Blog
House GOP ‘Rapid Recovery’ plan spurs growth by changing long-term expectations
As soon as the elections are over, Congressional leaders are planning to have a “break the bank” party. On top of the $700 billion bailout…
Op-Eds
The Joe-the-Plumber vote is bigger than you think
Joe the Plumber did more than add some levity to the last presidential debate. Joe, aka Joe Wurzelbacher of Ohio, just may have…
Op-Eds
The End of American Capitalism? 5 Short Takes on Where the Financial Crisis Might Be Headed
Five prominent economists share their thoughts on what’s happening and how bad the situation really is. The past week has seen the US economy…
Blog
It wasn’t bailout that caused Monday’s market surge — 3 other factors
Since the $700 billion bailout was first proposed, whatever the stock markets did, much of the press took that as a sign that the market…
Citation
Pressure builds on AIG as borrowing spree grows
Blog
The international mark-to-market contagion — sending global markets in a downward
Bailouts. Global interest rate cuts. More bailouts. Global government liquidity injections into banks. Direct government buying of commercial paper. And even more types of bailouts.
Blog
Obama denigrates Delaware in debate
Poor little Delaware. In every presidential election since 1992, she has been in the “blue” column voting for the Democratic candidate. She has long had…
Op-Eds
Accounting rules exacerbate crisis
In the year since the credit crunch began, reading the financial pages has become a bit like perusing a medical journal. Market…
Blog
Lehman Bros hearing — Rep. Maloney blames deregulation, ignores her own role as Fannie’s enabler
At the hearing being held today by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, in which former Lehman Brothers CEO Dick Fuld is now…
Blog
Market down on bailout — Don’t compound damage with overregulation of ‘Main Street’
Today -- five days after a courageous independent vote against Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson's $700 billion bailout for Wall Street -- the U.S. House of…
Blog
Another bad bailout idea — raising deposit insurance cap is regressive and counterproductive
As the Wall Street crisis has expanded, politicians are falling all over themselves arguing on behalf of the “little guy” against “fat cats.” But in…
Blog
Republican Study Commitee plan now best viable alternative
The stunning defeat of the Hank Paulson’s socialism-for-Wall Street bailout on Monday has just made planks of a pro-free market alternative much more viable. As…
Blog
Bailout fails — Move on to Mark-to-Market Reform
Oh, Happy Day! And it certainly is for all those who value freedom, responsibility and the true free market in which individuals are free to…
Blog
$700 billion to worsen economy? — Berlau in American Spectator
Here are excerpts from my story in today’s American Spectator Online on how the $700 billion bailout could actually make things worse — in terms…
Op-Eds
Doing Something
"The government has to do something to keep markets from falling and the economy from getting worse." How many times have you heard…
Citation
A Roundup of Bailout Reactions From People I Respect
Op-Eds
Doing Something?
“The government has to do something to keep markets from falling and the economy from getting worse.” How many times have you heard…
Blog
Kudos to Republican Study Committee for bailout alternative
Those of us (and CEI is among the “us”!) who oppose Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson’s $700 billion bailout of Wall Street have been challenged to…
Op-Eds
Fannie, Freddie Critic Ridiculed In 2000
It is now consensus that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are at the heart of the systemic meltdown we are seeing in the…
Op-Eds
It’s Paulson’s Own Mess
They said it was "too big to fail." This multi-billion dollar firm was now on the brink of bankruptcy. Although not a bank,…
Citation
Republicans Oppose Democratic Plan to Aid Burdened Homeowners
Blog
Paulson bailout would worsen contagion-spreading accounting rules
My colleague Hans Bader is correct that most of the aims of Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson's $700 billion bailout -- stopping the "contagion" of…
Op-Eds
Maybe the Banks Are Just Counting Wrong
In the year since the credit crunch began, reading the financial pages has become a bit like perusing a medical journal. Market…
Blog
The ‘Naked’ Truth — Short sellers are unsung financial heroes
At the peak of the real estate boom, there was one group of individuals who said the bubble was about to pop. They pointed to…
Blog
Lehman bankruptcy: In capitalism, failure is not a dirty word
My reaction to Lehman Brothers' declaring of Chapter 11 bankruptcy and the refusal of Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson and others to take extraordinary Bear…
Op-Eds
Lehman bankruptcy: In capitalism, failure is not a dirty word
My reaction to Lehman Brothers’ declaring of Chapter 11 bankruptcy and the refusal of Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson and…
Blog
Uproar over Palin Fannie Mae comment is really the media’s ‘gaffe’
Blog
Fannie and Freddie’s government ‘takeover’ — truth in advertising at long last
Blog
Thanks to Brad Beckstead, more entrepreneurs will have their day in court
Op-Eds
Minot Line
Over the past decade, the Internet has given new life to one of the oldest forms of media: the urban legend. Sometimes an…
Op-Eds
Oil Speculators ‘R’ Us
Those dastardly speculators! As well as oil company CEOs, traders in commodity futures have become convenient whipping boys for politicians of both…
Blog
Sarbanes-Oxley — Loved By Countrywide and Mozilo, Albatross to Legit Investors and Entrepreneurs, Challenged in Court — response to Jane Bryant Quinn-
Op-Eds
Sarbanes-Oxley Challenge Is Rooted in Law’s Flaw
Re: Jane Bryant Quinn’s column, “Accounting Cleanup Board Is Facing a Gutting’’ (July 16): In her attack on our constitutional challenge to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act…
Blog
It’s the (mixed) economy, Stupid. Berlau in Economist.com debate
Blog
Frank bill mandates credit rating agencies to repeat subprime mistakes
Due to their failures in the subprime mess, it has long been expected that Congress would take up regulation of the credit rating agencies to…
Blog
The HSA Revolution That’s Already Here
Op-Eds
Bailing Out Kelo
Of all the unintended consequences of the housing bill that passed the House on Wednesday, the most ironic and far-reaching may be this:…
Blog
‘Kelo’ Property Rights Protections gutted from housing bill (revised and corrected)
Op-Eds
Trust-Funding Fannie and Freddie
Almost every time Congress creates a "trust fund" for a certain policy issue, the money flowing into this "trust fund" is diverted to…
Blog
GSE Bailout Contains Fingerprint Registry!!
Blog
Fingerprint registry in Senate housing bill — Battle moves to House
Blog
Fannie-Freddie warnings from Fred Smith in 2000 and beyond
Op-Eds
ACLU is a principled defender of civil liberties
ACLU is a principled defender of civil liberties Re: “ACLU failing in defense of civil liberties at a vital time,”…
Citation
Reluctance in the senate to back housing bill finger printing provision
Letters
Opposition to the Fingerprint Registry in Senate Housing legislation
Dear Senators Reid and McConnell: We are diverse organizations, but we hold in common a deep commitment to privacy rights, civil liberties and the…
Op-Eds
Congress’s Fingerprint Fine Print
Senate passes a bill mandating the fingerprinting of real estate brokers and the creation of a national fingerprint database…
Blog
Fingerprint Registry goes to Senate Floor — likely today
Op-Eds
Distrust Fund
It’s almost a D.C. truism that anytime Congress creates a "trust fund" for a certain policy issue, the money flowing into the…
Blog
An Untrustworthy Housing Fund — Housing bill has likely ACORN slush Fund
Op-Eds
The Value of Hedge Funds
Re “The Great Seduction” (column, June 10): While David Brooks makes some good points about debt and thrift, he paints with…