The situation needs to be addressed today. If we're going to make an impact on the economy, it has to be literally trying to put the enhancement, the liquidity, the sorts of things we're talking about today, put those in place today.

What happened to the credit rating agencies that rated Enron's financial status?

I hate it. I hate it for lots of different reasons.

Your ratings matter.

If that's the case, I have a proposal, at least when it comes to municipal bonds, to simply require agencies to base their opinion on the ability to repay that debt.

I absolutely agree that there is a role for them in the free market world.

I consider myself a major defender of the First Amendment, and I would do whatever I can to maintain the freedom of speech.

I have been one of the leading critics of the way credit rating agencies work.

Either let us do it and not have any input, or help us do it the right way.

I want a strong, independent voice to help make--allow the market to make thoughtful judgments on investments.

We need independent, thoughtful, credit rating agencies who are not beholden to the people that they're working for.