It's not easy being the acting head of a federal agency.
You don't carry as much clout as your Senate-confirmed peers, and you never know when you're going to be out of a job. So it's good to maintain a sense of humor. John Walsh, who has been acting comptroller of the currency for nearly 18 months, made light of his situation Wednesday at an American Bankers Association conference.
Walsh joked that he calls over to the Senate every day and says, "Did you confirm the other guy? OK, I'll come to work," according to the ABA's Twitter feed.
Walsh may need to keep the Senate on speed dial for awhile longer. Thomas Curry has been in limbo since July, when he was nominated to become the next comptroller.
There's a belief on Capitol Hill that if Curry and a handful of other nominees for financial regulatory posts don't get confirmed by early summer at the latest, there won't be any action until after Election Day.
