Politicians Take Lessons From Big Short

It’s certainly more entertaining than reading bill proposals. Michael Lewis’ latest book, The Big Short, has become an unexpected success on Capitol Hill. Politicians have latched on to its narrative of greedy investors who bet on the housing-market collapse to fill their own pockets, and they’ve been dropping the title all over the floors of Congress. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin recently urged everyone in the room to buy a copy, while Harry Reid and Chris Dodd have done the same in the middle of debates. And now, Lewis’ phone keeps ringing with politicians wanting to discuss the book. “I tell them all the same thing: ‘I’m not Jesus, I’m Brian,’” he said, referring to the Monty Python classic, Life of Brian, to say that he is not a prophet.