Franken whips up support for Elizabeth Warren appointment

Warren meets in 2009 with Rep. Keith Ellison

Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) is joining an effort by progressive groups to get consumer advocate, Harvard professor and liberal darling Elizabeth Warren appointed to head the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Talking Points Memo reports that the effort involves the Progressive Change Campaign Committee and CREDO, which have gathered 200,000 signatures on a petition in support of Warren’s appointment.

To do his part, Franken wrote a letter in support of Warren, and is asking his colleagues in the Senate to sign on. Franken initially announced his backing of Warren at the recent Netroots Nation conference. He’s persisted in that support despite reservations from some Democrats, including Sen. Chris Dodd, that Warren is not confirmable.

Franken told the Huffington Post:

“The White House has to decide if they want a confirmation fight. I don’t know what their considerations are. In my consideration, I think Elizabeth would be the best.”

Members of the Minnesota delegation in Congress, including Rep. Keith Ellison, have thrown their weight behind Warren. Others members of the delegation are targets of the progressive groups’ lobbying campaign.