Legislative Committees

A special commission to determine the causes of the financial crisis is trying to pattern itself after the bipartisan panel that investigated the 2001 terrorist attacks -- but some Republicans say the deck already is stacked against them. The 10-person commission meeting for the first time today consists of six people selected by Democrats and four by the GOP, a departure from the even split on the so-called 9/11 commission. And it's headed by longtime loyalists from each party, which some worry could lead to partisan disputes as the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission tackles the politically explosive task of what triggered the worst economic meltdown since the Great Depression.