AN OPEN LETTER TO REPRESENTATIVE BARNEY FRANK. Tonight I heard the right honorable gentleman taking Northern Trust to task for organizing a golf outing as a way of maintaining staff and depositor morale. He quipped that a golf outing didn't impress him as a way of inspiring someone to buy a certificate of deposit in that bank.

Representative Frank, I'd be reluctant to buy a certificate of deposit in a bank that was mau-maued into underwriting more risky mortgages in service of some vague notion of access. Yes, my principal is insured. But I'm out the interest while that bank is being reorganized by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.