No Matt, it’s not a sideshow, it’s the rule of law, the bedrock of our whole system. Yes, the borrowers are in default and should be foreclosed on. But not through the use of fraudulent documents turned out in foreclosure paperwork mills. In our system even the criminal has rights and must be detained and prosecuted in a manner that preserves those rights. If the police don’t go through the correct procedures or fabricate evidence they risk, if caught, watching that individual go free. And, rather than being snarky, Mr. Nocera is correctly noting the conflict of interest inherent that would exist in a relationship between the banks and the consultants they would hire to oversee their practices. Gee, do you think that company might feel some pressure to score the bank well on it’s foreclosure protocols? How did that kind of relationship work between the banks and the credit agencies right before it all blew up in 2007. I continue to marvel at the writings that appear on this site castigating everyone and everybody for what has transpired except for the banks themselves. Matt, when you get off your knees taking care of Mr. Banker, take a look around——–in this country fraud is a criminal activity. Call it for what it is.