Lucas,
Here's some good news to get 2012 off to a promising start.
President Obama announced that he has, at long last, made a recess appointment of Richard Cordray to run the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
There is no doubt that Public Citizen -- that you -- helped the president take this assertive and necessary step.
No organization was a stronger voice than Public Citizen in calling for the creation of the new bureau as part of the Wall Street reform legislation.
No organization has been more active than Public Citizen in demanding the appointment of a qualified leader for the bureau, despite partisan obstructionism by Wall Street's lackeys in Congress. Public Citizen activists like you have sent over 95,000 messages to Congress in support of the bureau and either Elizabeth Warren or Richard Cordray as its leader.
And no organization has done more than Public Citizen to point out -- including in a letter to President Obama way back in June -- that both the Constitution and historical precedent clearly establish the president's authority to make this recess appointment.
That's what we -- Public Citizen's staff, our activists, our supporters, and you -- do.
We know what's right, and we fight for it -- with expert research and policy proposals, with uncompromising dedication and uncompromised independence, with informed and concerted activism -- until we get it.
We have that resolve because thousands and thousands of engaged citizens like you from coast to coast contribute to the vital work we're doing together.
I know we asked for your support a good bit in the closing weeks of 2011. The response was truly inspiring, and I had planned to take a break before I asked again.
But it's not every day that the President of the United States makes such a bold move thanks in part to you and Public Citizen. We should be proud of this victory for consumers over corporate greed.
If you can, donate today to make sure that we have the resources to keep fighting for more wins like this throughout 2012.
Thank you for your activism. Thank you for standing with Public Citizen so that we have the collective power to make big things happen. Thank you for your support.
Onward!
Robert Weissman
President, Public Citizen
P.S. To read more about President Obama's authority to make this recess appointment, visit www.huffingtonpost.com/david-arkush .