Washington People: Thrift Lobbyist Quits; Might've Wound Up Lobbying

Lobbyist Randall McFarlane is leaving America's Community Bankers to work for the Federal Housing Finance Board.

Mr. McFarlane said he is quitting the thrift trade group because once Congress passes legislation recapitalizing the Savings Association Insurance Fund it will turn its attention to merging the bank and thrift charters.

Once that happened, Mr. McFarlane said, he could have been in the unacceptable position of lobbying his wife, Carolyn, who is the Comptroller of the Currency's top lobbyist.

Mr. McFarlane is the second senior staffer to quit the thrift group in the last two weeks. Robert R. Davis left his post as director of economics and research to become a consultant for the American Bankers Association.

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The annual White House Easter egg-roll isn't all it's cracked up to be. In fact, last week's event seemed like a bad dream to Konrad Alt, chief of staff at the Comptroller's Office. Expecting to spend a pleasant hour with his sons Wyatt, 4, and Jasper, 2, rolling brightly colored eggs on the lawn at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., Mr. Alt instead spent four excruciating hours in long lines and throngs of screaming children.

"It was a real nightmare," said Mr. Alt. "You wouldn't think handing out goodie baskets would take that long."

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The American Bankers Association is running full-page ads in today's editions of USA Today touting the Supreme Court's recent unanimous decision allowing banks to sell insurance.

"We asked nine consumers whether banks ought to be able to sell insurance," the ad reads - above a photo of the nine robed justices. "They all said yes."

According to the ad, consumers shopping for insurance now have more options. The ad also notes: "For the supremely important financial decisions in your life, talk to your banker."

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