And it seems awfully plausible that the aim of getting Schneiderman on board with an Administration "investigation" is to undermine the effort by 15 Democrat attorneys general to devise their own strategy for dealing with mortgage abuses. We've heard reports privately that some of the defecting AGs are in a panic.

"Seems awfully plausible" that naming the lead aggressive state AG to a high power panel is supposed to in some 11 dimensional plot "undermine" the AGs ? This would be the AGs who threw Schneiderman off their committee because he was too aggressive?  Well, if you wanted an aggressive investigation of bank malfeasance, why would that be a bad thing? This paragraph is classical NC, full of tremulous innuendo and implications based on nothing at all.

It's clear what the Administration is getting from getting Schneiderman aligned with them. It is much less clear why Schneiderman is signing up. He can investigate and prosecute NOW. He has subpoena powers, staff, and the Martin Act. He doesn't need to join a Federal committee to get permission to do his job. And this is true for ALL the others agencies represented on this committee.

This one is really a gem. First the "it's clear" that elevates the gibberish innuendo of the previous three paragraphs into established fact, then the added implication that Schneiderman, the hero until yesterday, is in some sleazy deal, and then a quick shuffle to keep readers from thinking: the administration cannot keep the AGs from prosecuting because, as the author admits, the AGs are independent.