A decision, made under pressure from Congress and investors, to steer Fannie Mae into dangerous corners of the mortgage market proved to be disastrous.

A decision, made under pressure from Congress and investors, to steer Fannie Mae into dangerous corners of the mortgage market proved to be disastrous.

A decision, made under pressure from Congress and investors, to steer Fannie Mae into dangerous corners of the mortgage market proved to be disastrous.

A decision, made under pressure from Congress and investors, to steer Fannie Mae into dangerous corners of the mortgage market proved to be disastrous.

Wall Street and the federal government faced off over the weekend, raising worries of a sell-off when markets open on Monday.

Some investors are afraid that fund managers will take advantage of a climate of fear to target weak financial firms.

Fear and greed are the stuff that Wall Street is made of. But inside the great banking houses, those high temples of capitalism, fear came to the fore this weekend.

Fear and greed are the stuff that Wall Street is made of. But inside the great banking houses, those high temples of capitalism, fear came to the fore this weekend.

As Lehman Brothers sought a buyer, officials moved to stop a downward spiral threatening other institutions.

Legal fees and exit packages are nothing next to the billions in potential losses we face as taxpayers in having to guarantee bad mortgages that Mac ’n’ Mae financed during the boom.