January 29, 2009 – 3:00 pm
I completely agree with Josh’s analysis of the pork pie moving through Congress. All the evidence indicates that this bill won’t do much to stimulate the economy, and, according to the CBO, the package even falls short of President Obama’s goal for how quickly money can be dispersed. But I worry that while the facts […]
January 28, 2009 – 5:44 pm
Russian Czar president prime minister Valdimir Putin delivered a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos today and, God help me, I read it. One thing I learned is that Putin is a fan of banal metaphors. For instance: “Regardless of their political or economic system, all nations have found themselves in the same […]
January 27, 2009 – 6:29 pm
The Wall Street Journal today offers a further look (registration may be required) at Richard Olivier’s Macbeth-themed business seminar, on stage this week at the World Economic Forum in Davos: “‘Macbeth is a noble warrior who apparently believes in serving his kingdom, but is spectacularly derailed, caught by his own ambition. He is never happy […]
January 27, 2009 – 12:49 pm
Financial company executives are making a habit of apologizing for bad decisions and/or bad behavior these days. Or, at the very least, admitting they got some serious ‘splainin’ to do. Following the trend, John Thain quickly responded to the charges leveled at him last week by journalists and Bank of America insiders. The characterization of Thain as ethically […]
January 26, 2009 – 11:28 am
I don’t know this for a fact, but I think it’s rare for Shakespeare’s Macbeth to be mentioned twice in the same day in the Wall Street Journal. But today is such a day. One reference is in this article (registration may be required) about this week’s World Economic Forum in Davos. The meeting’s tone […]
January 25, 2009 – 9:23 pm
For those of you who like your political messages in limited-verbiage poster form, Paste magazine offers this handy tool. It allows you to upload any photo (one you’ve taken or one you download) and turn it into one of those iconic blue and red offset prints from the Obama campaign. At left: My recent creation […]
January 25, 2009 – 3:38 pm
In an earlier post, I mentioned the trouble comedians were having coming up with a funny trope to use to poke fun at President Obama. The experts’ conclusion seems to be that Vice President Biden is the fattest target for humor in the Administration. Now we see the story developing further. It’s not just Biden, see, but Obama’s […]
January 23, 2009 – 12:06 pm
News that former Merrill Lynch CEO John Thain was dumped from Bank of America yesterday capped a remarkably tone-deaf period in Thain’s otherwise successful ascent of the Wall Street ladder. After being brought in to restore confidence in Merrill in 2007, and then hailed as a shareholder savior when he arranged Merrill’s sale to BofA […]
January 22, 2009 – 10:24 am
On day 1 (or 2, depending on how you count), President Obama took action on a few items that were regularly highlighted in his campaign rhetoric: Guantanamo, lobbying, and open government. He also made a decision that’s responsive to the times: freezing the pay of top White House employees. All of the orders send positive messages […]
January 21, 2009 – 11:48 am
As Vinca did, I also cruised around the new whitehouse.gov shortly after noon yesterday. The Obama team looks poised to do some interesting things with the site, most of which I probably won’t understand. But one old-fashioned thing seems to be missing: Any evidence that the last eight years happened. Throughout the Bush Administration the […]
January 21, 2009 – 10:44 am
Reaction to President Obama’s inaugural address has been fairly tempered in the 22 hours since it was delivered. Aside from Mark and Clark, no one seems to think it was a home run. Few seem to think it will be memorable in and of itself – apart from the reality of Obama’s place in history. […]
January 20, 2009 – 12:29 pm
So the moment has passed; the address is delivered. It will be remembered, probably not as one of the best, but certainly as one of the most consequential. Everyone will take their own piece of it with them. Here’s what I took. The most heart-stirring line, coming near the end of the speech, captured the […]
January 20, 2009 – 9:01 am
The normally unbearable Richard Cohen pulls out a nice piece today in the Washington Post. He reminds us that, aside from Lincoln and Kennedy and all, Barack Obama will have a few other things on his mind as he steps up to the podium to deliver his inaugural address. He also (inadvertently?) previews the first […]
January 20, 2009 – 8:53 am
On The Oprah Winfrey Show yesterday – the day before Inauguration Day – Jill Biden told the audience that Barack Obama gave her husband, Joe, the option of being either vice president or Secretary of State. Doh! Furthermore, Mrs. Biden suggested that her husband chose the VP slot because it would involve less travel, sort of the […]
January 18, 2009 – 11:32 pm
According to Barack Obama’s advisors, Tuesday’s inaugural address is essentially written. And a theme has emerged: responsibility. As AP reports, Rahm Emanuel, chief of staff to the president-elect, told Meet the Press on Sunday that Obama will “call on Americans to embrace a new era of responsible behavior – in government and in business.” That […]
