A few thought on the Dodd bill:
1) The key to the consumer finance piece is how much influence regulators have in rule creation. Giving some final veto power to the systemic risk council with a two-third vote is a joke. Would never happen.
2) Does the bill end TBTF? Only if you believe regulators would actually wind down a big firm — or multiple firms. This is why some want to make banks smaller preemptively.
3) Do Democrats even want a bill? Senate Banking Chairman Chris Dodd does, though some Ds would love to use a stalemate as a way of portraying Rs as pro-Wall Street and campaign on it for the November midterms.
4) And what about Fannie & Freddie, housing policy, Fed policy — all keys aspects of true reform which the Dodd bill and the whole “financial reform” process ignore.