Unsurprisingly, President Obama is going to nominate Jack Lew, currently White House chief of staff, to replace Timothy Geithner as Treasury Secretary. Hardly a popular pick among Republicans since they view Lew as preachy and abrasive — though certainly a budget expert. Geithner without the charm. John Boehner better keep Paul Ryan handy during the upcoming budget battles. As the National Journal describes him:
At the center of this push will be Lew, a 30-year veteran of budget battles under Presidents Reagan and Clinton. Tall and thin, with Harry Potter-like glasses and salt-and-pepper hair, he looks like a typical Washington technocrat, an image that belies his talent for combat. “He’s like a labor-union negotiator. He’s not going to give you an inch if he doesn’t have to,” says Judd Gregg, the Republican former senator and Budget Committee chairman. “He’s a true believer in the causes.”
More broadly, some on the right were hoping for a CEO or maybe Erskine Bowles — someone, anyone to inject a bit of fiscal reality into an administration that doesn’t seem to take the debt issue very seriously. Or at least the spending issue. Lew is there to push the Obama agenda, which means getting as much as possible of the $2 trillion in tax hikes the president has outlined. He doesn’t seem open to the idea that investment taxes hinder growth.
And both Democrats and Republicans wonder about Lew’s lack of financial market experience. What if the eurocrisis reignites, or investors finally get queasy about those massive US budget deficits? That may require a creative financial thinker rather than a career technocrat. Recall that Geithner previously was head of the NY Fed.
Little doubt the liberal Lew will be confirmed. But when he is, it should put permanently to rest the idea that Obama will ever “pivot to the center.”
Maybe the GOp will like Greenspan in the position.
Seriously, Jim, they just hate ANY idea the President puts forward, and its a sign of their impotence and immaturity. Even Chuck Hagel is getting razzed after getting 90% approval ratings from Conservative groups for his entire career. So now, of course, they’re swift boating him.
Another reason for me to not take you seriously.
You definitely have a point there, the Republicans backlash against Hagel discredits the party in my opinion. I personally like Hagel as a conservative, however it is now clear the Republican Party has maintained a non-conservative foreign policy.
You are quite right. The American Conservative had a good piece today on how the GOP needs to stop looking at the world merely as a canvas to spread their own ideals. It tends to get us into trouble, and encumbers us for billions of dollars.
AmCon is worth following. If GENUINE Conservatism is to return to this country, as opposed to the cartoon version it has mestacized into, people like them will lead it.
The choice of Lew signals that Obama is going to tell the GOP to stuff it when it comes to spending cuts. Woodward’s “The Price of Politics” describes Lew’s abrasive resistance to making either budget cuts or a deal. Obama does not think the US has a spending problem.
The GOP must put the Democrats on a monthly or quarterly diet – incremental increases in the national debt limit, incorporating big spending cuts. Take it or leave it.
Yeah, sure. Everyone should ignore ME and listen to YOU.
The GOP was offered a 10 to 1 spending cut to revenue deal, and walked. Now, it has nothing, and it’s going to stamp its feet and unctuously lecture us all of us on “fiscal responsibility.”
Is it any wonder cockroaches and ghonorrea have a higher favorability rating than the GOP controlled House?
Yeah, yet another deal where the tax increases are immediate and the spending cuts are pushed off to some indeterminate time in the future. Democrats pulled that stunt on Ronald Reagan 25+ years ago, got him to agree in $100B in tax hikes in exchange for $300B in spending cuts that never happened. Better to have no spending cuts at all than mythical ones.
If Lew was the OMB director, in charge of budgeting for Obama’s 1st term, then I would argue he is incompetent as there was not even 1 budget that was adopted during Obama’s first 4 years and it is apparent they have no intention of adopting another one, ever.
The guy should have lost his job a long time ago.
The first time Lew and the House Rs met on the debt ceiling, Lew sent them back to the House with “$60 billion” in cuts which the CBO scored as $60 million upfront. (Yup, b to m as in 1 percent.) So look at Lew’s tenure as continuing education for Ryan et al.
But Obama has said he will not be extorted over the debt ceiling, so the Rs should be looking for a new game plan. Pew Research says the House R leadership got 19 percent approval on cliff negotiations. http://www.people-press.org/2013/01/07/obama-viewed-as-fiscal-cliff-victor-legislation-gets-lukewarm-reception/
Note to math challenged Rs: 19 percent not good. O percent worse.
Oops. Make that $600 million sted of $60 million. Hard to keep track of all those zeroes.
“But Obama has said he will not be extorted over the debt ceiling, so the Rs should be looking for a new game plan“…
Are talking about this clown?
“Mr. President, I rise today to talk about America’s debt problem. The fact that we are here today to debate raising America’s debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the U.S. Government can’t pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our Government’s reckless fiscal policies“…
LOL!
Damn Thomas congressioal service… Link last 30 minutes only…
Congressional Record link: “Mr. President, I rise today to talk about America’s debt problem. The fact that we are here today to debate raising America’s debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the U.S. Government can’t pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our Government’s reckless fiscal policies“…
Followed your link. Found Chuck Grassley making sense. And he’s Republican.
“Followed your link. Found Chuck Grassley making sense“…
How would YOU know what was making sense or not?
If you don’t think Chuck makes sense, why did you link to him?
“If you don’t think Chuck makes sense, why did you link to him?“…
I figured you and he can get together since you make any sense either…
“The GOP was offered a 10 to 1 spending cut to revenue deal, and walked“…
Hey maxie boy I got a bridge over the Mississippi from Missouri to Illinois, I can let you have for cheap, are you interested?
Hagel for defense secretary, oh yeah!
What a choice…
Dang it Juandos. You buying bridges again? I keep telling you. Before you hand over the money, ask the guy ‘Did you build that?’
“You buying bridges again?“…
I knew it, todd can’t read simple English…
Can you point out where I said I ‘bought‘ a bridge?
Come on todd, maybe you can get an adult in the dayroom to help you out…
The “Merchants of… America” are in full control.
The American patriots are in an induced comatose…
America is FINISHED!
Golly, when I read you’ve “got a bridge” I naturally assume that you mean you’ve got a bridge. Then again, maybe English isn’t your first language.
“Golly, when I read you’ve “got a bridge” I naturally assume that you mean you’ve got a bridge“…
Reread your original comment dummie: “You buying bridges again?“…
http://tinypic.com/r/2nh0to1/6
“http://tinypic.com/r/2nh0to1/6“…
Poor todd still can’t figure out how to embed…