Barney Frank Can Go Cheney Himself

Generally, I like the guy, but this is crap.

In addition to excising the requirement that banks offer "plain vanilla" mortgages and credit cards, you know, products which the consumer can actually understand enough to comparison shop for, the bill removes, "securities, commodities, investment and general insurance products; accountants and tax preparers; real estate brokers and agents; lawyers; auto dealers; communications providers; and providers of retirement and pension plans," from the scope of the proposed consumer protection agency.

Great googly moogly! When you look at industries that confuse and abuse consumers as their primary means of profit, you have most of them in between the quotation marks.

And if you want a couple more, how about,"retailers who have credit or layaway plans and auto dealers who offer loans to buy vehicles," because used car dealers and "Rent-A-Center" have done so well in doing right by the consumer.

Unsurprisingly, the poster child for regulatory capture, Timothy "Eddie Haskell" Geithner, expressed support for weakening the bill.

Yes, I know sausage making, but it's damn depressing.