Good piece, but I think it's going too far to say that Robert Rubin occupies a key place in the Obama team. Whether you think he's great or awful, he's not on the team.

Yes, he was a mentor to some of the appointees, and his son is part of the transition team. But to position Rubin as "guiding" Team Obama gives the impression that he's calling the shots. I'm hopeful that this team can separate what worked or didn't work in the past and apply those lessons learned. And let's not forget, ultimately, Team Obama will be guided by President Obama.

Do none of these people remember the 90's and budget surpluses under Robert Rubin and Clinton? These comments sound like a big echo chamber of people who can't/don/t remember the 1990s.

And I keep wondering . . . . .
I have heard Dr. Ravi Batra several times on the Thom Hartmann show. He got it right years ago when he predicted all this would happen. The book is "Greenspan's Fraud". He is brilliant. He said what would happen and when it would happen. He says that all these guys are only looking at half of the economic equation. They don't know economics. And all the talk you hear, and these 'solutions' you hear them trot out, still represent a very narrow and obsessive understanding of economics. Dr. Batra says there are some very good solutions.
I have sent his name to TV shows and Obama's team, etc. and I have never heard anyone mention him. But once you hear someone talk about how economy works as a whole, it is very hard listening to these self-important power-baron 'economic celebrities' talking their ideological nonsense. I wouldn't mind them talking like children except this is a HUGE amount of money and a very critical junction to put the kids in charge.

Money alone can"t help our economy. Money is blood of economy. If economy is sick, money system is also sick. No one financial genius can help in this situation.
GE great manager Jack Welch is great, because he know Six Sigma. He knows how treat smart people, who work for Company. He always made Inventors happy.
In one of his Company I saw work of his weak followers. They implement the same Six Sigma but didn"t understand spirits of inventions, but they still want to receive the same honor as Jack Welch. This is became problems not only for GE but for many others Companies in USA. Managers who create bubbles became disaster for our Economy. In housing market they try use profit from poor people. It creates foreclosure problems. It is always good to help poor people, but can we afford it when unemployment is too high?
Inventions, new jobs can save our economy. Helping poor people escape foreclosure will help housing market to go in the same direction. Helping banks, cars industries will do the same. Deadly sick Companies need to be dying. It cruel, but it is good for economy.
I do not see Inventors in Obama team. His energy policy and Al Gore vision of reason for global warming are scaring me.