The Geithner Plan FAQ  —  Q: What is the Geithner Plan?  —  A: The Geithner Plan is a trillion-dollar operation by which the U.S. acts as the world's largest hedge fund investor, committing its money to funds to buy up risky and distressed but probably fundamentally undervalued assets and …

Treasury's toxic asset plan could cost $1 trillion  —  Featured Topics: - Barack Obama - Presidential Transition  —  WASHINGTON - The Obama administration is using a multi-pronged attack to get at the heart of the nation's financial crisis — a mountain of toxic assets weighing on banks' balance sheets.

WHY I AM DEPRESSED  —  Victor Davis Hanson asks why so many Americans are depressed.  Suggesting five themes that might provide an answer, he thinks it might be more than the economy that explains our state of mind.  I agree, but none of Dr. Hanson's themes accounts for my despair.

Are Independents Hedging Their Bets?  —  IF REPUBLICANS REALLY HAVE PULLED EVEN AMONG INDEPENDENTS, IT'S AN OMINOUS SIGN FOR DEMOCRATS.  —  Just as the economic news was relentlessly negative until the last few days, poll numbers for Republicans were horrific for months.

Has a ‘Katrina Moment’ Arrived?  —  A CHARMING visit with Jay Leno won't fix it.  A 90 percent tax on bankers' bonuses won't fix it.  Firing Timothy Geithner won't fix it.  Unless and until Barack Obama addresses the full depth of Americans' anger with his full arsenal of policy smarts and political gifts …

U.S. missile strikes take heavy toll on Al Qaeda, officials say  —  Predator drone attacks in northwest Pakistan have increased sharply since Bush last year stopped seeking Pakistan's permission.  Obama may keep pace as officials speak of confusion in Al Qaeda ranks.

Spitzer's road back  —  Featured Topics: - Barack Obama - Presidential Transition  —  Eliot Spitzer re-emerged last week as an early critic of AIG — he had forced the company's founder, Hank Greenberg, out for unrelated issues — and left many wondering if he's looking at a return to public life.

VP adviser: AIG bonus tax may go too far  —  Featured Topics: - Barack Obama - Presidential Transition  —  WASHINGTON - Vice President Joe Biden's economic adviser warned Sunday that a congressional plan to tax American International Group Inc. executives' bonuses may go too far in using the tax code as a tool for retribution.

Sen. Gregg says Obama budget will bankrupt US  —  Featured Topics: - Barack Obama - Presidential Transition  —  WASHINGTON - The top Republican on the Senate Budget Committee says the Obama administration is on the right course to save the nation's financial system.

Obamateurism of the Day  —  This is a clip from a few days ago, and in this case, it's not so much what he says as the obvious fact that he got lost on his Teleprompter while saying it.  Watch President Obama look nervously left and right trying to find the thread of his remarks …

Military hangs ‘Help Wanted’ sign in Afghanistan  —  Featured Topics: - Barack Obama - Presidential Transition  —  WASHINGTON - The military buildup in Afghanistan is stoking a surge of private security contractors despite a string of deadly shootings in Iraq in recent years that has called …

Dollar Declines Most Since 1985 Plaza Accord on Fed Bond Buying  —  The dollar dropped the most against the currencies of six major U.S. trading partners since the Plaza Accord almost a quarter-century ago as the Federal Reserve's plan to purchase Treasuries spurred speculation that it's debasing the greenback.

Orlando Tea Party 032109  —  Additional pictures now posted at Bakerstreet.  —  I have more than a hundred pictures already cropped, so I'll put them all in the extended entry.  Rough estimate of 3,000 people showed up, and two people from the media that I saw.  —  Clearly I need a “Got Glock?” shirt!