Kass: Ben Stein, Back Off Goldman Sachs

This blog post originally appeared on RealMoney Silver on Dec. 5 at 9:02 a.m. EST.

A quick disclaimer before I defend Goldman Sachs (GS Quote) and criticize Ben Stein's New York Times article (and tell you about my own role in the brouhaha): My credentials in championing consumer advocacy and criticizing Wall Street run deep. I am not your average card-carrying Wall Streeter/defender of all that is capitalist.

Thirty-five years ago, I was a "Nader Raider" and co-authored Citibank: The Ralph Nader Report with Ralph Nader and the Center for the Study of Responsive Law. The book was a critical expose on the dealings of the bank and how it mistreated consumers and overindulged its corporate clients. I continue to support Nader's Citizen Works, an organization that exists to advance the progressive citizen movement by building coalitions that speak for the public interest.

Since working with Nader, I have been more critical of the Wall Street community than almost anyone extant. (Well, not more critical than Jim Grant!) Just go through the archives or read several of my interviews or editorials I have written about Wall Street in Barron's. ...