Elaine Marshall, running for US Senate from North Carolina, has become the latest Democratic candidate or Senator to endorse Elizabeth Warren for the position of director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Marshall, the Secretary of State of North Carolina, cited Warren’s experience in “taking on Wall Street on behalf of consumers” as chair of the Congressional Oversight Panel as a reason for her support. Just today, Chris Dodd questioned Warren’s experience in running a federal agency.

Protecting consumers and local investors has been a top priority for me as Secretary of State. My office has returned over $500 million to North Carolina investors from Wall Street banks for their fraudulent misrepresentation, and fought to protect consumers by putting Ponzi schemers behind bars and cracking down on counterfeit goods.

I know what it takes to protect consumers, and Elizabeth Warren has it.

Elizabeth is highly qualified, highly educated, and has dedicated her career to being an advocate on behalf of consumers and ordinary Americans. I strongly encourage President Obama to appoint her, and ask Senator Richard Burr to help confirm her.

Obviously, Burr will do none of the sort. But here we have a Democratic candidate itching to make an issue out of a sitting Republican incumbent’s opposition to a consumer advocate. It shows how the dynamic of a Warren nomination could follow the same track as the financial reform bill, with those opposed to Warren constrained by the perception of being too close to Wall Street.

In short, this is a good POLITICAL issue in addition to being the right policy, even in North Carolina. That’s what Marshall’s endorsement shows.