At this evening's cocktail reception hosted by Yale, Blackstone Group CEO Stephen Schwarzman walked up, clearly in an upbeat mood (unusual for financial types at Davos this year). "You are walking with your head high," I remarked. "I'm walking with my head still on," he replied. READ MORE
Davos Notes: Contrite Bankers, Overflow Interest in Philanthropy, Mistrusted Americans The first questioner at this morning's panel, responding to my earlier assertion that Wall Street execs and bankers are acting like Marie Antoinettes, rose to his feet and, dripping with contrition, introduced himself by saying, "I am one of these financial guys..." It had the feel of a binge drinker who, after finally hitting bottom, shows up at an AA meeting and announces "...and I am an alcoholic." READ MORE
The people who got everything wrong for at least the last eight years and then spent the better part of the week spreading misinformation are demanding to be taken seriously? That's rich.
Obama understands the essence of diplomacy: to step out of your own shoes and into the minds of the others around the table, with the goal of achieving your own interests by influencing their minds.
If we're going to win back the Afghans' support, then we need to show them that we can protect them from the Taliban -- something that will clearly take more troops -- both U.S. and Afghan.
It is clear to me that the grass has been very dry in the grassroots for a long, long time and that Americans everywhere will respond to any spark that ignites and appeals to their deepest love of country.
Obama tried to go the extra mile, made compromises, tried to be bipartisan within the context of an election which Democrats won. And what did he get? Literally, nothing. Not one Republican vote. Not one.
What has been absent, so far, is the attention toward the unintended consequences of the financial crisis. I was stunned when an attendee said, "it's not like the poor have felt this."
The government is the only economic player right now. Yet -- according to Republican economic philosophy -- this is the time to become fiscal conservatives. Please.
It's fair to ask whether the Reagan myth matters as much now that George W. Bush is back at the ranch and President Obama is in the White House. I would argue that it does.
Right-wing media outlets are pick up the ridiculous talking points from the GOP leadership attacking Obama's stimulus package by claiming that it gives ACORN a $4.19 billion bailout. Puh-lease, people!
If you really want to take U.S.-China relations to a new level that rises above the day-to-day issues, you need to find new ways to engage the Chinese people themselves -- not just their government.
Among the contrite bankers and shell-shocked politicians in Davos, I wish to remind them that if the world's rich think they have never had it so bad, the developing world is having it worse.
Congress did the right thing by bringing us back to a 40 year old standard when it fixed Ledbetter. But the State of New Mexico is way ahead of the curve, looking forward, not backward.
It's Limbaugh who has been making the case, even more forcefully than the Democratic president, that the Republican Party has no message, has no direction, has no reason for being.
As the demand for oil worldwide grows rapidly over the longer term, even as the rate of new discoveries is falling, it is increasingly obvious that the roller coaster is headed for a crash. And we're in the front car.
We have the capacity to reduce our dependence on foreign oil by 50% overall and reduce to zero the amount of oil we import from the Middle East, Africa and Venezuela. We don't have to be at the mercy of OPEC.
Obama tried to charm them, Rush tried to bully them. And the results are in. Round 1 goes by unanimous decision to Rush Limbaugh.
Senators Collins, Snowe and Gregg all represent areas that have been hard hit by the recession. Will they prove themselves true "moderates" who represent the interests of New England's working families?
Obama and Rahm Emanuel have hired a group of people who are going to make the rich stay rich -- and who are not designed to really change things for the middle class or the struggling lower end.
