Originally Posted By ecdc <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/26/AR2009112602362.html" target="_blank">http://www.washingtonpost.com/...362.html</a> This is remarkable, superb news. Shame it's gone largely unnoticed. This is exactly the kind of change people wanted. It hasn't come overnight, but it's coming nonetheless. Anything that says "lobbyists up in arms" is ok by me.
Originally Posted By Dabob2 "Under the policy, which is being phased in over the coming months, none of the more than 13,000 lobbyists in Washington would be able to hold seats on the committees, which advise agencies on trade rules, troop levels, environmental regulations, consumer protections and thousands of other government policies. "Some folks have developed a comfortable Beltway perch sitting on these boards while at the same time working as lobbyists to influence the government," said White House ethics counsel Norm Eisen, who disclosed the policy in a September blog posting on the White House Web site. "That is just the kind of special interest access that the president objects to." WOW. This is EXACTLY the kind of change I was looking for, too.
Originally Posted By mawnck >>Shame it's gone largely unnoticed. << You can wake me up when it boots Geithner and Bernanke.
Originally Posted By Dabob2 <You can wake me up when it boots Geithner and Bernanke.> Let's not make the perfect the enemy of the good.
Originally Posted By Mr X The White House has no authority over the Fed, and I think that includes Bernanke. I could be wrong about that (I assume there is some mechanism for impeachment or non-renewal, but if so it'd be something for the legislative branch to deal with).
Originally Posted By SuperDry The President appoints, and the Senate confirms, the Fed chairman for each 6-year term. Once appointed, the chairman has to report regularly to Congress and show up for testimony, but the only direct powers over him at that point are impeachment or non-confirmation if he gets re-appointed.
Originally Posted By SpokkerJones Bernanke did what he had to do. He's a scholar of the Great Depression, and a less capable person would have sent us into a lot more terrible situation.
