As recently as March, Steven Rattner, the former private equity kingpin and Obama administration car czar, was having an unpleasant time with Overhaul, his book on the emergency auto rescue. “Writing books is a bear. It’s just really hard work. And he hasn’t done it before,” Mark Green, who’d talked to him about the struggle, Read More
Not long ago, President Barack Obama finally got around to filling three of the top jobs at the Treasury Department that had been vacant since his inauguration.
But even afterward, one top financial job was left conspicuously unfilled—namely, the role of Economic Surrogate in Chief.
A good economic statesman—somebody who can crunch budget projections by Read More
Barack Obama promised change. And New York’s elite Democratic policy experts and political donors, at least, are going to get it.
“I don’t think it’s going to be a heavy New York administration like the last time,” said one prominent New York donor, referring to the prospect of an Obama presidency. “It’s a new Read More
Yesterday, The New Republic introduced its readers to The Open University, its “first-of-its-kind blog, featuring America’s top academics on today’s top stories.” As promised, there are lots of big-name professor types–the University of Chicago’s Cass Sunstein, Harvard’s Steven Pinker–and they’ve already taken on such weighty topics as “ideological amplification” and the demise of the Read More
Many years ago, in the course of an otherwise high-minded conversation, a very wise, very distinguished publisher imparted what she billed as an unassailable truth: “Marriages,” she announced, “are made and kept in bed.” To which I would add an equally crucial corollary: Never underestimate the allure of an empty dishwasher. That turns out to Read More
Many years ago, in the course of an otherwise high-minded conversation, a very wise, very distinguished publisher imparted what she billed as an unassailable truth: “Marriages,” she announced, “are made and kept in bed.” To which I would add an equally crucial corollary: Never underestimate the allure of an empty dishwasher. That turns out Read More
I bashed The New Republic’s Martin Peretz for hinting ominously that Harvard Pres. Larry Summers’s departure would result in the loss of $100 million gifts to the school. Oops. Turns out he was right.
A reader, John, has nailed me on a recent soccer post, where I echoed Kissinger’s statement that U.S. soccer needs “minorities.”
Not sure if you’re agreeing fully with Kissinger here — I hope not, because his comment is effectively racist. K’s saying “minorities,” i.e., the dark people, are better at sports, regardless of Read MoreI went to a friend’s son’s bar mitzvah on Saturday and in some part because of my blog, and its discussion of Jewish politics, felt a little alienated. I forgot to get a yarmulke, then I ran to get one. I wondered who if anyone there had seen my ideas. Later, at the reception, I Read More
Ron Rosenbaum mentions the Columbia Journalism dean favorably—and I’m hoping that the Harvard Board of Overseers thinks of Lemann for the Harvard presidency. For a few reasons (not just that he’s an old friend whom I met when we were undergraduates in Cambridge). He’s brilliant and distinguished, to begin with, and intellectually sophisticated, a Read More
