Sen. Richard Shelby, Alabama Republican and the ranking Republican member of the Senate Banking Committee, gave a final speech on the Senate floor Thursday in advance of the final vote to pass a financial regulation bill, which passed later in the evening. (more)
“They told me in 2010 everything would change,” Sledge said. “Here it is in February, and nothing has changed.” (more)
Since the bailout of Wall Street, the populist drum in Washington has been beating faster and louder. The outrage over executive pay is nothing new on Main Street. When taxpayer dollars used to save the skins of executives who put their companies in peril are now getting bonuses- the fury of Main Street can be understandable. In this “new normal” where many Wall Street legends like Peter Cohen are expecting a reshaping of the financial industry based on returning to an environment of a more client-oriented business, the Obama administration has set out an aggressive plan for Congress to reshape the financial system as we know it. But are they tackling the true root causes of the financial meltdown or are they pandering to populism? (more)
Republicans accused President Obama on Tuesday of taking a step toward using the $700 billion Wall Street bailout as a slush fund, a possibility many worried about when the Troubled Asset Relief Program was first created during the economic panic of 2008. (more)
