Obama Picks Larry Summers' Favorite Tennis Partner As His New Economic Chief

[Donnachaidh]

http://smirkingchimp.com/thread/mark-ames/38144/obama-picks-larry-summers-favorite-tennis-partner-as-his-new-economic-chief

Great news about Obama’s new pick to head the CEA, Alan Krueger, the so-called “labor economist.” Yeah, he labors all right: He labors hard to be Larry Summers’ tennis partner. And believe you me, being Larry Summers’ tennis partner is like being a made man in the mob. Krueger understood who butters his bread in this town: Larry Summers, the same guy who took everyone else’s bread and butter, not just in America but the world over.

Yup, that’s right hopesters: Hate to break it to all you “If only Obama had the right people around him” types, Obama knows who he’s picking, and in case you haven’t noticed over the past 3 years, there’s kind of a pattern here: Obama picks the same guys Clinton or Bob Rubin or Larry Summers would pick.

Krueger worked in the Treasury Department under Geithner in 2009-10, so this is a guy who’s got the magic touch all right. (That, and the secrets to the greatest crime in mankind’s history.) Like Summers and Geithner, Krueger also worked in the Clinton Administration.

But what makes Krueger such a great pick from President Obama’s point of view is that Alan Krueger plays lots of tennis with Larry Summers, Tim Geithner, and Gene Sperling. Folks, if that doesn’t prove that this guy is “credible,” then clearly you lack a credible cross-court game.

More at the link --

[yurbud]

1. It's hard to imagine Jabba the Summers playing tennis

[Electric Monk]

2. Twice upon a time in the valley of the tears

The auctioneer is bidding for a box of fading years
And the elephants are dancing on the graves of squealing mice.
Anyone for tennis, wouldn't that be nice?

And the ice creams are all melting on the streets of bloody beer
While the beggars stain the pavements with flourescent Christmas cheer
And the Bentley driving guru is putting up his price.
Anyone for tennis, wouldn't that be nice?

And the prophets in the boutiques give out messages of hope
With jingle bells and fairy tales and blind colliding scopes
And you can tell they're all the same underneath the pretty lies.
Anyone for tennis, wouldn't that be nice?

The yellow Buddhist monk is burning brightly at the zoo
You can bring a bowl of rice and then a glass of water too
And fate is setting up the chessboard while death rolls out the dice.
Anyone for tennis, wouldn't that be nice?

[yurbud]

3. is that yours? It's good.

[Electric Monk]

6. Cream (featuring a really young Eric Clapton)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MB2f6-U72Zk

[MilesColtrane]

4. I'm sure that was his main consideration in the choice.

:eyes:

[Peregrine Took]

5. Speaking of tennis, I was disappointed when I read Ted Kennedy and Hatch

were great tennis buddies. I lost a lot of respect for T.K. after that.