Barney Frank Announces Hearing

Barney Frank has gotten so full of himself that his memory isn't working as well as it should:

"House Financial Services Chairman Barney Frank (D-Mass) is pressing state and federal authorities to seek criminal and civil penalties on financial actors that helped cause the current crisis.

"Rules don't work if people have no fear of them," Frank said at a press conference Thursday.

He announced a hearing March 20 with Attorney General Eric Holder, bank regulators and the Securities and Exchange Commission as witnesses to discover what their plans are to prosecute irresponsible and in some cases criminal behaviors.

I wonder if he'd include this guy:

A September report from the Business and Media Institute suggests one possible target for investigation: a senior member of the House Banking Committee.  This congressman is "a recipient of more than $40,000 in campaign donations from Fannie since 1989" and "was once romantically involved with a Fannie Mae executive."  The same congressman "was and remains a stalwart defender of Fannie Mae."

In case you're not up to speed, that "senior member" mentioned is House Financial Services Chairman Barney Frank (D-Mass).