Obama May Sneak Warren in as 'Interim' Consumer Chief

...for an indefinite period of time
By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff
Posted Sep 14, 2010 6:35 AM CDT
Obama May Sneak Warren in as 'Interim' Consumer Chief
Elizabeth Warren, head of the Congressional Oversight Panel, testifies before a Senate Finance Committee hearing to examine the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) on Capitol Hill, July 21, 2010.   (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

President Obama is considering making Elizabeth Warren the quote-unquote interim director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, as a way of avoiding a Republican filibuster, a White House source tells the Huffington Post. Appointing Warren on an interim basis would allow her to begin setting up the agency she invented immediately. And since Obama’s not actually required to name a permanent director, Warren could simply keep the job indefinitely.

Obama could also name Warren as interim director for now, then make the appointment permanent later. When asked on Friday if Warren was under consideration to run the agency, Obama replied that Warren was a “dear friend” and “tremendous advocate” but that he’d wait a bit before making the “official” announcement. To get a sense of how hard progressives have been pushing for Warren, click here. (More Elizabeth Warren stories.)

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