Epic Fail, Wall Street Style

Yesterday, I attended the Senate Banking Committee hearing on the proposed $700 billion bailout. http://wsj.com/article/SB122217048963566935.html

Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke were there to defend the request for this enormous bailout and to emphasize the gravity of the economic situation in which the United States finds itself. The questions got pretty darned heated and it was apparent that not one senator on that committee wanted to look like they were taking this request lightly.

The picture above was taken shortly after the beginning of the opening statements. I noticed that the seat I was in put me directly between Paulson and Bernanke. I had one sign with me that was made by my friend Gael. It had messages on both sides. There was this really uptight young woman sitting in front of me. She was clearly working for one of the gentlemen testifying. She first claimed that my seat was already taken, but it wasn't. she had two seats next to her saved with pieces of white paper that said. RESERVED. I turned around to Gael to borrow a marker and then I slipped one of those RESERVED papers right off the seat in front of me. With lolcats and the failblog on my mind* I hastily scrawled FAIL and held it up high between the Secretary and the Fed Chair. I could hear photographers giggling and clicking away.

The problem with these hearings (most of the time) is that the legislators get to ask questions and offer statements, but the people of the United States don't get the same opportunity unless they take it. Today, I took it.

*When I got home I checked http://icanhascheezburger.com/ and there was my picture. If I never acheive anything else in my life, getting my 15 minutes on icanhascheezburger will sustain me.