First 100 days: Obama vs. Wall Street

The New York Times says Obama “branded Wall Street bankers ‘shameful’ on Thursday for giving themselves nearly $20 billion in bonuses as the economy was deteriorating and the government was spending billions to bail out some of the nation’s most prominent financial institutions… It was a pointed -- if calculated -- flash of anger from the president, who frequently railed against excesses in executive compensation on the campaign trail. He struck his populist tone as he confronted the possibility of having to ask Congress for additional large sums of money, beyond the $700 billion already authorized, to prop up the financial system, even as he pushes Congress to move quickly on a separate economic stimulus package that could cost taxpayers as much as $900 billion.”  The New York Daily News adds, "Obama was particularly peeved at the news coming as he's working to push his massive economic rescue plan." But the Washington Post writes that Obama passed up an opportunity to scold ... (link)