Cash gives Obama political cover

Dick Fuld, not a familiar name to most Americans, is nevertheless the poster boy for arrogant corporate greed. He may also be a catalyst for significant changes in executive compensation.

Fuld is the former chief executive officer of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc who raked in almost half a billion dollars in the eight years before his company went bankrupt. Facing possible civil suits, he quietly sold his Florida mansion, valued at more than $13 million, for $100 to his wife.

That's the stuff that infuriates struggling and scared average Americans, who are demanding a crackdown on corporate excess. As the government tries to rescue banks and other companies, Barack Obama's administration is responding to the public outrage, starting last week by limiting compensation at financial firms that get major new government assistance.