In football, there is no greater sin for an attacker than missing a “sitter”: an easy opportunity to score, usually with the goal wide open. Missed sitters have turned sporting heroes into villains in the space of seconds and haunted the post-match thoughts of many a fan. The concept is tough to explain to Americans because US sports offer more chances for redemption than the unforgiving “world football”. Missed a dunk in basketball? A new attack will materialise in the next few seconds. Fumbled a pass in American football or dropped a fly-ball in baseball? You can still be a hero in the next down or inning. But when it comes to the foreclosure crisis plaguing the US financial sector, there is no better way of putting it: the politicians are missing a sitter.