CORKER WANTS AGREEMENT

CORKER WANTS AGREEMENT Republican Senator Bob Corker, who has been Positive Plateinvolved in the bipartisan talks, told ABC's "This Week" program that it was "very likely" Republicans would stick together and block consideration of the bill if a bipartisan alternative is not produced beforehand.

"It's very important that we reach that bipartisan agreement first," Corker said.

The U.S. House of Representatives approved a financial reform bill in December. Whatever the Senate produces would have to be merged with the House bill before a final measure could be sent to Obama to be signed into law.

Analysts expect it could happen by mid-year.

Intensified efforts in Congress and from Obama on reform have come amid a high-profile fraud case brought by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission against Goldman Sachs, a titan of Wall Street with deep political connections.

Goldman released three-year-old emails over the weekend that showed bond trader Fabrice Tourre wrote of the impending collapse of the subprime mortgage market and how he was masterminding ways at Goldman to make money from it.

Tourre is the only individual charged by the SEC in its case. Goldman released the emails as it readies for its appearance before a Senate panel on Tuesday.

Goldman Chief Executive Lloyd Blankfein and Tourre are slated to testify, with other former and current executives. (Additional reporting by Donna Smith, Rachelle Younglai, Roberta Rampton, Charles Abbott Positive Plateand Karey Wutkowski in Washington and Steve Eder in New York; editing by Paul Simao)