Obama’s mortgage fraud task force under fire

President Barack Obama used his January State of the Union address to show he’s on top of the housing crisis, announcing a new “special unit” to investigate mortgage fraud.

But the much-ballyhooed group is now under fire from housing advocates and liberal Democrats who say it lacks the muscle and White House backing to take on Wall Street defendants who drove the economy off a cliff.

It’s the latest example of the administration’s fitful efforts to take command of a complex crisis involving Wall Street shenanigans and suffering homeowners. High-profile announcements haven’t always been followed by actions immediately obvious to voters, especially in battleground states with soaring foreclosure rates such as Nevada, Colorado, Florida, Ohio and Wisconsin.

“People are very angry that the only person who’s been to prison is Martha Stewart,” said Democratic pollster Celinda Lake, referring to the insider trading charges against the home-improvement celebrity.

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