President Obama’s cursory mention of his nominee to head the Federal Housing Finance Agency during his big housing policy speech last week in Phoenix continues to fuel doubts as to just how committed the White House is to replace current FHFA Acting Director Edward DeMarco. Watt’s nomination cleared the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee last month along a party-line vote amid Republican vows to block the “unqualified” 20-year House veteran. Obama afforded Watt only three sentences in his speech, noting that his nomination should receive “an up or down vote without any more obstruction or delay.”