February 2008

Well here's an ironic twist. In Thursday’s blog, I reported that Henry Vaccaro, who appeared on Money for Breakfast, had acquired a letter from former New England Patriots owner Chuck Sullivan written to Michael Jackson complaining about losing $100 million on the Jackson family victory tour. Vaccaro came to possess the letter because it was in the cache of Michael Jackson memorabilia which he ... read more

Earlier this morning I received some emails from my friends and colleagues on Wall Street. (As you may recall, I used to work at Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs.) To quote a good friend of mine: "This was the single worst week in the credit/fixed income markets ever. Including LTC (Long Term Capital) and Enron, for you history buffs. The media missed it!" In fairness to him and us, we're ... read more

In the past 24 hours I have received a ton of responses to my interview and subsequent blog about Rep. Ron Paul. Many of you have thanked me for having him on and have asked me to invite him back on the show to discuss the two bills he recently introduced in Congress, "Honest Money Act" (HR 2756) and "Free Competition in Currency Act" (HR 4683). You'll be happy to know that I did ask him at the ... read more

As I look back on the past week it can be described in two words: NEWSWORTHY and BUSY! It all began on Monday with my interview with Ralph Nader. He announced on Meet The Press the day before that he intended to run for president as an independent. As many of my friends and colleagues know, I am a HUGE fan of Tim Russert's and watch him religiously. This Sunday I missed Meet The Press, but part of ... read more

This morning, my colleague, Peter Barnes interviewed Henry Vaccaro, Sr. about the pending forced sale of Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch. If Jackson does not come up with the $24 million in interest and other costs by next month, his home will be auctioned off. Henry had business dealings with the Jackson family and sued them when they failed to make payments on a business venture. He is a ... read more

Why is American Idol firing on all cylinders? Take a look at some of these excerpts from the AP and LA Times: 3 Nights of `Idol' Beat 1 Oscars Night: "The math is simple: three nights of "American Idol" beats one night of the Academy Awards. Fox dominated the television ratings again behind its hit competition, which was seen by roughly 29 million people on both Tuesday and Wednesday last ... read more

Just finished interviewing Congressman Ron Paul about the economy and Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke's testimony. He questioned him on the Hill yesterday about the weak U.S. dollar and how it is having negative ramifications. He says we are at a period that we have not seen in U.S. history. He did say that he thought we were in a recession but he called it an INFLATIONARY RECESSION. He is the first ... read more

After yesterday's semi-annual testimony to the members of the House Financial Services Committee and a lousy durable goods number you may, like me, be starting to wonder how bad does the future look. Is it as bleak as it sounds? I have interviewed many guests and economists over the past four months who fall into one of three camps. 1) We are in a recession 2) We are headed into a ... read more

Note to John McCain: This morning on Money For Breakfast I interviewed U.S. Deputy Treasury Secretary Robert Kimmitt. I asked him if John McCain became the next president of the United States, if he would be interested in remaining in his position. The answer? YES. He has spent the vast majority of his career in public service and has served in his current position for almost three years. He ... read more

Did you know that the Texas contest next Tuesday, March 4 is a hybrid primary-caucus? I did not know that! At least it is on the Democratic side. Most delegates are awarded on the primary vote and others by caucuses held later in the evening. The clincher.....voters can participate in both! Former President Bill Clinton traveling in Texas yesterday on Senator Hillary Clinton's behalf told voters, ... read more