Bloodless Coup

Actually, it is surprising -- IF, in fact, those calls drove the Fed's actions.

Personally, I suspect that the Fed is being driven by knowledge that the problems with monoline securities insurers (eg MBIA -- aka the folks insuring the supposed AAA ratings of these these troubled subprime-backed securities) are more dire than is generally known, and that the banks are thus more exposed than they've let on in public.

You really think it's surprising? Given what we know of Greenspan's cozy relationship with the Bush White House, well, is there any reason to think that Ben B might not similarly bend to such pressure?