Published this morning at the New York Times Opinion pages, Elizabeth Warren issues this beautiful smackdown entitled “One Way to Rebuild Our Institutions”. Okay I’m calling it a ‘smackdown’ (b/c enthusiasm!) although she certainly does not ‘name names’ or put any thumb firmly on anyone in particular’s scale. This is a well argued opinion piece with clear principled positions that I believe we (nearly) all share. Her message is one we should all consider.
Warren first gives credit where credit is due (i.e. Pres. Obama: “The Obama administration has a substantial track record on agency rules and executive actions.”) and then proceeds to say, basically, that we can do even better in this next cycle. The decision is ours.
Whether the next president will build on them, or reverse them, is a central issue in the 2016 election. But the administration’s record on enforcement falls short — and federal enforcement of laws that already exist has received far too little attention on the campaign trail.
I just released a report examining 20 of the worst federal enforcement failures in 2015. Its conclusion: “Corporate criminals routinely escape meaningful prosecution for their misconduct.”
[snip}
Enforcement isn’t about big government or small government. It’s about whether government works and who it works for. Last year, five of the world’s biggest banks, including JPMorgan Chase, pleaded guilty to criminal charges that they rigged the price of billions of dollars worth of foreign currencies. No corporation can break the law unless people in that corporation also broke the law, but no one from any of those banks has been charged. While thousands of Americans were rotting in prison for nonviolent drug convictions, JPMorgan Chase was so chastened by pleading guilty to a crime that it awarded Jamie Dimon, its C.E.O., a 35 percent raise.
Much more to read at the link. She concludes with this:
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.
Legislative agendas matter, but voters should also ask which presidential candidates they trust with the extraordinary power to choose who will fight on the front lines to enforce the laws. The next president can rebuild faith in our institutions by honoring the simple notion that nobody is above the law, but it will happen only if voters demand it.
I do not expect Warren to formally endorse anyone during the primary, as much as we might like her too. With articles like this one, she doesn’t really need to, if you ask me. I, for one, hear her message loud and clear.
#Bernie Sanders :: Not For Sale
UPDATE: thanks for the rec list, y’all; will be AFK for a while, play nice!
I endorse this comment by Satya1: Hidden endorsement or not, it’s a vital principle that we should all take to heart.