Mark Pryor, In the Pocket of the FED and Big Banks

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Last week Mark Pryor, our do nothing, at least for the taxpayers of Arkansas, senator voted down an amendment to the senate banking bill, which would have shined a light onto the dark behavior the Federal Reserve and big banks. The Vitter amendment, offered by Senator David Vitter of Louisiana would have forced the FED to open its books to the American people.

The FED abhors having to expose those transactions which would give taxpayers a glimpse into the billions or trillions of dollars used to bail out their bankster buddies like AIG, Goldman-Sachs, Bank of America and JP Morgan Chase. Likely there are sweetheart payments to foreign governments and foreign banks. But thanks to Mark, we will never know.

The US House of Representatives passed HR 1207, The Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2009. The bill authored by Ron Paul, congressman from Texas, was so popular he was able to add 319 of 435 congressmen and congresswomen as co-sponsors. All four of Arkansas's congressional members stood with Dr. Paul on this important piece of legislation. The very same language was in the Senator Vitter's crucial amendment to the Senate Banking Reform bill. Even Blanche Lincoln voted for the Vitter amendment. But not Mark.

Perhaps, Mark's acceptance of $268,000 in campaign contributions from the Securities and Investment industry over the last eight years might lend a clue to his behavior. I have a feeling Senator Pryor thinks people won't remember in November of 2014. I hope the voters of Arkansas will. I will do my best to keep reminding Mark and the Arkansans.

Skip Cook

Maumelle, AR

Authors Bio:
Skip Cook has held leadership positions in past grass roots political campaigns in Arkansas, namely: The successful 1992 campaign to amend the Arkansas Constitution to limit the terms of statewide legislative and constitutional office holders; to move judicial campaigns from partisan to non partisan elections and ran on the Independent Party ballot for Governor in 1994. He lives in Little Rock, where he makes his living as a mortgage loan officer.