Elizabeth Warren: Riding Herd on the Bailout

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Elizabeth Warren: Riding Herd on the Bailout
By Sheelah Kolhatkar



Warren, a Harvard Law professor, was chosen by Senate Democrats to head the oversight panel in part because she is a Washington outsider.


Elizabeth Warren: Riding Herd on the Bailout
By Sheelah Kolhatkar Monday, Jun. 22, 2009
Warren, a Harvard Law professor, was chosen by Senate Democrats to head the oversight panel in part because she is a Washington outsider.
Warren, a Harvard Law professor, was chosen by Senate Democrats to head the oversight panel in part because she is a Washington outsider.
Photograph by Danielle Levitt for TIME


Don't let my politeness fool you," says Elizabeth Warren. The Harvard Law professor and head of the congressional panel monitoring the bank bailout had just finished a hearing in New York City and was nibbling at a dish of pasta with zucchini. "I can't think of anyone I'm afraid of," she adds. "Certainly not someone who may have had a hand in bringing this country to the brink of disaster."

Warren, 59, is exceedingly polite. She has strong opinions, but she often expresses them in a whisper-soft voice. She tends to say "Does that make sense?" in her Oklahoma drawl right after she finishes answering a question. During the hearing, which was focused on the federal bailout program's effect on corporate and commercial real estate lending, Warren gingerly tapped her gavel from the dais. "The hearing of the Congressional Oversight Panel will now come to order," she said a bit hesitantly.

(See three questions about TARP for Warren's panel.)

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1904151,00.html?xid=rss-topstories