Links: 2009-07-16

Donaldson and Levitt don’t want the Fed as SiRR.

Interesting take on Goldman’s monster quarter

Bernanke did not ask him. This clears Bernanke and sets him up better for re-appointment.

Is it business as usual on Wall Street again?

The ECB is also loaded with riskier assets. Where next?

Canada is concerned that the ABCP market is now dead

Why is the Fed propping up this company?

Austrian government as sub-prime investor.

"But the GDP growth rate in China is too important a number politically to be reliable. From the bottom to the top of the data chain, everyone has a reason to report numbers that look politically correct. As economist Charles Goodhart pointed out, when leaders turn a measurement into a target, it stops being a good measurement."

Interesting piece on fiscal policy.

This is the right decision, especially given the recent media attention around Goldman.

Is this Glass-Steagall 2.0 and is it likely to work?

And remember, the Swedish bank bailout assumes this money is coming. Latvian taxpayers are not going to be happy.

Cap in hand, weakened by debt.

A rise of almost 18% in the last year. Unsustainable.

Now 2.38 million out of work

"Japan’s love hotels are attracting interest from more than just couples looking for a place to spend a few private hours. Investors are also interested"

Politics and Society

Interesting book on the torture scandals and civil liberties

Obama’s Approval Ratings Argue for Rapid Action on Health Care – Matthew Yglesias

I would also add in the spent capital on bank bailouts as a factor here. Hat tip James Pethokoukis.

Palin has grass roots appeal for GOP. Romney, not so much.

Brown backs Blair for EU president – FT

You know India is all over this because of the rivalry there.

This video is kind of graphic. Be forewarned.

"Judge Sonia Sotomayor had a moment worthy of a Woody Allen movie as she explained her "wise Latina" comment at her confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill, WSJ’s Jess Bravin and Naftali Bendavid report."

I posted the video version of this. Very interesting.

"I still in an honest-to-God, no-joking way don’t understand why conservatives who want to vote “no” don’t just say something normal like “I thought Justice Souter voted the wrong way on a number of important cases, I think Judge Sotomayor is likely to vote in a similar way to Souter; I would prefer a judge who votes like Justice Roberts or Justice Scalia; therefore, I’ll vote no.” That’s not insane, it’s not offensive, it’s not foolish, it’s not bizarre—it’s something you’d have to respect."

Technology

I see this as clearly anti-competitive behavior.

More on the huge twitter security breach

"Security Swiss cheese" This is not good in the least.

Distraction of the Day: Origins of the Moonwalk (Hat tip Kelly)