Summers On Falling Sleeping: It Was My American Dream

Caught sleeping at a meeting with credit card industry executives last week, Larry Summers defended his White House nap on Sunday, saying that, with a topic "boring enough to put you to sleep," he was just trying to achieve his own American Dream.

From the closing moments of the chief Obama economic adviser's interview on Fox News Sunday:

WALLACE: We have less than a minute left and I do want to ask you one more question and I suspect you figured this one was coming. You were spotted at that meeting with credit card executives, it sure looked like you were falling asleep. Question: Do you find President Obama's speeches less than compelling, sir?

SUMMERS: Chris, you know, it's kind of like I was thinking about the fine print on some of those credit card disclosures which is written boring enough to put you to sleep. And President Obama wants us all to fulfill our American dreams. And I guess I was starting that day.

WALLACE: You've been a serial dozer because you were spotted at an earlier meeting. are you not getting enough sleep, sir?

SUMMERS: We're all working very hard in this administration, Chris, because we think that we want to support the president in what is a tremendous responsibility that he has to get this economy growing again and to again establish a period when family incomes are rising.

WALLACE: Did the president rib you?

SUMMERS: Oh, we've all joked about American dreams in various ways.

On a more serious and pertinent note, Summers cheered legislation that would provide "relief" and protection to credit card users, though he didn't directly say whether the White House would support an immediate freeze on retroactive interest rates.

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Comments

[ConcernedAboutRFuture]

Get a PROOFREADER please!! Many competent people need jobs.

[cjt1957]

More than likely dreaming up a new talk he could give to a bank and charge them $500k...

[Caliwoman]

The fat cat takes a nap. No brain, just rationalizes what Wall Streeet wants us to believe. An arrogant fool.

[PhilipTaylor]

Is it TIME to remove "Sleepy and Pleasy" of Wall Street and get an ADULT who sees the BIG Picture?

1. PhD who has written prize winning books and articles
2. Has friends on Main Street and is loyal to them
3. Has no financial or cultural link to Wall Street
4. Relies on FACTS and is willing to think "outside the box" at what is best for ALL America
5. Will be respected by other Non-Wall Street Experts
6. Willing to stand up to a Congress that took $5 Billion from Wall Street

TIME FOR CHANGE WE CAN BELIEVE IN PRESIDENT OBAMA!

[mech]

Lighten up. The man was tired. Yes, in "the real world" as some of you call it, it could be grounds for dismissal. How many of you have to work day and night to try and recover a global economic problem?

[schatsie]

Sorry,, but I do not believe that...Summers is a bubble head...

[american-dolt]

Great Attitude, its the fine print that needs the attention. Another Gov official that doesn't give a damn about you.

[denisew]

I have family members who snore while sleeping and never miss a beat of the conversation going on around them while they "slept." Just because one's eyes are closed doesn't mean your hearing is shut down.

[Rosanneofpgh]

In the real business world, falling asleep in the middle of an important meeting is grounds for dismissal!

Making a joke of it is not the way to deal with the fallout; an apology followed by an explanation of why he fell asleep (ie, I have narcolepsy, Im really not very interested in this crap, I was up late last night working on my notes for this conference, etc) would have been much better.

[nellpost]

Oh please!

[trudem2]

Oh please my a-s.s! If you don't think credit card abuse in these times is not important enough for officials to at least REMAIN AWAKE when discussing .... then something's sorely missing in your concept of "leadership". This is intolerable and Summers deserves a stern reprimanding. There is nothing funny about this at all.

[MadeInAmerica]

Yawn

[PhilipTaylor]

SUMMERS AND WALL STREET HAVE FAILED CAPITALISM - TIME TO HONOR ITS PRINCIPLES!

Definition of Capitalism: An economic system for producing wealth ....without force or fraud...private rights are protected by the rule of law of a regulatory framework.­...legisla­tive action defines and enforces the basic rules of the market. [edited down from Wikipedia]

1. Notice nothing about Taxpayer BAILING OUT the corporations who want wealth at any cost!
2. Without FRAUD and clearly the corporations did that
3. Rule of Law - They should be investigated and prosecuted
4. Regulatory Framework - Dismantled by Summers, Clinton, Gramm, and Bush
5. Legislative Action - Wall Street gave Congress $5 Billion to buy Votes over last ten years-BROKEN

[graceland9]

You just put ME to sleep.

[Jim Anderson]

;-}

[6465billy]

One can only hope that the rest of this Obama admin. sleeps where they can NOT do any more harm than they have already done to this country.

[nellpost]

Where the heck do YOU live?

[395spoons]

And what harm is that? Get real or post with Fox!!

[Jim Anderson]

What's the 6465 stand for? Hill?

[ConcernedAboutRFuture]

You are soooo stupid. The harm was done LONG before Obama.

[JackNasty]

The arrogance of this America's plutocrats is astonishing. If systematic abuses of US consumers by American bankers doesn't interest Mr. Summers enough for him to stay awake, he should be replaced.

It wouldn't be the first time Larry Summers was asked to leave an organization for his blatant disrespect for those whom he deems to be his inferiors.

[iSeeDumbPeople]

It's revolting.

[schatsie]

Exactly, he was probably up late playing bridge with the FREE LUNCH crowd, Bill and Warren...

[usamidori]

Larry Summers at 70% of his capacity is worth more than 99.99% of the rest of us.

[duchessofdork]

Because?

[SorenB]

Speak for yourself... Bart Simpson at 1% of his capacity is probably at 100% more than you.

Summers is still pushing his anti-consumer pro Wall Street agenda. Notice there was cheerleading without much substance... such as supporting a freeze on retroactive interest rates.

"I voted for Obama and all I got was this lousy bailout!"

[graceland9]

...and fair pay act, and health care for children, and health care for all, and a tax cut...

Maybe it's you who should wake up.

[jrzy]

If I fell asleep at work..I'd be fired or at least place on some type of corrected action and you have this guy on national television falling asleep. This guy has big brass ones I'll tell ya....

[MsLiz]

With Summer's resume', a few naps are overlooked.

[vfs11]

his resume ...he was president of harvard...got fired..said women can not do math and science

[truthglow]

He is a big part of our problem! You and I could not get away with any of this!

[UsofA]

You'd be fired because your a bus driver.

[Fromageball]

You are the one with "big brass ones" since you seem to think you are on equal ground with Larry Summers.

[BillAnthony]

I sense this guy is more concerned with his hundred million dollar banker buddies than the average person getting ripped off by the credit card companies.

[BigBagel]

Yea think?

[Malkin71]

Seriously....I'll put Geithner and Summers up there with the WORST Bush appointments ever....

I'm talking Paulson, Gonzo, Ashcroft, Rummy....

[ConcernedAboutRFuture]

I totally agree!

Let's go Devils!!!