I'm Back in the USSR

Congress will consider legislation to extend some of the curbs on executive pay that now apply only to those banks receiving federal assistance, House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank said.

“There’s deeply rooted anger on the part of the average American,” the Massachusetts Democrat said at a Washington news conference today.

He said the compensation restrictions would apply to all financial institutions and might be extended to include all U.S. companies.

Does he mean all U.S. companies who received federal bail-out funds? Or all U.S. companies? This being Barney Frank, who here is willing to bet on the latter, rather than the former?

Mr. Frank has summoned the CEOs of Citigroup, J.P. Morgan Chase and the seven other U.S. financial firms that got $125 billion from TARP to testify at a Feb. 11 committee hearing.

Mr. Frank seems to be in synch with the Obama administration in his plans for executive compensation.

I would use the expression "nose up his butt," but this being Barney Frank, who here is willing to bet on the literal translation rather than the metaphoric?