Relevant and even prescient commentary on news, politics and the economy.

The Buffett Buffer

Robert Waldmann Major financial crisis news. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. said it will get a $5 billion investment from billionaire Warren Buffett’s company, marking one of the biggest expressions of confidence in the financial system since the credit crisis intensified early this month. Look $5 billion is not just a vote of confidence.Goldman Sachs is […]

Corporate CEOs May Want to Rethink Outsourcing

by Ken Houghton Via Glenn Greenwald, a riff that is going around (see orchidgrrl nyc for the faux-Fafblog version), has become reality—in India: Corporate India is in shock after a mob of sacked workers bludgeoned to death the chief executive who had dismissed them from a factory in a suburb of Delhi. The punchline, as […]

Your Urgent Help Needed

by spencer Dear American: I need to ask you to support an urgent secret business relationship with atransfer of funds of great magnitude.I am Ministry of the Treasury of the Republic of America. My country has hadcrisis that has caused the need for large transfer of funds of 800 billiondollars US. If you would assist […]

Op-ed by coberly

bruce is wrong i think about the drumbeat to fix entitlements as well. Ornstein yesterday in the Oregonian was saying that entitlements were the big problem facing the new administration,and today “Marketplace” (public radio) went out of its way to interview young people who said social security won’t be there for them.My guess is that […]

For the night owls

Watching the sign in Oregon has some traction. The Obama sign had been stolen twice, so now the world stands watch. Comments on the webcam from Mudflats on Oregon webcam.

Credit Default Swaps Again

by Robert Waldmann My post on “what the hell are credit default swaps for” got lots of comments and I learned a lot from the comment thread. I continue my effort at remedial education via blogging. First a very simple article by Martin HutchisonDoes this guy know what he is writing about ? Key quote […]

Fannie and Freddie Capital Requirements Lowered in March

by Robert Waldman I missed this at the time. * MARCH 19, 2008 Fannie, Freddie Lending Power May RiseBy JAMES R. HAGERTY and DAMIAN PALETTA The regulator for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac is expected to announce a plan this morning that will give the government-sponsored mortgage investors more scope to prop up the home-mortgage […]

A Brief Interlude

Now I understand why McCain’s (mis)handlers are complaining about the NYTimes.* *Ignoring that they already know they’re not winning the election, and therefore want to keep the base motivated for the imminent Obama impeachment.