When Obama took his push for financial reform to New York's Cooper Union College Thursday, he was preaching to the choir. After saying "this plan would enact the strongest consumer financial protections ever," the crowd went wild. The few protesters actually on the scene didn't seem well organized.

Continue reading Obama Wall Street Speech Draws More Enthusiasm Than Protest

Obama Wall Street Speech Draws More Enthusiasm Than Protest originally appeared on DailyFinance on Thu, 22 Apr 2010 18:00:00.

Filed Under: Economy, People, Media

As the Tea Party Express reached its final stop in Washington's Freedom Plaza, the focus was on taxes, but all eyes were set on November's elections.

Continue reading In Washington, Tea Partiers Talk Taxes, But Have Their Eyes on November

In Washington, Tea Partiers Talk Taxes, But Have Their Eyes on November originally appeared on DailyFinance on Thu, 15 Apr 2010 17:00:00.

Filed Under: Economy, People, Taxes

With a hefty price tag of $940 billion over 10 years, the landmark health care bill passed late Sunday will significantly change health policy in the U.S. Here's what it could mean for you.

Continue reading Landmark Health Reform: How Changes Will Affect You

Landmark Health Reform: How Changes Will Affect You originally appeared on DailyFinance on Mon, 22 Mar 2010 09:06:00.

Filed Under: Health Care

President Barack Obama releases his proposed $3.8 trillion federal budget for fiscal year 2011 and immediately the hue and cry is one of "$1 trillion structural deficits," "a nation going broke" and "an unserviceable debt."

Continue reading Here's a Fair Way to Balance the U.S. Budget

Here's a Fair Way to Balance the U.S. Budget originally appeared on DailyFinance on Sat, 06 Feb 2010 12:30:00.

Filed Under: Columns, Economy

On Wednesday, President Obama had something of a Howard Beale moment. Speaking to a group of Democratic senators, the President exhorted his listeners -- and, by extension, all Americans -- to break the cable news habit.

Continue reading President Obama Says Stop Watching Cable News. And He's Right

President Obama Says Stop Watching Cable News. And He's Right originally appeared on DailyFinance on Thu, 04 Feb 2010 16:30:00.

Filed Under: People, Media

I always sort of liked Henry Paulson when he was President Bush's Treasury Secretary. He was an appealing figure. Oh, the chrome-dome gave away his age, but his big frame still looked formidable, his athleticism underscored by the sports watch that peeked out from underneath his suit-coat sleeve. And even though Paulson was from Goldman Sachs (GS), a bank on the front lines of the Meltdown That Wall Street Built, he also had the know-how to fix it.

Continue reading Books@DailyFinance: Henry Paulson's Meltdown Memoir

Books@DailyFinance: Henry Paulson's Meltdown Memoir originally appeared on DailyFinance on Tue, 02 Feb 2010 16:15:00.

Filed Under: Fannie Mae, Goldman Sachs , Bank of America, Citigroup, Freddie Mac

In Monday's budget announcement, President Obama followed the path that he outlined in last week's State of the Union address, proposing a massive $100 billion for job creation. In the process, he renewed his administration's commitment to infrastructure improvement, adding a call for a $4 billion "infrastructure bank" that will be used for large-scale construction projects. But, even as the President stated that "we're going to put more Americans to work rebuilding our infrastructure, and building our infrastructure of the future," a key element was missing. The "smart grid," long a centerpiece of Obama's plans for infrastructure spending, was seemingly out of the conversation.

Continue reading Absence of Smart Grid in Budget Talks Isn't Smart

Absence of Smart Grid in Budget Talks Isn't Smart originally appeared on DailyFinance on Mon, 01 Feb 2010 18:45:00.

Filed Under: Energy, Technology, Economy

It's time to do what the late, great New York Governor Al Smith would do, and cut through the rhetoric and the hype and "look at the record" to evaluate the economic players in Washington. Investors have probably read a lot about the drop in President Barack Obama's job-approval rating. And they're correct. It has declined to about 50% in the first quarter of 2009 from about 63% at the start of his presidency, according to a Gallup Poll. But what many investors probably don't know is that the job-approval rating for every president declines in his first year in office.

Continue reading Obama and the Democrats Are Down, But Hardly Out

Obama and the Democrats Are Down, But Hardly Out originally appeared on DailyFinance on Sun, 31 Jan 2010 10:00:00.

Filed Under: Columns, Economy

Bank earnings season is under way, and with the financial results will come disclosures about average per-employee compensation that politicians seeking support for additional regulations or taxes on big banks will pounce on. Some of the proposals may make their way in some form into President Obama's financial reform plan.

Continue reading Why Politics Makes It Hard to Fix the Banks

Why Politics Makes It Hard to Fix the Banks originally appeared on DailyFinance on Sun, 31 Jan 2010 09:00:00.

Filed Under: Economy, Bank of America

Facing voter anger over mounting budget deficits, President Barack Obama will ask Congress to freeze spending for some domestic programs for three years beginning in 2011, administration officials said Monday. Separately, Obama unveiled plans to help a middle class "under assault" pay its bills, save for retirement and care for kids and aging parents.

Continue reading Obama to Seek Freeze on Part of U.S. Budget

Obama to Seek Freeze on Part of U.S. Budget originally appeared on DailyFinance on Mon, 25 Jan 2010 21:04:00.

Filed Under: Economy