Just leave it to an engineer to fix this mess:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27092586/

An engineer's way of thinking may be just what this needs.

I am an engineer, so my comment was half in jest. But I've always thought Congress could use some more logical/analytical thinking that an engineer would bring to the table.

He's not in Congress, but he's been placed somewhat in charge of this bailout which IMO is better than a lawyer and maybe even a financial guru. Sometimes financial people seem to be too quick to play around with and massage the numbers too much. I would hope as a fellow engineer, that this guy is much more cut and dry and straightforward in his solution.

Also an engineer here. I have no idea if it will help but I feel confident he can't do worse than his predecessors.

Hmmm I may need to re-evaluate my opinion.

I don't know if any of you from the Rochester area remember our congressman from the 60's and 70's Barber Conable. Barber was from my home town so he was a good friend of our family. He was a very young Republican congressman at the time and was approached by one of the Rep. leaders (forgot who) who said there was an open seat on the Ways and Means Committee. He told Barber that he should consider it because seeing NYC was the financial capital they needed a New Yorker on the Committee. He said he knew nothing of tax law at the time so he would think about it. He went to his assistant and told him he was thinking of taking the position and his assistant put his head in his hands and said "Oh no I've got to learn tax law."* Well the reason for the story is that there are politicians on these committees who know absolutely nothing or very little about what they're involved in. That's a scary thought and may have a lot to do with the mess we are in.

BTW Conable went on to become the Chairman of the Ways and Means.

*The above story was from this book. A good read about a local "boy" who was one of the last true statesman.

We come from the land of the ice and snow,
From the midnight sun where the hot springs blow.
How soft your fields so green,
Can whisper tales of gore,
Of how we calmed the tides of war.
We are your overlords.

I'm an engineer and a lawyer. What's not to love?

Financial Planner Jim: Hey John, I was referred to you by your good friend Ben.
John A.: Hello Jim how are you?
FP Jim: Doing great thanks. So tell me about yourself.
John A: I'm a lawyer and engineer.
FP Jim: Click...........

I think "economic overlord" would be a much more snappy title, no?

So you're bi-polar then.............

That's Tom's thing.

There are a few of us engineer-lawyers in the world. We're smarter than you and can graph it.