From Victor Davis Hanson

I don't pretend to understand what's going on. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, however, strike me as the worst of all worlds: private market in the way that they're run, government in the way that they fail. Who knew they were making contributions to campaigns????

The following is from Victor Davis Hanson:

I'm shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here! " [Victor Davis Hanson]
Very odd to see a Sen. Chris Dodd, of all people, today defiant and outspoken in his regard for the people:

if only he had returned (never too late) lavish contributions from Freddie Mac and Frannie Mae (as Senate banking chairman, he was their #1 targeted recipient and raked in over $160,000);

if only in the midst of a loan crisis, he had not received below-market-rate VIP loans from the now late great, melted-down Countrywide for whose parochial interests he championed;

if only he had not been instrumental in blocking past proposed firewalls that might have prevented the collapse of the two agencies that were the catalyst for this mess;

if only he had a bit of contrition for his own role in this national mess.

Surely in the interest of transparency and conflict of interest, any Senator, Republican or Democrat, who accepted money from Freddie and Frannie, or any of the imperiled investment houses, should recuse themselves from the present hearings—but then there might not be a quorum.