Surprise: Not Enough Lawyers

In a city filled with government lawyers, there apparently isn't any obvious choice to be the top legal brain for the Federal Housing Finance Board, the group that oversees the Federal Home Loan Banks. We hear that the board is spending some $75,000 to have headhunter firm Korn/Ferry International collect some names for the post of general counsel. Word is nobody inside wants the job.

But Democrats on the Republican-led board say it's a waste of money because there are good insiders--apparently unwanted Democratic lawyers--eager for the job.

By Paul Bedard