By Kevin Liptak

The lights went out today at a hearing of the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission, but it may take more than an electrician to fix this group's power problems.

As noted in The New York Times, insiders complain that the panel of experts—convened to scrutinize the origins of the financial crisis—lacks focus, toughness, and comes too late and moves too slowly to influence policy when Americans need it most.

The FCIC does have a deadline - December 15. But even at the sluggish pace of financial reform legislation making its way through Congress that's likely to be too late to play much of a role. Not that the FCIC going to make that December deadline; the group's initial delays in hiring staff alone could push its work back into 2011, by which time their report could prove useful mostly to historians of the crisis.

Commissioners also are divided on the panel’s focus, with some telling The Times that FCIC chairman Phil Angelides is too intent on holding high-profile hearings, like Alan Greenspan’s testimony this morning. Despite the panel's ability to issue subpoenas, none has been delivered to key players in the financial crisis.

It's enough to cause some Washingtonians to wonder: Why bother turning on the lights at all?