Why Obama wants an unqualified Treasury Secretary

Larry Kudlow:
The worst part of the Jack Lew nomination for treasury secretary is not simply that he has no qualifications, standing or experience in the financial world or international sphere (think G20 and European debt crisis). Nor is it simply that he doesn't have any seasoned currency opinions (under Obama, the greenback has dropped 10 percent, while gold has doubled).

Yes, these are big disqualifiers. But the real problem is that Lew is a left-liberal Obama spear-carrier, whose very appointment signals a sharp confrontation with the Republican House over key issues such as the debt ceiling, the spending sequester, next year's budgets and taxes.

From all the way back when Lew was staff advisor to Tip O'Neill, he has been a man of the left. So as treasury secretary, I expect the former Obama budget director to push for trillions of dollars in new tax hikes, absolutely minimal spending restraint and no serious entitlement reform.

Instead of being a fresh face who can generate a clean start for a new slate of fiscal compromises, Lew -- who doesn't play well with the other kids -- is going to represent the same old Obama confrontation with the Republican House.

It didn't have to be this way. As treasury secretary, Obama supporter Larry Fink of Blackrock would have tremendous support from the financial community in the effort to solve our fiscal imbalances. So would budget reformer Erskine Bowles. Or Amex CEO Kenneth Chenault. Or even the outspoken Democratic banker Jamie Dimon.

These are all men of experience, high standing and respect within financial circles. Any one of them would have given Obama credibility and led us to serious talks about growing the economy and keeping us out of bankruptcy. Lew has none of their qualities.

And did I say Lew doesn't play well with the other kids? He may have singlehandedly sabotaged the Boehner-Obama deficit talks in 2011. "Jack Lew said 'no' 999,000 times out of a million," House Speaker John Boehner told author and reporter Bob Woodward. "At one point I told the president, 'Keep him out of here.'" Many believe Lew was responsible for the last-minute $400 billion tax hike that doomed the talks.
... 
He did it because he is not interested in solving the debt crisis and he will have someone who will thwart any attempts  at a deal.  Obama's big gamble is that he can blame Republicans for the lack of a deal, but the word is already out on Lew so it will be hard to do.

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