending but also in terms of dealing with homeowners in financial trouble.”
“He works for families — that’s what he’s done in the House,” Warren said. “I have no doubt that’s what he will do in heading up this new agency.”
“Principal reduction is the top line thing,” Tracy Van Slyke, the head of New Bottom Line, a coalition of liberal groups fighting for distressed homeowners, told me. “We anticipate he’ll be very good on that.”
At the end of the day what matters is getting DeMarco out of here:
"The need to get rid of DeMarco and help homeowners now is why it’s crucial Watt be confirmable. Is he? Ellison said he believes that Watt’s relationship with the banking community might even be a plus on this score. “Someone exclusively associated with consumer protection would probably get overwhelming opposition from industry,” Ellison said. “But he listens to both sides. They can walk into his office and know that they’ll be heard.”
"Asked if he worried about industry’s contributions to Watt, Ellison said: “If his record proves anything it’s that those donations don’t mean anything to him.”
"In the end, replacing DeMarco is what’s critical. “It’s time for Ed DeMarco to go,” Warren said. “He rejected policies that would have helped families and helped the economy recover faster.”
Another area that the President has been accused of not getting in the past but wants to move on now is closing Guantanamo.
This link asks if the President's push will go anywhere. If it doesn't, is it his fault? That's what always gets me about the Obama bashers on the Left. If anything doesn't happen it's 100% Obama's fault. He tried on mortgages; you had a rouge man running Feddie and Frannie who was simply defying the President. How is the story there: Obama doesn't want to help homeonwers?
With Gitmo, it's the same thing. He wanted to do something but Congress out of political cowardice left him high and dry. Sargent does suggest what the President can do now about closing Gitmo without the need for Congress's approval.
"Yesterday Obama pledged yet again to try to close Guantanamo in the face of Congressional opposition. But as Charlie Savage reports, there are several steps he could be taking right now to begin to address the problem, such as begin transferring individual detainees to home countries by waiver, appoint an official to oversee Guantanamo policy, and begin parole style hearings."
I agree with Sargent that the President must make it a priority and I do believe he will.
No comments:
Post a Comment