Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) criticized the Obama administration for being soft on “corporate criminals” in a Friday column for The New York Times.
“The failure to adequately punish big corporations or their executives when they break the law undermines the foundations of this great country,” Warren wrote. “Justice cannot mean a prison sentence for a teenager who steals a car, but nothing more than a sideways glance at a CEO who quietly engineers the theft of billions of dollars.”
Warren said the administration’s lack of enforcement demeans “our principles,” but conceded “weak enforcement is sometimes a result of limited authority.”
While President Barack Obama might not be directly accountable for individual decisions, Warren wrote, he nominates agency heads who are accountable, citing the Environmental Protection Agency as a positive example and the Securities and Exchange Commission as a negative one.
“Each of these government divisions is headed by someone nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate. The lesson is clear: Personnel is policy,” she concluded.
Odd time to write this editorial, isn’t it? Why not when she first came in still in the glow of his having chosen her to create the CFPB? I wonder if she’s trying to goad Clinton into stating her intentions on appointments.
After all, the Republicans always appointed people to run things in favor of all corporations. Remember the dept of Interior employees having sex and doing drugs with the oil company executives they were “regulating”? Where were her and others’ complaints then?
The failure to prosecute self-admitted war criminals doesn’t help either. (He wasn’t called Eric “Place” Holder for nothin’.)
“confirmed by the Senate”
seems to be a big road block.
Reading about Warren just reminds me what we won’t get with Clinton. Clinton will make no promise that would cost Wall street a dime. So bend over, America.
Strongly agree. The timing of this can not simply be coincidence.