Comments on: Would You Hire Ben Bernanke?

By: Alan

Alan — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 22:45:33 +0000

It is hard to decide to hire someone by only looking at one resume. However I would have to look farther since Mr. Bernanke is lacking in any real business experience.

By: Joe

Joe — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 17:33:24 +0000

Yes, I would hire him based on his cover letter, resume, and references

By: Bob and Jan

Bob and Jan — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:11:31 +0000

yes – on Bernanke

By: Rich in Calif

Rich in Calif — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:52:08 +0000

Ben’s resume’ is indeed impressive. However, what I want to know is how his decisions have been influenced, over time, by the current administrations policies or direction. The question today is not whether he’s qualified to hold the job but whether he was influenced to make a veiled threat to BofA CEO regarding the acquisition of Merrill Lynch. Reading his resume’ leads to the conclusion that he is qualified for the job. However, after listening to his replies during this mornings hearings, I question the honesty of his responses to questions regarding the pressure he put on the BofA CEO. One statement that struck me was;
“wouldn’t it be logical for BofA to request a lower price for the Merrill deal instead of backing away from it by implementing the MAC?”. Ben didn’t really answer this question which I believe is at the heart of the matter and seems a logical business response. I’m not sure how or if this will ever be resolved but I feel for Ken Lewis because he didn’t have any reason, that I can see, to go forward with the Merrill deal unless there was a “deal” offered by the Fed. Ben also skirted the question “Why did the Fed give BofA bailout funding, multiple times, when nothing had changed?”

By: leslieann

leslieann — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:02:04 +0000

No, I wouldn’t hire him, his only experience seems to be in academia. I want someone who has some experience in the private sector.

By: Gary C

Gary C — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 12:25:08 +0000

No. But I would ask him where he get’s his money to buy U.S. Government Debt, and when and how he plans on paying it back. He does seem to be a nice enough guy, but he is just a perpetuator of more of the same. Easy money got us into the current mess, easy money is not going to get us out. Sorry to say it, but real pain is probably what we need to solve long-term problems, but instead we just keep kicking the can down the road. That is obviously some what of a political statement, but the two are hopelessly intertwined. Please tell me why we continued to have a very very easy money policy after the economy recovered in 2002-2003. Even little ol me knew it was obvious that rates were too low.

Greenspan was no better. He get’s way too much credit. I think he has two easy money bubbles to his credit. Well, maybe Bernanke and Greenspan can both share the second one.

Obviously Bernanke’s resume is stellar and he is a very smart man. But both must be totally lacking in common sense or neither have the nerve or the will to stand-up to the Political establishment and Wall Street bankers.