How Elizabeth Warren picked a fight with Brookings — and won

The Washington Post reports:

The hero of the country’s liberal movement launched a surprise attack Tuesday against Washington’s most revered Democratic-leaning think tanks — and drew blood.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, stepping up her crusade against the power of wealthy interests, accused a Brookings Institution scholar of writing a research paper to benefit his corporate patrons.

Warren’s charge prompted a swift response, with Brookings seeking and receiving the resignation of the economist, Robert Litan, whose report criticized a Warren-backed consumer protection rule targeting the financial services industry.

The episode underscored the growing clout of Warren (D-Mass.), who has resisted calls for a presidential run but is positioning herself as a leading critic of corporate interests and their power over the Washington establishment.

Conflicts.