Prisoners of the White House

The parallel is attractive, but in fact JFK had Pentagon (Joint Chiefs of Staff) input. Who was it, Lyman Lemnitser who got cashiered for lying to the President about how good the CIA plan was?

I believe the responsiblity of Newsweek or any form of "news" is to report the truth. You're still free to spend your money anywhere you plese...for now anyway.............

And then there's this "smart choice" for our economy----??????There has been a marked improvement in global economic performance, with strong growth, relatively low inflation, and less volatility in both growth and inflation. This seems to have reduced concern about future fundamental risk, in terms of the potential damage of future shocks and in the ability of governments and central banks to both avoid the policy errors of the past and to competently manage some daunting longer???term policy challenges???

???Changes in financial markets, including those that are the subject of your conference, have improved the efficiency of financial intermediation and improved our confidence in the ability of markets to absorb stress. In financial systems around the world, the capital positions of banks have improved and capital markets are becoming deeper and playing a larger role in financial intermediation. Financial innovation has improved the capacity to measure and manage risk. Risk is spread more broadly across countries and institutions???

???These changes in economic conditions reinforce each other. The long period of relative economic and financial stability has reinforced expectations of future stability, reducing implied volatility and risk premia, increasing comfort with higher leverage, and encouraging flows of capital into riskier assets???

???The dramatic changes we???ve seen in the structure of financial markets over the past decade and more seem likely to have reduced this vulnerability. The larger global financial institutions are generally stronger in terms of capital relative to risk??????

Timothy Geithner, May 15, 2007

Obama???s ???Robin Hood??? antics nauseate me and I refuse to let my children be molded into roaches with a sense of entitlement and attitude of disrespect. In the world of politics; what can give me any sense of certainty in things unseen, what promises can I l believe? Its nice to talk about hope and justice; but we all know politics form the inside and we know things don???t change that much; and so quickly??? False hope consists of a fairy tale ending which depends entirely on the actions of others. What to do???? Send the kids to school, don???t wait around for others to fix our problems, recognize that progress is not pain free. REAL progress always entails hard work, personal sacrifice and responsibility. By this entire nation.

I don???t think this President is at risk for becoming isolated. For one he is personally an extrovert and he loves to mingle. Secondly he disdains a -we are a special lot-mentality that dominated the last administration. Thirdly, he actually does have the peoples best interest at heart as opposed to self-serving goals and desires. I certainly would not say he has been completely-one hundred percent forthright in everything that he says but at least he is not a PATHALOGICAL LIAR like most members of the last team. The Bush administration wouldn???t tell the truth under any circumstances and Cheney???.Cheney???Cheney???.Jesus Christ, where did he come from?

Obama indeed does need a dissenting voice. Too bad he won't get it from the fawning media, such as Newsweek.
How can you call it dissent when he only listens to one side - more government hacks.

I think a more approrpriate title for this article would be a great big neocon "WAAAAAAH". LOL!

A more appropriate title for this article would be "WAAAAAAAAH!!!!" LOL!

If Obama was so open-minded and willing to have debate and opposing points of view in his cabinet, he would have kept Chas Freeman by his side, instead of shamefully bowing, yet again, before AIPAC.

"Obama listened and questioned while Krugman and Stiglitz, both Nobel Prize winners, pushed for more aggressive government intervention in the banking system." That doesnt sound like hearing all sides...thats his side of the argument!

nightprowl, you sound like a retard regurgitating lines you've heard or read somewhere. There's no majority singing secession, just sour losers like you who won't accept that you lost the last election. Your republicans didn't listen to Dems when they were in charge, but that didn't seam to bother you. I guess it's only bad when the other party does it. I respect and praise our military and their sacrifices. However, the military are not the only ones who defend our constitution. Everyday folks who abide by the law also serve to protect and defend our constitution. An african american has just been elected president and you're running to Texas and calling on people to take up arms against the govt. but you say you are not a radical right winger. What do you think a radical right winger is? So if you're not a secessionist, what are you? A confederate? This isn't 1891. These days, people who take up arms against their government are called domestic terrorist.

I do not understand how discussions with two noted liberal economists with similar opinions, which happen to coincide with the agenda of the Obama adminstration, could be considered "outreach." How about inviting some dissenting voices such as Ed Prescott or Vernon Smith?

Mr. Thomas, you ought to be ashamed of yourself for writing such a thoroughly in-the-box article which is completely hypocritcal when compared with it's title.

I do not understand how discussions with two noted liberal economists with similar opinions, which happen to coincide with the agenda of the Obama adminstration, could be considered "outreach." How about inviting some dissenting voices such as Ed Prescott or Vernon Smith?

Mr. Thomas, you ought to be ashamed of yourself for writing such a thoroughly in-the-box article which is completely hypocritcal when compared with it's title.

For those interested, the following provides an interesting overview on the financial institution stress tests

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/04/us/politics/04stress.html?ref=todayspaper

Yes, yes. I probably could write your posts for many of you. It's just information for those who seek it.

Have any of them ever run a business? The guy who bought Kmart and Sear have run it to the ground, so has Cyberus destroying Chrysler. Something to be said about Ivy grads. - all fluff with nithing behind it.

You learn to appreciate good businessmen when you get older and wiser. Hewlett, Packard, Steve Jobs, etc.

If he was so keen on debate and listening to different opinions he would have kept Chas Freeman instead of bowing yet again before AIPAC. So much for open-mindedness and balance.

Obviously W. did live in a vacuum/bubble. One surrounded by advisors that were more interested in political expediency than a methodical approach to solving problems. Without dissent and some contrary advisors, we would become just another monarchy.

I do believe that we are still living in a democracy, although that belief was severly tested under President W. and his "cowboys"

Chip- Sarasota