(January 17, 2012) -- The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Richard Cordray announced the appointment on Jan. 6 of Raj Date as the agency’s first deputy director. Date had headed the day-to-day operations of the consumer bureau before President Obama’s appointment of former Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray as director earlier this month. While Date is playing second fiddle at the moment, he could end up back in the top spot, legal observers have pointed out. Cordray is expected to serve until the end of this session of Congress (assuming the appointment is not invalidated by a court), and if the next president is unable to appoint a new director, then Data could end up acting director as long as the vacancy remains unfilled....