<I'm sure Bair will still be able to put food on the table.>
Yeah, on the table in her million dollar home thanks to her mortgage from Bank of America.
"In testimony to Congress last month, Bair recounted her role in supporting federal assistance to Bank of America beginning in late 2008.
Beside the $45 billion in aid from the Troubled Asset Relief Program, or TARP, the FDIC board voted in January 2009 to guarantee more than $100 billion in risky assets held by the bank, she said. In exchange the FDIC was to receive $1 billion in preferred stock."
Ego has a lot to do with it. But I also think they are trekking on thin ice with other investigations on their trail and trying to slither out of their mess with the least amount of damage. The noose is getting smaller though. Some time soon (IMO) they are going to settle and go into damage control mode.
IMO the ONLY reason this has not been settled yet is EGO.