HuffPo - "Melissa Bean: A Democrat Bankers Bank On, Wall Street's Favorite Democrat"

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Melissa Bean: A Democrat Bankers Bank On

First Posted: 02- 2-10 09:19 AM | Updated: 02- 2-10 10:31 AM

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/02/melissa-bean-a-democrat-b_n_400993.html



The Democrat from suburban Chicago is only in her third term, but she's the co-chair of the 68-member New Democrat Coalition's financial services task force -- and financial reform doesn't go anywhere in the House without the support of New Dems.

So when Democratic leaders in Congress want to rein in Wall Street, they have to go through Bean. And when bank lobbyists want to stop them, they go to Bean as well.

Why hasn't the overwhelmingly Democratic House -- and the House Financial Services Committee led by Barney Frank -- been able to pass a more aggressive financial regulatory reform package? As HuffPost has reported, a significant obstacle to progressive reform is that Bean and 15 other New Dems on the committee have effective veto power.

For this, the most passionate backers of financial reform call Bean a bank lobbyists' stooge and "Wall Street's favorite Democrat."

[madrchsod]

1. bean represents some of the wealthiest people in america.

we all knew she was a dino but the rethug was worse.

[tritsofme]

2. This is a conservative district, I was proud to vote for Bean today in the primary.

You could kick Bean out, but I'm sure the Republicans would be more than happy to reclaim their turf.