Last week's announcement of a $25 billion nationwide settlement with five of the nation's largest mortgage lenders took 18 months to complete, Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster said.
"One interesting observation on this is how difficult it was to bring 26 Republican attorneys general and 24 Democratic attorneys general together in a single agreement," Koster told reporters last Thursday, after announcing Missouri's receipt of more than $196 million from the national agreement.
"It doesn't sound like it would be that difficult to do," he added, "but, in fact, there are political differences in the way that the two parties view the mortgage crisis.
"And the fact that - I think, at the end of this - we are going to have all 50 states sign on, Republicans and Democrats, in a unanimous agreement with these five banks underscores the significance of (this) accomplishment."