I'm embarrassed for Ohio

A Defining Moment - New York Times -- This is a great piece by David Brooks contrasting the old political order embodied in the Clintons with the new one emerging with Obama. Brooks talks about the defining moment as being November 10, 2007. Last night, in Ohio, we slid back into the Old Politics.

Our input from people at the polls was that the Ohio vote should not be misconstrued as a vote for Clinton; it was a racially biased vote against Obama, aided to a small degree by the hot-shot-too-clever-for-words Republican crossover vote espoused by our buddy Rush Limbaugh.

The Ohio vote was not about an America where everybody lives together and strives for common goals, or at least has parallel purpose. It was about fear, and racial bias, and being divided, and being at the mercy of the Old Politics.

I am ashamed of all of us.

Greenspan speaks of FUD and his new book

The Maestro Speaks - Portfolio.com -- Last year, just around now, Gloria and I had the pleasure of hearing Alan Greenspan, now dubbed "The Maestro," speak at our annual conference in Atlanta. He was gracious, urbane, entertaining, and had a huge hole in the sole of his shoe, best we could figure. We inferred that he was tight with a dollar, and felt good about his stewardship.

At the link is a recent account of another talk of his, speaking to markets, patterns, and FUD (fear, uncertainty, and doubt). It's more sensational and alarmist than what we heard last year, and--and I'm not attempting to detract from his message--he's also coming out with a book next week.

Next week, the former Fed chairman will publish his first book since he handed the reins to Ben Bernanke in 2006. Called The Age of Turbulence: Adventures in a New World, it will chronicle his 19-year tenure as the nation's top economic policymaker.