Bankers walking a Fine Line at Hearings (look at the smug faces!!)

[Mari333]

WASHINGTON — The bipartisan commission established by Congress to examine the causes of the financial crisis summoned the heads of four large Wall Street banks on Wednesday to defend their lending, risk management and pay practices and explain their companies’ role in the biggest economic downturn since the Depression.

The 10-member commission, with a budget of just $8 million, is charged with delivering a comprehensive report to President Obama by Dec. 15 on 22 factors associated with the crisis, from mortgage fraud to regulatory failings.

Long before the 9 a.m. start of the hearing, throngs of journalists surrounded the hearing room of the House Ways and Means Committee, hoping to catch the four bank leaders: Lloyd C. Blankfein of Goldman Sachs, Jamie Dimon of JPMorgan Chase, John J. Mack of Morgan Stanley and Brian T. Moynihan of Bank of America.








http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/14/business/14panel.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

[hlthe2b]

1. Just like the Tobacco Executives of a few years back...

[malaise]

2. I'd love to box the smug looks off their faces

:puke:

[Mari333]

4. we paid for their suits!

looks like they are not cheap. gold cufflinks. ties. shoes, yachts, hookers. etc.

[rurallib]

3. I hold no hope for anything substantial to happen.

[Mari333]

5. thats why they look so smug..deals are already done

this seems to be a circus sideshow so we will think something's actually going to happen.

[HughBeaumont]

6. I'm watching the dog-and-pony show now on CNBC.

Same old banker bullshit - "Talent like ours doesn't come cheap", "We take risks", "Our Job is to make sure our products do what they say they do", "We remain active lenders", "We stopped subprime long ago", "We's innocent, I tells ya!" blah blah BLAH.

[Mari333]

8. and then their limousines will drive up, and they will have power lunches

with their politician buddies they paid off, and laugh at how well they have all reamed the US public.

[SpiralHawk]

7. "Smug is sooo republicon. Smirk." - xCommander AWOL (R)

[SpiralHawk]

9. "Nah. Sneers are MORE republicon." - xVP Dickie 'Five-Military-Deferments' Cheney (R)

[WhiteTara]

10. who is Bill Thomas? I've forgotten

Thanks for the info. I'm google challenged today.

[KG]

11. they know it's all just a dog and pony show.

they know who owns who. they know who really runs thing around here.

[Bitwit1234]

12. Why are they wasting time with this,

they will let them off the hook they way they always do..I think these so called hearing suck. Congress only does it to make you think they are doing something.

[L0oniX]

13. Should be mug shots.

[Mari333]

14. oh, wouldnt that be the bees knees!

orange jumpsuits. ah, i can dream. I know it wont happen.

[tabatha]

15. I cannot stand Chase.

I dislike Jamie Dimon immensely.
I hate it that he calls himself a democrat.

[OhioChick]

16. Wasn't so long ago we saw this with the oil execs. n/t

[arthritisR_US]

17. oh I can't wait for the soft ball questions to begin

:sarcasm:

[Romulox]

18. They already got their taxpayer handouts. What can a Congressional hearing do to them?

Especially when they have friends at the top. :shrug:

[OhioChick]

21. Yep. Nothing more than a photo op. n/t

[n2doc]

19. What they really want to say

[Waiting For Everyman]

20. K&R

[4_TN_TITANS]

22. I don't get how even Congress

can stomach listening to these asshats painting themselves as the victims.