Certain that I owe penance for something, somewhere, I recently watched an entire Republican Presidential debate. This one was the Newt and Mitt show. It was certainly less entertaining for the absence of Herman Cain, although you’ll never catch me saying that I privately relished the thought of watching today’s Republican Party have to choose … Continue reading I of Newt, Smile of Mitt
Category: Politics
Is Mitt a Moonie?
Let’s start with the answer: no. He's a very smart, accomplished guy who might or might not make a good President. Smarts and accomplishments for sure, but not terribly inspiring in his public persona, and it can be pretty hard to tell where he stands much, if not most, of the time. He will probably … Continue reading Is Mitt a Moonie?
Angels and Pinheads
Today, the National Bureau of Economic Research announced that the recession that began in December of 2007 officially ended in June of 2009, some 14 months ago. I’m sure relieved to hear that. I’ll bet you are too. According to the Wall Street Journal, the NBER goes on to “warn” that any future downturn would … Continue reading Angels and Pinheads
Healthcare – Part Deux
The other day, my friend Scott McMillan posted a comment about the opening sentence of my (now ancient) last post. He said, “I’d like you to comment on this statement: ‘It’s starting to look like we’re going to get some sort of healthcare reform.’” Well, Scott, here you go. It’s often been said of the … Continue reading Healthcare – Part Deux
A Plague on Both Our Houses
OK, I’ll admit that I’m stumped on this one. It’s starting to look like we’re actually going to get some sort of healthcare reform which, at least in general terms, I believe is a good idea. If you think what we’re doing now is working, read the first paragraph of this article. We spend more … Continue reading A Plague on Both Our Houses
Taming the Beast
Imagine that you have a life insurance policy that you no longer need. You could let it lapse or cash it in. You also could choose to sell it, perhaps to me. I’ll pay you a lump sum for the policy and agree to pay any remaining premiums. In exchange, I’ll get the payout when … Continue reading Taming the Beast
Car Sick – Vol. 1
According the NY Times, the debt markets are valuing the restructuring package for GM’s lenders at roughly $3.4 billion. The lenders will end up owning 10% of GM, which means the market is valuing the entire business at $34 billion. Meanwhile, the government is investing $50 billion in GM in exchange for a 60% ownership … Continue reading Car Sick – Vol. 1
Name That Dog!
There's a rumor floating around that the Obamas are going to adopt a 3-legged dog. See: http://latimes.com/thedishrag/2009/02/will-a-portague.html I wonder if they'll name it "Economy."
All I Want For Christmas. . .
. . .is a governor who's not a felon.
Bailing out the Bailout
Congress has approved $700 million of bailout money. Henry Paulson keeps changing his mind about what he wants to do with it. He has focused almost entirely on institutional fixes. Maybe I’m missing something, but it seems to me that the financial system currently is leaking below the waterline. What we need to do is … Continue reading Bailing out the Bailout
Carp Diem 