ntmessage's Comments (2067)

“The GOP want to blame the economy on Obama after 8 years of Bush and only 100 days of Obama.”

“Sorry. Just wrong.”

“For those that cannot see the obvious, I am using the data from 1929 - 1938. OK? look it up. please.”

“Nice spin by this article! Perhaps the BG is trying to rewrite history. I remember Mohamed El-Erian on CNBC many times talking about all of these illiquid alternative investments and how great they are long after Summers was gone. Meyer, who ran the fund, had the control of the investments, not Summers! The buck stopped with Meyer and El-Erian. Just cuz Summers is an easy target simply for a dopey statement, why academics cannot leave their politics at the school continues to amaze. I think the janitor who is about to lose his job is blaming Summers, as well. So, framing the situation correctly and in a manner that those smearing Summers would understand: Anyone paying attention can see that Mohamed El-Erian nose hairs make Summers’ look like a baby’s bottom.”

“Summers was the Dean. This endowment lost big-time and now they need to lay people off because the current management and Al Arian left them a disaster, not Summers.”

“Is this a joke trying to smear Summers when Mohamed Al Arian was running the hundreds of billions of dollars endowment? Summers was the Dean. This endowment lost big-time and now they need to lay people off because the current management and Al Arian left them a disaster, not Summers. This is wrong and likely more of the summers haters at Harvard spinning to try and smear Summers. These are the same people saying that Al Arian was a genius, but he resigned his role just before the crash long after Summers was gone, leaving Harvard with a ton of illiquid, alternative investments that he was so enamored of months prior. Will academic politics still blame Summers for their own short falls years in the future. Of course, they will try to.”

“If there was more monetary policy discussion here, this discussion about the Fed could be useful. If the Fed did not step in, we would be in a 1929 style depression with 30% unemployment. Right Now. There would be no need for an audit if the congress would stop grandstanding during many their committees and asked real questions instead of playing politics. Ask a question. Frankly, I do not get it at all. Bernanke and Geithner are stabilizing this administration because they have credibility with the markets. Carter and his crew did not and from the same ideology (spend for social services) mortgages were 18% and we had stagflation.

So with this logic we get a great depression or a Carter style economy. With what we have now we know there is crap all over the financial markets including on the Fed balance sheet. However, this was done to save the economy. Duh! So we want to screw the pooch. Not a good idea. Again, if there was real policy discussion here instead of red meat then we can get to better regulations. This was the least bad solution. Get onto health care and jobs. The economy is recovering albeit real slow. The alternative was a great depression. This is the best that could be done. Bernanke is a hero. Not a scoundrel. The Feds role is stability of the economy.”

“Sorry. I voted for Carter and it was a disaster. there was no blind side. The oil crisis started years prior. He was in fact the most fiscally irresponsible president at that time. Bush and Carter are now one and two for that dubious honor.”

“Protect the banksters or stability of the economy. Spin it any way. The Fed is needed and needs to be independent.”

“The issue with the Fed is that most people do not understand what its role is. Stability of the economy. It would be great if all of the conspiracy theories and false accusations were in fact true but they have no basis in fact. It is all emotion and ideology, but most of all politics. The Fed being the whipping boy by administrations during economic crisis is well based in history. Only as a cover for those in congress who cannot do their job. I do not blame Obama since he has been in office for only 100 days and the recovery is working, albeit slowly. But this Fed bashing is really becoming more pathological and less empirical. As far as Carter? Disaster. Everyone knows that.”

“Fed needs to be able to break up holding companies and stay independent. It cannot do consumer. A commission with teeth headed by Ms Warren is best for that.”

“Audit? Why? By Congress? Please. We already know there are things he needed to do that are not pretty. The whole country did. He did the least bad option. Now to politicize the results and try to smear a hero? Nope. Not buying it at all and neither should he.”

“Nice try Lugar. How about walking and chewing gum at the same time?”

“We already have a title for the movie: "Smarmy and Smarmier"”

“With all due respect. We should trust the same people in the current congress from the Carter era that got our interest rates over 18%? Independent FED makes both side of the isle mad because it reins in stupid politically motivated decisions based upon ideology. Frankly, this guy is a hero and anything less, especially at this time would tank the fledgling recovery underway, that Bernanke orchestrated. A depression with 10 years of 30% unemployment was the opposite of the least bad situation. Our economic disaster happened specifically due to Bush policies and the interpretation of those same polices in regard to Glass Stegall. We need to let Bernanke do his job and get congress under control, especially in regard to the stimulus that has underperformed based upon expectations. Deflection of guilt to the FED? Yes of course it is. Those that want to Fed’s independence diminished are certainly walking off a cliff. Boom/Bust cycles are based upon emotion, and human nature not policy. This congress wants to pay back special interests even if it means the economy goes into a double dip. Human nature, again in the form of Greed. This behavior is scaring the daylights out of the country and the planet.”

“This is a step. A real law would read banned for five or more years instead of a subjective two. These lobbies can keep the top on board for a couple of years with no issue.”

“Well Dean and other are certainly not cowardly.”

“Lieberman's days of extracting so much for his one vote need to be over and fast or the country will continue to suffer greatly. This is like the swing vote on Survivor, flipping to one side or another depending upon the deal. Except that on Survivor, the swing vote usually gets nailed the next time around. In congress, one person playing the swing card forever is a failure of democracy. Lieberman not only must go, he must be paid a lesson that is obvious. The pay-off for this vote is not worth it! This red herring is really not worth any more of his manipulative circus. The best way we will prove that fact is to go without him and pass a much better bill even with 51. The public will admire the Democrats for growing a spine and Obama will pass the test of a true leader. Watch the polls skyrocket! Watch the military and energy interests not to mention the health care interests cave on every issue! Including the Middle East. Do this at least none months before 2010, and start a campaign against Lieberman’s over representation in the media and then see how the Democrats actually gain seats. Obvious for anyone outside of the beltway. Only after the smarmy Lieberman is gelded, can the country advance.”

“Seems that she got so used to making up stuff in the Bush administration, she has now become totally delusional.”

“Another easy give and useless promise. Because of a global recession and winter they are not building a thing in 10 months anyway. This is why the settlements must stopped and turned over to those that need them. Another waste of time by the right wingers.”

“These Janus faced Democrats must get out of the way. Daschle for example was around during the Clinton Health Care debate and we all know how well that turned out. We simply cannot water down this Bill to suit so many selfish congressmen. Go with 51 votes, but if there is no good bill, even with bipartisanship and/or 60 votes Obama will be a one termer specifically because the nation voted for change. Daschle and many spineless others represent the quintessential legacy of the Democrat downfall that voted in Bush and lead to ten years of hell, through 2010. The people want a robust public option and must be able to trust the Democrats from pulling too many fast changes for special interests. Only that direction will provide the Democrats and Obama with the most important trait for the party. That is Credibility. As much as the people need Credibility, the congress needs a similar dose of courage.”

“Many still do not get it. NYC of course is the biggest target, from every aspect including Propoganda. Having the trial elsewhere diminishes the momentutm gained by terrorists and those that want the US to diminish.

Also the first act against NYC was in 1993 the next in 2001.”

“Chicken or Egg discussion. You still need to start hiring first. Lower wages will not make a business model work or not work if it is sustainable. This is not interference, it is survival for most of those people. In this case it is indeed the business world that must step up, not the unemployed.”

“Yeah. Blaming the Fed or Treasury is unproductive,”

“Trying to get blood out of a rock would be better than stopping the extensions. Kicking those that are down is unproductive. A better idea would be that no one in congress gets paid until the unemployment rate is under say 5%. Now that is a real motivator.”