March 2009

Stories I'm watching this Friday: Madoff in Jail Bank with ties to Congresswoman Maxine Waters made a special plea for financial aid China worried about the safety of U.S. debt First Citigroup, now Bank of America says it is making a lot of money Goldman Sachs downgrades from the Ritz to Embassy Suites VW wants to become the read more

The President is now even defending his gigantic spending plan to his own party.  As the story in the Wall Street Journal leads: Confronting misgivings in his own party, President Barack Obama mounted a stout defense of his blueprint to overhaul the national economy Thursday, arguing that delay on health care, energy and education would make "recovery more fragile and our future less ... read more

Stories I'm watching this Thursday: Watch the largest collection of Madoff victims in one place Madoff's secret London operation Life insurers may be the next bailout Obama: High popular support, low economist grades South Carolina Governor becomes first to formally reject ... read more

Yesterday the President felt the need to re-respond to a question posed to him a few days ago by a New York Times reporter about whether he is a Socialist.    The President initially dismissed the question as a joke by the reporter, but apparently felt that perhaps he needed to take it more seriously. Here is an except from the story today in today's Washington Times, quoting Obama as he ... read more

Stories I'm watching this Monday: Is the Euro about ready to collapse? The dollar ETF I wrote about back in August has posted a nice return While GM burns the D.C. politically-correct brigade pretends the Chevy Volt matters this year Banks, too, are angry they have to bail out others Big hedge funds turning to gold as an ... read more

Below is the latest from Wisconsin on how the state plans to spend its stimulus money. Of the $3.76 billion taxpayer dollars the state is receiving from the federal government, only the $529 million dollar Highway Funding provision seems to be going directly to any form of program that would actually create or save jobs.  It isn't clear what the $717 million going to the Education "State ... read more

Stories I'm watching this weekend: Signs of life in one of the hardest hit real estate markets Free market at work: 4,000 buyers for 375 homes shows foreclosure demand is strong AIG aid isn't just going to AIG Proof of how tough the job market is in Ohio Good point about how duration - not rate - of job losses is ... read more

"You know, the yelling and screaming about the rich - we want rich from around this country to move here. We love the rich people." - New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg speaking Friday Bloomberg has it right by refusing to play into the populist uprising against families making more than $250,000 per year.   As Mayor of a city that relies heavily on the financial sector and the wealthy (1 ... read more

Stories I'm following this Friday: Hugo Chavez is not the kind of supporter President Obama wants Developing: Madoff set to plead guilty The numbers are worse if you count those who have given up looking for work Apparently few want to work for the Treasury Why GE stock is paying the price Steve Forbes: Obama repeating Bush's biggest mistakes The ... read more

With all the fury around bank executive and Wall Street pay, why isn't more being made of this story... Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO) paid Neville Isdell and Muhtar Kent, who each served six months as chief executive last year, $4.5 million bonuses that were purely discretionary, according to a regulatory filing. Yet executive bonuses for this year will be based on the soft-drink maker's 2009 ... read more