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Wall Street's Finest Head to DC Showdown

Commission styled after 9/11 inquiry probes meltdown

By the Associated Press

Posted Jan 13, 2010 7:43 AM CST

(AP) – Four of Wall Street's fattest fatcats are headed to Washington this morning to do some explaining about how exactly it was that the United States of America came to teeter on the brink of financial Armageddon. A 9/11 Commission-style panel appointed by Congress has the job of writing the narrative of the financial industry's collapse. Sitting in the hot seat will be Goldman Sachs' Lloyd Blankfein, JPMorgan Chase's Jamie Dimon, Morgan Stanley's John Mack, and Bank of America's Brian Moynihan.

The hearings come at the intersection of far-reaching financial reforms in Congress, huge bonuses on Wall Street, and White House consideration of fees on banks to cover $120 billion in bailout losses. The bankers' demeanor will be critical, reports the AP.

In this Feb. 11, 2009 file photo, Morgan Stanley CEO John J. Mack testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, before the House Financial Services Committee.
In this Feb. 11, 2009 file photo, Morgan Stanley CEO John J. Mack testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, before the House Financial Services Committee.   (AP Photo/Lawrence Jackson, file)
FILE - In this March 29, 2009, file photo, JP Morgan Chase & Co. Chief Executive Officer Jamie Dimon, left, and Goldman Sachs Chief Executive Officer Lloyd Blankfein, leave the White House in Washington, after a meeting between chief executives and President Barack Obama. On Jan. 13 and 14, 2010,...
FILE - In this March 29, 2009, file photo, JP Morgan Chase & Co. Chief Executive Officer Jamie Dimon, left, and Goldman Sachs Chief Executive Officer Lloyd Blankfein, leave the White House in Washington,...   (Ron Edmonds)
In this Feb. 11, 2009 file photo, Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein, left, and JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon, testify on Capitol Hill in Washington.
In this Feb. 11, 2009 file photo, Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein, left, and JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon, testify on Capitol Hill in Washington.   (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, file)
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We came close to the worst thing in the world. So whenever you hear from these people, 'Well, this will make us not to do this and not to do that,' I immediately flip it from negative to positive and say, 'Yeah, and so?' - Congressional panel vice-chair Bill Thomas

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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 5 comments
Snowleopard
Jan 13, 2010 6:34 AM CST
every picture i've seen of that goldman dude (pic #3) looks like he's taking a dump.
SpectralBob
Jan 13, 2010 3:26 AM CST
Someone has to take the blame, right? While Wall Street did have involvement in our current economic woes, they are not the only parties who should appear before the public. The same suits asking the questions should also face scrutiny, as well as the greedy Americans who lived outside their means and borrowed what they knew they couldn't repay. Enough of the smoke and mirrors...
Netstorm2k10
Jan 13, 2010 2:20 AM CST
And just like the 9-11 commission, this will be totally incompetent, ask all the wrong questions, and generally be a waste of time.

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