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.

Become a fan of HuffPost Politics on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.

Comments

[LeeCalif]

Let's see, Summers has time to nap and now he has free time to joke about it.

Now that he isn't making those $50,000 speeches, he has too much time on his hands.

[allonfla]

many of you are really get silly about this. he fell asleep, he was dog tired, he's stressed beyond most of us have ever been - have you never lost sleep over money? leave the guy alone.

[Samuel Perry]

hahah these responses are funny. high comedy. i wish i had an english muffin with melted cheddar. no excuses sir!

[Spud777]

Voter please write/call the Prez, write your elected representatives and most importantly, VOTE. It is easy to complain, but takes some real effort to make your opinions mean something (writing and voting). Far too many people act like it is just "fate" the way government acts and then never bother to vote in ALL elections they are eligible to vote in (my vote won't mean anything). The percentage of people voting in America, especially in off elections like primaries is a National Disgrace. If we tried to pass a law that only the percentage of people that voted previously in that type of election were eligible to vote again, there would be riots in the street, but most people just don't care enough to make a difference.

[StephenJK]

Vote? You mean continue the clinically insane behavior that gets half of us angry every four to eight years? Yeah, good solution.

[booker52]

Is he getting paid to sleep on the job??? Or just asleep at the wheel???

[OlskoolDem]

I got tagged for dozing off 15 min. b-4 quitting time, after working in a cherry picker over a playground on the sunny side for 7plus hrs. on a 90F day. It earned me a day off w/out pay.
This is life in the real world.
You have no Idea of what the avg. American is going through with the C. Card industry changing the game every time you turn around.
And your supposed to be paying attention so as to help in fixing the problem, ???
Got any more jokes about living the American dream ??

[TruthmongerII]

This is the best person for the job that Obama could find? Geezzz....

[ohiomark]

What's the big deal?

It was a meeting about credit cards and interest rates. It doesn't get more boring than that.

[Spud777]

Ohio, are your aware of the abuse credit card companies are causing Americans? You might want to listen to or watch other sites than the one sponsored by the Banana Republicans (ie Fox News). It will expand your knowledge and make your statements more revelent, believe me.

[ohiomark]

If you make the decision to use a credit card, you should know the details. Don't keep expecting the government to bail you out.

[PDXTransplant]

If I had any of their jobs and the stress that goes along with it - I don't think I would be sleeping much either to tell you the truth. Sleep deprivation is worse than being drunk, especially when driving.

[FZliveson]

BORING?????
It is the man's job and the citizenry's livlihoods at stake here.
The jerk needs to be neeedle sharp and wide awake,
if nothing else than for show. But to exhibit disdain or boredom
is nothing short of crimnal and he needs to be fired.
If a pilot falls asleep at the yoke...he'­s suspended
If a sentry falls asleep at his post...it can be a capital crime.
No excuses, sir!
The man needs to go

[sammelbis98]

Wonderful asleep at the wheel are future is in hands like this man. Come on people wake up everyone in Washington is asleep at the wheel. zzzzzzzzzz­zzzzzzzzzz­zzzzzzzzzz­zzzzzzzzzz­zzzzzzz zzzzzzzz

[Spud777]

Then do something about it, write/call the Prez, write your elected representatives and most importantly, VOTE. It is easy to complain, but takes some real effort to make your opinions mean something (writing and voting). Far too many people act like it is just "fate" the way government acts and then never bother to vote in ALL elections they are eligible to vote in (my vote won't mean anything). The percentage of people voting in America, especially in off elections like primaries is a National Disgrace. If we tried to pass a law that only the percentage of people that voted previously in that type of election were eligible to vote again, there would be riots in the street, but most people just don't care enough to make a difference.

[Spud777]

Summers and Geithner are both Wall Street, inbred people who care more about Wall Street salaries and bonuses than Main Street needs to survive the banana republican’s policies that are responsible for the disasters in the US economy and the world. They both need to be replaced NOW by people not in the pocket of the rich corporatists.

[marika]

Oh, to sleep, to dream. Who is not there now, wondering what tomorrow will bring , standing like Vershinin in "Three Sisters" after the fire, clutching his two little girls in his arms and wondering what the future holds for them.
Our world is now like that, - after the fire, a mass of smoking ruin brought upon us by sleepy avid old men. What will become of them - our little boys and girls? What is in store for all the little boys and girls around the world? Does anyone really care?

[milkman]

I think Larry Summers is a great american. President Obama picked him to fix our economy. Obama's future is tied to the success of the Summers-Geithner's economic policies. I would like to know from our blogging geniuses will be what their alternative team for the 2012 nomination. Here are some suggestions Mike Gravel, Dennis Kucinich, or Maxine Watters with Krugman.

[theone718]

You may not like his policies or his personality much, but you cannot deny he is working hard to fix this mess.

[Samalabear]

If he ate better and got better sleep and got off the diet of diet Coke and caffeine that he purportedly lives on, with little sleep, then he might be better able to think coherently and serve.