Summers May Be Off Treasury Secretary Short List

Politico:

Intense backlash from women's groups may have pushed former Clinton Treasury Secretary Larry Summers off the short-list to lead Treasury for President-elect Barack Obama, according to widespread reports circulating in Democratic circles.

The women's opposition to a possible Summers' appointment was the explanation some Democratic sources are hearing for why the Obama transition team has crossed Summers off their list. The Obama team doesn't want to kick off its administration with a controversy nor go head-to-head with an important constituency when there are other qualified candidates, political operatives speculate.

Read the whole story: Politico

Comments

[Elderlady]

Is it just me - or is "Politico" doing a whole lot of "speculating" lately?

[BSERIUS]

The special interest LIB agenda is already affecting the HOPE and CHANGE... The GLBT , the Feminists, ,,and he still hasn't left the Senate (though who would know)

[canucklivinginUSA]

I know its vomit-inducing

[larry278]

Time wounds all heels, now.

[BlueAsh]

We've had eight years of a government driven by ideology at the expense of competence and common sense. It'll be a shame to let any demagogue, left or right, to hijack the agenda.

[messy]

The Feminists have hurt America yet again. The next treasury secretary should be a man because of this.

[larmarch5]

Define "feminists". Hopefully you don't mean all women. Mr. Summers is NOT likely to attract a good team if selected to lead Treasury. Obama needs a good Team leader as much as a mastermind.

[TopProf]

what rot! as if activists ever had any real power to hurt America. Now robber barons, outlaw free market ideologues -- they have hurt America. Let's hope American survives the damage Summers, Rubin, Volkers and other faux democrats have wreaked on us.

[RoloTomassi]

I could care less about the feminist objections about his statements while at Harvard; IMO, that's much ado about nothing.

But Summers was for years a neoliberal economist involved in despicable work for the IMF & World Bank, and even if he's done an ideological 180 since then, I don't think he should be trusted.

[dayala]

if Obama TRULY wanted to be BOLD and NONPARTISAN he would offer the position to Ron Paul.

[Razorbazk2005]

For what?

[RoloTomassi]

That wouldn't make a lot of sense when it comes to cohesiveness; Ron Paul does not believe in UHC, would like to take us back to the gold standard, kill the Fed, and continue with an even more deregulated free market. Those concepts runn opposite of Obama's stated goals.

And while it would be bold, it would also be terrribly inconsistent and problematic to his own agenda. It makes no sense at all.

[TotobiAyokoh23]

If true, that would be a very good strategic riddance. Summers is brilliant, BUT he is still caught in a trap of neoclassical economics that is far aloof from the bread and butter political economy of ordinary people.

[bosshogg]

i hate "maybe" stories, however if Obama can over look Biden statement then picked him for v.p than why can't women groups after Summers apologized ......................................................

[trollslayer]

He's economically and intellectually bereft.

[bosshogg]

if Summers not qualified for the job that should be the reason he shouldn't get it not because of pressure from any group..............

[larmarch5]

There are differences between mistakes and gaffes and "speaking your mind" then regretting it.

[Egalitare]

A from-the-hip prediction: when the dust settles, there will be 3 or fewer "Clinton retreads" in Obama's cabinet. Most of these people (Summers, Rubin) want to get their two-cents in, then go back to their comfortable 7-figure lives, and Obama has them in the transition tent to calm the anxieties of the Wall Street crowd.

[GeorgiaOrwell]

I say Tom Friedman would be fantastic for Treasury head. He's brilliant and enlightened; I feel he is a trustworthy candidate, who in addition to a thorough knowledge of economics, is strongly concerned about the environment and would be worthy of this administration and post.

[trollslayer]

I couldn't disagree more. Everything he writes that's correct is banal and obvious. And a lot of what he writes is garbage. He thinks we have to compete with China by becoming like them. The answer to bringing back manufacturing in the USA is NOT SLAVE LABOR.

[trollslayer]

Good. He's absolutely wrong for that post.

Obama should seriously consider Michael Greenberger who is a brilliant mind and eminently qualified.

He was one of the few to predict this financial crisis and one of the few who spoke out about the deregulation of the banking sector with the repeal of Glass-Steagall.

[trollslayer]

Obama should listen specifically to this interview of Greenberger given in April of this year on NPR -
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89338743&sc=emaf

[Sapphdia]

He already had the job. Give it to someone fresh and new who is qualified like Krugman.

[kjstjohn]

I love Krugman.

[Topfeeder]

Good idea!

[nellie]

A step in the right direction, IMHO.

[DJ23]

"The Obama team doesn’t want to kick off its administration with a controversy nor go head-to-head with an important constituency when there are other qualified candidates, political operatives speculate."

The key word "SPECULATE".

Yet Politico still writes a 2 page article based on admitted speculation.

"We are witnessing the death of good journalism Lynn"