News & Comment
Blogs and Opinion
NBC News/Wall Street Journal Survey by Hart/McInturff, msnbcmedia.msn.com | June 24, 2010
Tell Senator Simpson to Resign by Move On, pol.moveon.org | June 24, 2010
Senator Simpson is co-chair of a commission charged with reducing the deficit. But he thinks those who rely on Social Security are "lesser people." Let him know it's time for him to resign by adding your name below. read more »GOP Leader Alan Simpson’s ‘Lesser People’ Gaffe Overlooked By News Media by Tommy Christopher, mediaite.com | June 24, 2010
At almost the same exact time as BP Chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg’s “small people” remark, an eerily similar gaffe was taking place just across town. Former Senator and Deficit Commission Co-Chair Alan Simpson got into an impromptu, on-camera debate over social security, and repeatedly referred to its recipients as “lesser people.” Now, some are calling for Simpson’s removal from the commission. I asked Robert Gibbs about it at yesterday’s White House briefing. read more »The Derivatives Endgame by The New York Times, The New York Times | June 24, 2010
Financial reform enters a crucial phase on Thursday as House and Senate negotiators begin public debate on the regulation of derivatives, the complex instruments at the heart of the financial crisis. read more »When Greatness Slips Away by Bob Herbert, The New York Times | June 23, 2010
Go to Previous message | Go to Next message | Back to MessagesMark as Unread | Print ReplyReply AllMove... Flag this messageWhen Greatness Slips AwayWednesday, June 23, 2010 7:23 PM From: "Terrance" View contact detailsTo: "Darrell Robinson" As a nation, we are becoming more and more accustomed to a sense of helplessness. We no longer rise to the great challenges before us. It’s not just that we can’t plug the oil leak, which is the perfect metaphor for what we’ve become. We can’t seem to do much of anything. read more »A Last-Minute Wall Street Sell-Out By New Dems? by Zach Carter , blogs.alternet.org | June 23, 2010
A coalition of conservative New Democrats, whose leader is being investigated by a Congressional ethics committee over Wall Street fundraising, has officially come out in favor of gutting financial reform. The issue they’ve targeted: derivatives, the most closely watched effort of the bank overhaul. Good luck in November, guys. read more »The Bank Lobby Gets Desperate on Derivatives by Zach Carter, OurFuture.org | June 23, 2010
Astonishingly, as Wall Street reform enters its final hours a tired, generic corporate refrain against regulation is gaining traction. As bigwig bankers and their lobbyist brethren fight to defeat tough new rules on derivatives—the crazy casino that brought down AIG—all their sloganeers can come up with is the trite wail that serious rules will send this risky business overseas. It'd be funny if members of Congress weren't taking it seriously. read more »A Last-Minute Wall Street Sell-Out By New Dems? by Zach Carter, OurFuture.org | June 23, 2010
A coalition of conservative New Democrats, whose leader is being investigated by a Congressional ethics committee over Wall Street fundraising, has officially come out in favor of gutting financial reform. The issue they've targeted: derivatives, the most closely watched effort of the bank overhaul. Good luck in November, guys. read more »Weekly Audit: Senate Republicans Nix Jobs Bill by Annie Shields, themediaconsortium.org | June 22, 2010
Hi all, Zach Carter is out sick this week, so the wonderful Annie Shields has stepped in for this week's Audit. The blog reviews how the jobs bill got killed in the Senate and takes a peek at the economic issues that will be addressed for the US Social Forum. It features content from: read more »Help Ensure House & Senate Managers "Aren't in a Good Mood" About Shady Auto Deals by Richard (RJ) Eskow, OurFuture.org | June 21, 2010
"What do I have to do to get you into this car?" "How much can you afford to pay every month?" "My manager's in a good mood." These are the car salesman cliches everybody knows. Now they're trying to add a couple more to the repertoire: "When you take out a car loan - probably the second-biggest financial decision of your life - you don't need a watchdog looking out for you." read more »
The Latest
Curbing Wall Street: The Next Stage, netrootsnation.org | July 22, 2010
The financial reform bill was but a first step. It created a consumer financial protection bureau, but left the big banks more concentrated than ever, with the financial casino open for gambling. The bankers are getting million dollar bonuses, but foreclosures continue at record levels, small businesses can't get loans, payday lenders are still gouging workers. read more »
The 2010 Elections: Channeling the Power of Jobs, Populism and the Angry Voter, netrootsnation.org | July 22, 2010
The rising tide of populist anger in the face of Wall Street bailouts and continued high unemployment threatens to take an ugly reactionary turn unless it is channeled to more progressive policies of job growth. This panel will address current public attitudes and ideas for steering opinion and action more progressively.
Senate Democrats’ Plan to Aid Small Businesses Hits G.O.P. Resistance, The New York Times | July 22, 2010
Perhaps the last best hope of Democrats to pass legislation aimed at creating jobs before the November elections seemed to be crumbling in the Senate on Wednesday as Republicans signaled that they would block a bill to expand government lending programs and grant an array of tax breaks to small businesses. read more »
Battle Brews Over Director for New Consumer Financial Protection Bureau , Los Angeles Times | July 22, 2010
President Obama reversed decades of lax oversight of the financial industry Wednesday by signing a landmark overhaul of regulations, but he still faces a major task — appointing a director for the powerful new agency charged with protecting consumers from unscrupulous deals. read more »
Fight Over Consumer Agency Looms as Overhaul Is Signed , The Wall Street Journal | July 22, 2010
President Barack Obama on Wednesday signed into law the most sweeping financial overhaul since the Depression, putting the country on a course toward a more muscular regulatory framework. read more »
10 Ways New Wall Street Reform Law Will Help You , Huffington Post | July 22, 2010
Today, President Obama signed into law the Restoring American Financial Stability Act - the most important regulatory overhaul of our nation's financial system since the reforms that led to 60 years of sustained growth after the Great Depression. read more »
Goldman Settles Its Battle With SEC , The Wall Street Journal | July 16, 2010
In one of the largest penalties in Wall Street history, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. agreed to pay $550 million to settle civil charges that it duped clients by selling mortgage securities that were secretly designed by a hedge-fund firm to cash in on the housing market's collapse. read more »
Public Unfamiliar with Wall Street Bill, Reuters | July 16, 2010
A big majority of Americans are unfamiliar with the sweeping overhaul of financial rules that was headed to final approval in Congress on Thursday, according to an Ipsos Public Affairs online poll. read more »
Zombie K Street Project: The GOP Turns To Lobbyists To Draft Policy Agenda, tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com | July 9, 2010
John Boehner twisted himself into a pretzel this week when he told the Washington Post he had "no idea" whether Republicans would once again attempt to privatize Social Security if they retake the House in November. He couldn't just say "no" -- he followed up with the explanation that he couldn't say because he didn't want to prejudge the outcome of the GOP's voter survey. read more »
Goldman Sachs 'Most Aggressive' In Demanding Cash From AIG, Huffington Post | July 9, 2010
Goldman Sachs was the "most aggressive" financial firm to demand cash from AIG on what it viewed as souring deals during the financial crisis, the head of a federal investigative panel said Wednesday. read more »
