Leaning Left Jim Fitzgerald In one fell swoop, Obama has taken on Wall Street, Congress, and the GOP in a display of backbone that we haven’t seen in a politician in ages. The appointment of Richard Cordray as the first director of the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and three new members...

Leaning Left Jim Fitzgerald By the time you read this column, conditions on the ground will probably have changed but as I am writing, a miracle has happened! After years of reading the Wall Street Journal, I actually agree with one of their editorials. The WSJ is up in arms about the revolt in the House...

Leaning Left Jim Fitzgerald Was anybody surprised the super-committee failed to reach a deal to reduce the national debt? We may never know all of the complicated reasons why the failure took place but here are several theories. When both parties appointed their most ideological members, they were ensuring...

Leaning Left Jim Fitzgerald What would be the difference between tax increases or spending cuts? Both approaches to deal with the debt may have the same effect on the economy.  The GOP complains that tax increases will take money away from the rich when they need it most. But just as surely as tax increases...

Leaning Left Jim Fitzgerald It looks like the GOP moderate voters have finally awakened to realize that the right-wing GOP is pushing their anti-middle class policies and radical social agenda down people’s throat. These moderates seem to be disgusted with the extreme elements within their party. As...

Leaning Left Jim Fitzgerald If the media is so liberal, why is the public so unaware of the greatest successes of the Obama administration? You would think the media would focus on Obama’s foreign policy where he has achieved dramatic success but that is not so. His successes have virtually gone unnoticed...

Leaning Left Jim Fitzgerald The data keeps rolling in; suggesting a major shift in our economic and financial future. It would appear that this country is going through a series of convulsions and contractions that are redistributing the wealth in a not so pleasant manner. The old axiom appears to be...

Leaning Left Jim Fitzgerald The political environment has become so charged that sometimes I think the most politically active people lose perspective.  The parties engage in blame games to keep the donations flowing while many politicians continue to stir the pot so that they can stay in office. It...

Leaning Left Jim Fitzgerald We are more than a year from the national election so it is way too early to predict what might happen to influence the voters between now and then. However, it is interesting to look at poll results that suggest what would happen if the election were held today. Several months...

Leaning Left Jim Fitzgerald Last week, I watched an interview of two well respected hedge fund managers. They had a markedly different opinion of the financial direction of the country. The interviewer remarked that he was surprised at their responses considering the fact they were both looking at the...