One is Hank 'Call Me Uncle Joe' Paulson, US Treasury Secretary, currently performing his 'Buddy, Can You Spare a Trillion' at the Capitol to mixed reviews.
And then on the other side of the pond there's John Paulson, of the eponymous Hedge Fund Paulson and Co, which under new disclosure rules had to disclose it was shorting large positions in Lloyds TSB, Royal Bank of Scotland, HBOS, and Barclays.
So far, so obvious.
The less obvious bit is that the Financial Times reports that Mr John Paulson, anticipating criticism for his moves, defended the short positions, saying his hedge fund
“empathizes with financial firms as to the difficult positions in which many find themselves.”
Yep; that's sincerity oozing through every pore...