Senate Dems Not Sure They Can Get Enough Votes to Reconfirm Bernanke

[cal04]

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2010/01/senate-dems-not-sure-they-can-get-enough-votes-to-reconfirm-bernanke.html

Amidst the voter anger at Wall Street and Washington, D.C., ABC News has learned that the Senate Democratic leadership isn't sure there are enough votes to re-confirm Ben Bernanke for another term as chairman of the Federal Reserve.

Bernanke's term expires on Jan. 31.

The White House did not respond to many requests for comment.

"The American people are disgusted with the greed and recklessness of Wall Street," Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said in an interview with The Associated Press last month. "People are asking, 'Why didn't the Fed intervene at the appropriate time to stop the casino-type activities of large financial companies?'"

Sanders, Sen. Jim Bunning, R-Ky., Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., and Sen. David Vitter, R-La., have all put holds on Bernanke's nomination, requiring 60 votes to proceed to a vote.

[rurallib]

1. I feel sorry for old Ben

Maybe Obama can find a Democrat......?

[OHdem10]

2. I do too.

[unkachuck]

3. good....

....he presided over the meltdown and it's still melting down for millions of American....get the SOB out of here -- he's the problem, not the solution....

[Andy823]

4. I agree with Bernie

The FED should have done something about this, and if they didn't know what was going on, then that's even worse! I don't feel sorry for Bernanke at all, and I hope the next FED does his or her job instead of working with the "crooks" to rob the country!

[ddeclue]

5. cry me a river..

:eyes:

[laughingliberal]

6. Good! Get him out of there!

I do not want Ben 'entitlement reform' Bernanke any where near our money. Course that nice new deficit commission can still screw us but I'd prefer the Chairman of the Fed could think of something more original than 'entitlement reform.' I know how about military spending reform? Or corporate welfare reform?

On edit: or raise more revenue reform by, oh I dunno, rolling back some tax cuts and creating a few jobs to create a few more taxpayers.

[LakeSamish706]

7. Damn good... Screw Bernanke... He is part of the problem. n/t

[spanone]

8. shocked, i tell you, shocked!!!!

[spanone]

9. Obama should fire him...he was here when the shit went down..he's bu$h*s guy for chrissake

[bemildred]

10. Damn shame that.

:-)

[dixiegrrrrl]

11. Day-yum. Some good news today.

Please let it be so.
I don't care why Repugs are blocking the confirmation.
Maybe it's just god and mysterious ways..
just would be happy if old Helicopter Ben auto-rotated away from DC..

[theoldman]

12. Bernanke was selected by a Republican president.

Most of the Republicans will vote for him and so will most Democrats if Obama wants to keep him. I guess we will know in 10 days or less. If I were a betting man I would bet on Bernanke. No one else wants the job.

[dixiegrrrrl]

13. but he was RE-appointed by OUR President.

Notice the lack of "change-y" in that.

[defendandprotect]

14. Tsk tsk . . . Let him leave with Emmanuel, Summers and the rest of the corporatists...

[Pab Sungenis]

15. Maybe Volcker's being trotted out for this financial regulation effort

is a sign that he's Obama's backup when Bernanke goes down to defeat?

[Hawkeye-X]

16. Ol' Ben needs to be indicted, not nominated.

Kick out Geithner, Summers and the rest of the ratbastard.

Hawkeye-X

[begin_within]

17. So abolish the Fed and go back on the gold standard.

[emsimon33]

18. Cry me a river...sarcastically

[MilesColtrane]

19. Better catch the last chopper out, Ben.

[Raineyb]

20. Good!

He needs to go.

[cal04]

21. Opposition Grows Against Second Term for Bernanke

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/23/business/economy/23fed.html?hp

The confirmation of Ben S. Bernanke to a second four-year term as chairman of the Federal Reserve ran into further trouble on Friday as two more Democratic senators said they would vote against him.

The White House came to Mr. Bernanke’s defense, but the Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, appeared uncertain about whether there were the 60 votes necessary to confirm Mr. Bernanke before his term as chairman expires on Jan. 31. A spokesman for Mr. Reid said the senator himself had not yet decided whether to support Mr. Bernanke.

Senator Christopher J. Dodd, Democrat of Connecticut and the chairman of the Banking Committee, warned on Friday that a no vote would send the “worst signal to the market right now,” and could lead to an economic “tailspin.”

In a statement Friday morning, Senator Barbara Boxer, Democrat of California, came out against Mr. Bernanke, who was named to his post during the Bush administration. She said she had “a lot of respect” for him and praised him for preventing the economic crisis from getting even worse. “However, it is time for a change,” she said. “It is time for Main Street to have a champion at the Fed.”

[donheld]

22. Awe shucks!