The Brown-Kaufman SAFE Banking amendment has become the single most important amendment to the financial reform bill to end bailouts. It is the most transformative bill because it addresses the problem that too big to fail banks are too big to regulate properly and are able to capture votes in Congress like nobody’s business. Our data crunching shows that Senators who are currently opposed to breaking up the banks receive twice as much in campaign contributions from the finance sector than those who are for “SAFE Banking”

Last night, Senate Republicans proved beyond any doubt that when it comes to the economy, they stand with Wall Street and against everybody else. Joined by lone Democrat Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE), Republicans successfully filibustered the procedural technicality of opening debate on Wall Street reform. It’s an unmistakable ploy to kill the bill and collect campaign cash from bigwig bankers. The coming weeks won’t be pretty.

Senate Republicans say they’re against both the bailouts and the Democrats’ proposed legislation to end them. They say that Sen. Dodd’s bill would “actually guarantees future bailouts.” It’s time for the Republicans to put up or shut up. Will they make Dodd’s bill better by breaking up the too big to fail banks and putting new rules in place that never let them get so big and systemically risky, or will they shill for Wall Street?

If Wikipedia status means anything, it at least means an idea or word has been said enough times to become a meme. And so, after all my work and the work of thousands of people, normal and fancy, over the past year, the Big Four is at least a meme.

That big bank you’re in a relationship with is abusive.
It’s time to break up.

This Valentine’s Day, end your relationship with the 4 big banks that have a stranglehold on the country.

You and your friends shouldn’t get screwed over by the big banks any longer — take your money out of the big banks.

This is an important week to focus on Bernanke’s reconfirmation. He runs the central bank, which up to now acts like a feeding trough for the big banks. With Bernanke gone, we can develop momentum to democratize the fed in order to make the central bank work for the public’s interest and JOBS!