I just learned of these today on a radio show:

I think one of the most important reform measures is to bring to the United States a mortgage funding technique that's existed very successfully in Europe for over two centuries.  There's about $3 trillion of this paper outstanding in Europe, and yet it's hardly known in this country.  Two days ago the FDIC board of directors approved a policy statement that is excessively cautious in terms of opening the market to covered bonds in the United States.  But covered bonds would basically allow banks and thrifts to make mortgages, keep them on balance sheets, so they don't have to securitize them, and fund them with long-term debt secured by those mortgages.

The Diane Rehm Show, "The Banking Industry"

Here is the FDIC Policy Statement on covered bonds.

... all progress depends on the unreasonable mensch.
(apologies to G.B. Shaw)

Conservatives want live babies so they can raise them to be dead soldiers. - George Carlin