Obama Series

Economic Hit Man Series

Timothy Geithner - Secretary of Treasury

Having served in senior roles at Treasury, the IMF and the New York Fed, Tim Geithner offers not just extensive experience shaping economic policy and managing financial markets, he also has an unparalleled understanding of our current economic crisis, in all of its depth, complexity and urgency.

Lawrence Summers - Director of National Economic Council

Larry helped guide us through several major international financial crises and was a central architect of the policies that led to the longest economic expansion in American history, with record surpluses, rising family incomes and more than 20 million new jobs.

Christina Romer -  Chair of the Council of Economic Advisors

Christina is both a leading -- both a leading macroeconomist and a leading economic historian, perhaps best known for her work on America's recovery from the Great Depression and the robust economic expansion that followed. [Note: 'the robust expansion that followed' is more commonly known as WWII. No doubt she is familiar with John Kenneth Galbraith]

The Great Crash of 1929 by John Kenneth Galbraith, 1954

In the autumn of 1929, the mightiest of Americans were, for a brief time, revealed as human beings. Like most humans, most of the time, they did some very foolish things. On the whole, the greater the earlier reputation for omniscience, the more serene the previous idiocy, the greater the foolishness now exposed. Things that in other times were concealed by a heavy facade of dignity now stood exposed, for the panic suddenly, almost obscenely, snatched this facade away.

Melody Barnes - Director of the Domestic Policy Council.

As executive vice president for Policy at the Center for American Progress, Melody directed a network of policy experts dedicated to finding solutions for struggling middle-class families. She also served as chief counsel to the great Senator Ted Kennedy on the Senate Judiciary Committee, working on issues ranging from crime to immigration to bankruptcy and fighting tirelessly to protect civil rights, women's rights and religious freedom.

Peter Orszag - Director of the Office of Management and Budget.

Peter's been one of our nation's leading voices on budgetary issues. It's said that a nation's budget reflects its values and its priorities. Peter doesn't need a map to tell him where the bodies are buried in the federal budget.

Robert Nabors - Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget.

Rob will bring to this post experience in the executive branch, at the OMB, where he helped the Clinton administration achieve balanced budgets, as well as in the legislative branch, where he led the Appropriations Committee staff as a driving force for a responsible budget. Together Peter and Rob will help steer our budget through Congress, so that I can sign it into law.

Paul Volcker - Chairman President's Economic Recovery Advisory Board.

A former chairman of the Federal Reserve and one of my most trusted advisors.

Wikipedia Paul Volcker

Paul Adolph Volcker [born September 5, 1927] is an American economist. He is best known as Chairman of the Federal Reserve under United States Presidents Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan [1979 to 1987].

Austan Goolsbee - Staff Director and Chief Economist

Known for his pathbreaking work on tax policy and industrial organization. He is one of the economic thinkers who's most shaped my own thinking on economic matters. He's been a stalwart adviser for me since I ran for the United States Senate.