Election Year + $124 Crude Oil = Silly Solutions: Caroline Baum The confluence of record oil prices and a presidential election year is proving to be an irresistible combination for Congress and the candidates, all of whom happen to be members of that esteemed body.

Wall Street CEO Chorus Is Singing Out of Tune: Caroline Baum It's become fashionable in certain circles -- primarily among administration types and Wall Street chief executives whose banks are losing gobs of money -- to say that the worst is over for the subprime/housing/credit/economic crisis in the U.S.

Committee to Save the World Plans 10th Reunion: Caroline Baum More than nine years ago, the faces of Alan Greenspan, Robert Rubin and Lawrence Summers graced the cover of Time Magazine as ``The Committee to Save the World.''

Snoozing in Econ 101 Is Hazardous to Your Health: Caroline Baum Whether it's the advent of warm, sunny weather here in New York or the anticipation of those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer, people are starting to get daffy in the head. Folks who are educated enough to know better have started to spout some serious economic nonsense.

Government Got What It Asked for in Housing Bust: Caroline Baum In its rush to hold hearings, assign blame and seek redress for the collapse of the housing market, the U.S. Congress has looked every which way but inward.

Here's a Financial Literacy Quiz for Congress: Caroline Baum The U.S. government is making a push to improve financial literacy in this country. Whether you're investing your 401(k) retirement account, buying a home or choosing the right mortgage, a working knowledge of economics and finance has become a necessity.

Bill Clinton Is Loyal Spouse, Stealth Saboteur: Caroline Baum Bill Clinton, the 42nd president of the United States, left the White House in January 2001 and quickly rose to the rank of elder statesman of the Democratic Party.

Fed Accepts Dodgy Collateral in Race to Bottom: Caroline Baum It was 135 years ago that the British economic journalist Walter Bagehot laid out the guiding principles for a central bank acting as lender of last resort: Lend freely at a penalty rate against good collateral.

Volcker Stands Tall, Greenspan Keeps Shrinking: Caroline Baum Former Federal Reserve Chairmen Paul Volcker and Alan Greenspan present an interesting study in contrasts.

Overseers Shocked at Oversight Flaws: Caroline Baum (Correct) It was a gala event, with the nation's top regulators submitting to questions from the nation's top overseers on Capitol Hill.