Hollywood's Take
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Overall, it portrayed the government players as hard-working, caring people who worked tirelessly (in Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson's case, sleeplessly) to save the financial system from ruin.
Paulson, as portrayed by William Hurt, came out the best, looking tough, determined and diligent.
Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke was portrayed positively, yet Golden Globe Award-winning actor Paul Giamatti didn't quite capture the central banker's essence. Too often he appeared to be a passive player in events, with the notable exception of a scene in which he warns lawmakers that if they don't act "there won't be an economy on Monday."
Billy Crudup did better at capturing Timothy Geithner, the former head of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, in particular the now Treasury secretary's penchant for near-constant fidgeting. One of Crudup's best lines comes when he tells Hurt/Paulson he has delivered a message to Jamie Dimon, the president of JPMorgan Chase & Co.: "I told him we need his help. And I asked him very politely not to [expletive] with us today."
Speaking of which, Bill Pullman did a passable Dimon, coming across as a problem-solver willing to cut a deal to help save Lehman.
Others might have more reason to object to their characterizations. Dan Hedaya as Rep. Barney Frank captured the Massachusetts Democrat's scowl, but it felt more like an attempt at impersonation rather than acting in his very brief appearances.
Ajay Mehta as Citigroup CEO Vikram Pandit, meanwhile, came across as blustery and arrogant. At one point, Geithner/Crudup, after waiting hours for a return call, yells at Pandit, "The next time I call, pick up!"
Facebook Firestorm
Rep. Patrick McHenry demonstrated last week that he is not Elizabeth Warren's biggest fan, but he may want to seek her advice about life as a polarizing figure.
Following the tense hearing last week in which the North Carolina Republican accused Warren — the architect of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — of lying, his Facebook page
Some posts were equally complimentary of Warren as they were critical of McHenry. "Sir, you represent everything that is bad in Washington," one visitor wrote. "This woman is not a career politician. She is intelligent and she is on a mission to save the United States. Look past the party line and start protecting America."
Warren is adored by Democrats and consumer advocates. But her idea of the consumer bureau — and her work in launching it as an adviser to the Obama administration — has put off many banks and members of the GOP.
Following the accusations, calls for McHenry to apologize to Warren flooded social media. Separate Facebook pages, including "Citizens Against Patrick McHenry" and "Where's the Apology?" were launched.
Even some posts on McHenry's wall supposedly from Republicans were critical. "You embarrass those of us that support Republican, family values. In your blatant attempt to score political points you threw integrity and class out the window. Not only do you owe Elizabeth Warren an apology, you owe us who support this party and its values an apology."
Yet sprinkled in with the negative commentary were some examples of support for the lawmaker. "You still have my vote. The last thing we need is another commission to protect consumers," said one visitor.
New Bailout Chief
The Senate Banking Committee has approved Timothy Massad to oversee the Treasury Department's $700 billion bank bailout fund. If confirmed by the full Senate, he will become assistant secretary for financial stability for the agency, which is in charge of Tarp. He has been the acting assistant secretary at the agency since May 2009. Before that, he was a partner at the law firm Cravath, Swaine & Moore in New York. He left Cravath to work as a legal adviser to the Congressional Oversight Panel.
