Jim Hightower

Poor Wall Street bankers. They can't find a friendly port in the unrelenting storm of public outrage at their ongoing narcissism. President Obama has publicly decried their "obscene bonuses," and Congress is moving to impose new regulations and taxes to restrict their incurable greediness. It's sad – but who in the world would want to hug a banker?

Wait – here comes a bank hugger! He's John Boehner, the Republican leader of the U.S. House. And there's Texas senator John Cornyn, the Republican's chief senatorial fundraiser, offering his soft shoulder for the Wall Street crowd to cry on. Yes, the entire Republican leadership of Congress is clucking and cooing at the Wall Streeters who crashed America's economy, offering unconditional love to them.

Well, there is one little condition: money. The party has been wining and dining the beleaguered bankers for months, pointing out that Republicans are the ones who've been trying to prevent Democrats from cracking down on Wall Street's greed. We are your true friends and your best hope to fend off the populist demands to curb those multimillion-dollar banker bonuses, say GOP leaders. In return for being the bankers' buddies, the Republicans are merely asking for a little love in return – in the form of bigger campaign contributions from Wall Street's giants.

Sen. Cornyn says that he's been visiting lower Manhattan about twice a month to collect love offerings from the reviled bankers, and Boehner recently had drinks at a Capitol Hill watering hole with the CEO of JPMorgan Chase, offering banker love in exchange for more banker cash.

Aren't these same Republicans also trying to take over the tea bag movement? I wonder if those anti-establishment mad-as-hellers have heard that Boehner, Cornyn, & Company are making their bed with Wall Street greedheads, not with the good folks on Main Street.