Archive for March, 2009

The Vision Requirement

The Vision Requirement

By Aaron T. Knapp • on March 31, 2009

In a time of big crisis, America needs leadership and vision.  We need something to believe in. In a recent Time magazine article, Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the House during the Clinton era and the father of modern partisan gridlock (he literally shut the government

Comments OffRead this story »

More Articles

Obama To Wall Street:  I’ll Pencil You In, Lightly

Obama To Wall Street: I’ll Pencil You In, Lightly

By Aaron T. Knapp • on March 22, 2009

Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner will provide some further detail on the bank rescue this week but, let’s face it, this thing is unlikely to make it through Congress, and certainly not quickly.  Have you noticed that Treasury’s plodding ahead in a lower gear than the other parts of the Administration? 

Comments OffRead this story »

OutrAIGe

OutrAIGe

By Aaron T. Knapp • on March 18, 2009

$85 billion on September 16, 2008.  $38 billion on October 8, 2008.  $27 billion in November.  And $30 billion a few days ago.  That’s what insurance-securities giant AIG has been able to coax out of our government over the past 6 months.  A whopping $180 billion in total.  It kinda makes

1 CommentRead this story »

Change or Dopamine?

Change or Dopamine?

By Aaron T. Knapp • on March 14, 2009

When the stock market started creeping up this week, the money pundits immediately began buzzing and babbling — Is this the rebound? Did we just hit bottom?  It might be time to buy.  Get in now.  You could be rich next year, or maybe even tomorrow. Why are we so reactionary?  MIT finance professor

2 CommentsRead this story »

The SEC Fiddled While Rome Burned (Part 3 of 3)

The SEC Fiddled While Rome Burned (Part 3 of 3)

By Aaron T. Knapp • on March 8, 2009

Botching the Bernie Madoff Ponzi swindle and thus failing to prevent tens of billions in losses was pretty bad press for the SEC.  But the more one looks into the agency’s conduct in the Bush years, the more missteps become apparent. Take Allied Capital, a D.C.-based finance firm that makes loans

3 CommentsRead this story »

Government According to Limbaugh

Government According to Limbaugh

By Aaron T. Knapp • on March 5, 2009

What is the proper role of government in our society? Ronald Reagan staked out the conservative position in his first inaugural on January 20, 1981 when he famously stated: “Government is not the solution to our problems; government is the problem.”  This is the view that takes government

1 CommentRead this story »

Keeping Promises

Keeping Promises

By Aaron T. Knapp • on March 2, 2009

David Sanger of the New York Times calls it “breathtaking.”  Paul Krugman calls it “very, very good.”  Frank

Comments OffRead this story »