Lloyd blankfein

WASHINGTON - A Senate showdown has put Goldman Sachs' defense of its conduct in the run-up to the financial crisis on display before indignant lawmakers and a national audience.

WASHINGTON - Defending his company under blistering criticism, the CEO of Goldman Sachs testily told skeptical senators Tuesday that customers who bought securities from the Wall Street giant in the run-up to a national financial crisis came looking for risk "and that's what they got." Lloyd Blankfein and other Goldman executives were lambasted by lawmakers for "unbridled greed" in an often-electric daylong showdown between Wall Street and Congress - with expletives frequently undeleted.