US: In the firing line

Today and tomorrow at 1500BST (0900CST/1000EST) Bernanke will face a tough audience in his semi-annual report to Congress. Bernanke will be speaking about the economy but will also have to fend off attacks from critics from all fronts who want to rein in the Fed’s power and autonomy. Many Fed critics blame the central bank for the economic crisis. They say it failed as a bank regulator and also a fuelled a bubble buy keeping interest rates low for years. They also feel that Bernanke stretched