Big Ben, Live:
Ben: Sorry I’m late. Was helping Geithner with some math problems, and as you can see, my wife’s cat puked on my tie.
Dodd: Here is how this hearing works. I grandstand for a few minutes, then I will tell you how fucked we are and exactly who was responsible. I will use words that suggest disease, maybe “cancer” here. Then you will explain how I am exactly right and how fucked we are (I expect you to use hand gestures here. You will remember that I love pointing at things.) Oh, my tie is dipped in the blood of republicans, you might notice.
Shelby: I’m glad you are here in your capacity as Chairman of the Fed so I can tell you about the Fed’s balance sheet. Oh, and my colorblind manservant picks out my ties.
The Beard: You bitches forgot about the breaking of the buck in a large money market fund and the commercial paper clog in your little pre-prepared history that your congressional aide copy-pasted from Wikipedia two hours ago , didn’t you? Of course you did. You are not the Chairman. I am the Chairman, damnit!
Bullshit in 4… 3… 2… “The Federal Reserve is committed to keeping Congress and the American Public informed on these matters…”
Now I will drone you into complacency to lull you into a semi-comatose state and keep CNBC on its toes wonder if they should cut out to an 8-way split screen.
Dodd: Woah. You almost got me there. So, am I to understand from a few obscure passages in your written testimony that you think there might be just a little bit of hope somewhere? I mean, I have to tell the American People something good here. They are going to storm the Capital with torches. Who is going to lead us out of this recession?
Beard: Hey, is that Elvis over there?
Shelby: [super long statement disguised as a question]
Beard: That’s a very long question, Senator Shelby.
Bunning: Hey, joker, when are you going to show us your balance sheet and when are you going to tell us who you lent to so we can jump their shit?
Beard: Hundreds of years of central banking experience tells us that we really shouldn’t be sharing loan data when it comes to short term collateralize liquidity.
Schumer: We should be regulating hedge funds, right?
Beard: Yeah, it was the larger firms that caused the issues here, not the small ones.
Schumer: That doesn’t answer my question. I ask you about small firms, leveraged firms, you answer with large firms.
Beard: Yep. I know.
(CNBC points out that bank stocks are rallying- relating this to The Beard’s “moral hazard is just the nature of the beast” comments).
Martinez: Ok, ok, how are we going to reinflate the housing bubblerescue the housing market?

Comments (37)

  1. Posted by guest | February 24, 2009 at 10:00 AM

    Rupert Murdoch thinks the world is coming to an end.

  2. Posted by guest | February 24, 2009 at 10:00 AM

    Too hairy, didn’t shave. ————–>

  3. Posted by guest | February 24, 2009 at 10:03 AM

    @1
    The only thing coming to an end is Newscorp.
    I’m sure he wants to take GE with him.

  4. Posted by guest | February 24, 2009 at 10:16 AM

    Dodd, just one of the I-Banks Congressional Bitches…..

  5. Posted by guest | February 24, 2009 at 10:21 AM

    Chris “Friend of Angelo $75,000 mortgage break” Dodd.

  6. Posted by guest | February 24, 2009 at 10:21 AM

    so now the treasury wanted to lend to low income families??? it wasn’t franks footer and mad max waters???

  7. Posted by guest | February 24, 2009 at 10:23 AM

    Why do I keep having the recurring picture of Uncle Ben dressed in Mickey’s costume from Fantasia?

  8. Posted by guest | February 24, 2009 at 10:24 AM

    who writes this garbage for these fools..sounds like a fifth grader reading a calculus book out loud.

  9. Posted by guest | February 24, 2009 at 10:27 AM

    @6 The devaretivee of Sin is Co-Sin?

  10. Posted by guest | February 24, 2009 at 10:28 AM

    What is so frightening is that this seems like a recap of what we already know. They must really think Americans are just plain stupid.

  11. Posted by guest | February 24, 2009 at 10:29 AM

    The markets are dead so my MD can kiss my ass. I’m going out for some breakfast.

  12. Posted by guest | February 24, 2009 at 10:30 AM

    “I’d like permission to revise and extend” that’s what I said to my girl last night before the second throw-down

  13. Posted by guest | February 24, 2009 at 10:34 AM

    Developing: Did someone on business/TV get “enhanced” jubblies? Competiton has the story.

  14. Posted by guest | February 24, 2009 at 10:38 AM

    @10 i believe the technical term is “borderline-deficiency”.

  15. Posted by guest | February 24, 2009 at 10:39 AM

    13- the post is competition?

  16. Posted by guest | February 24, 2009 at 10:41 AM

    @15….@13 here….meant the competition where one writer likes to discuss the rice markets.

  17. Posted by guest | February 24, 2009 at 10:46 AM

    Paper! Paper!
    There is no gold in Aqaba.
    No gold! No great box!

  18. Posted by guest | February 24, 2009 at 10:46 AM

    The good news about this whole thing is that there will be more sex, sex is free (most of the time). Its fun, free, and people are out of cash, personally I think we should just all run out naked into the streets and have an orgy holding signs that say “the end is neigh” Im headed out there right now, Who’s coming with me? Snoop bring your little green hat when you come.

  19. Posted by guest | February 24, 2009 at 10:49 AM

    @18….Spencer Tunick has already photographed such shenanigans. You’re a little late.

  20. Posted by guest | February 24, 2009 at 10:56 AM

    wow, Uncle Ben is speaking and the market is going up!

  21. Posted by guest | February 24, 2009 at 10:56 AM

    Reed needs a D in his sandy V.. holy !@#$ what a moron

  22. Posted by Equity Private | February 24, 2009 at 11:03 AM

    #17:
    “He is not perfect.”

  23. Posted by guest | February 24, 2009 at 11:04 AM

    chuck s. got an answer, just not the answer he wants . .

  24. Posted by guest | February 24, 2009 at 11:06 AM

    Jesus, Ben, just throw together some token Po’ Folks Payday Lending Facility (PFPLF) so we don’t have to listen to this populist bleating of Congress anymore. You’ve already got the branches on every city in America. Just say they’re now “primary dealers” and get it done.

  25. Posted by guest | February 24, 2009 at 11:10 AM

    Buzz-o-rama! Listen to Chuck chucking out those hedgie buzz words! All Ben has to do is ask him to clarify his question and Chuck’s beard falls! Ben’s financial beard reigns supreme.
    Schumer- 0, Bernanke- 1

  26. Posted by guest | February 24, 2009 at 11:13 AM

    Happy Fat Tuesday! Last time I was in New Orleans…oh, wait, nevermind.

  27. Posted by guest | February 24, 2009 at 11:16 AM

    Ben should shave his beard for the next FOMC meeting. It will freak us all out and we’ll use it as a sign of recovery.

  28. Posted by guest | February 24, 2009 at 11:20 AM

    one of EP’s more creative posts

  29. Posted by guest | February 24, 2009 at 11:20 AM

    27 good idea

  30. Posted by guest | February 24, 2009 at 11:28 AM

    The idiots leading the thieves…this should be good. Can’t wait until they start deciding which “special interests” absolutely need the trillions of bailout dollars.
    @27 — its a “playoff” beard — it doesn’t get shaved until Ken Lewis walks out


    Layoff got you down? Get the scoop and figure out what others are doing at http://www.freeagentnet.com

  31. Posted by guest | February 24, 2009 at 11:37 AM

    @22
    Tomorrow the finest sheets in the finest room in the finest hotel in Cairo, I promise.
    AFOY

  32. Posted by guest | February 24, 2009 at 12:00 PM

    The end is Neigh? Neigh? Is Mr. Ed coming over? Wiiiiilllbuuuuuuur!
    Seriously, let’s get all sterilized and condomized – get down, get funky!

  33. Posted by KevinB | February 24, 2009 at 12:03 PM

    EP – had me going from “cat puke”!
    @30 – “playoff beard” – What, are you a closet Canadian?

  34. Posted by guest | February 24, 2009 at 12:28 PM

    “If they can’t start a meeting without you, well, that’s a meeting worth going to, isn’t it? And that’s the only kind of meeting you should ever concern yourselves with.”

  35. Posted by guest | February 24, 2009 at 12:53 PM

    @33 – WIN!

  36. Posted by guest | February 24, 2009 at 1:30 PM

    @24 lmfao…best comment of the day

  37. Posted by guest | February 24, 2009 at 2:22 PM

    @10: No, they don’t “think” Americans are stupid. They know it. All they have to do is reflect that their sorry asses are in charge and were put there by an allegedly popular vote. Q.E.F.D.

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