I spent most of 2008 and early 2009 completely obsessed with the credit crisis (evidenced by this index of the best crisis coverage I created just over a year ago). Reading this Andrew Ross Sorkin piece in tomorrow’s New York Times got me all riled up again:
What the Financial Crisis Commission Should Ask
NYTimes’ “Dealbook” column by Andrew Ross Sorkin
Tuesday, January 12th 2010
The Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission hearing on Wednesday will partly be political theater, but used correctly, it could help direct the national conversation.
On Wednesday the commission’s opening witnesses are chief executives from Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan Chase and BofA. Thursday’s witnesses include Attorney General Eric Holder, Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Chairman Sheila Bair, and Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Mary Schapiro. But don’t count of the commission hearings to truly delve into the root causes of the crisis, its ongoing aftermath, and how to address it. That’s all too complex (and honestly far too overwhelming) to be covered in a few short days of hearings.
For some truly compelling, thoughtful discussion of the credit crisis look back at the resources indexed here. Many of these articles, blog posts, and videos date back to 2008 but the insight is just as relevant today (sadly). The bloggers recommended at the end of the index continue to provide excellent commentary, so be sure to visit their sites for more recent coverage.
More details on the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission is available here and a list of the commissioners and their bios is here. I’ll be glued to CNBC on Wednesday, wincing and cringing, and perhaps cheering a bit if the questioning gets meaty.