Maybe it's time for Obama to go to the academic trough to build his

economic team, instead of relying on rich wall street types,
who only seem intent on enriching their friends.

Academics typically can't manage their way out of a paper bag, and management is a significant portion of the job. Plus, while good with theories, they typically don't have a lot of practical experience to work from. A healthy balance would be ideal, in my humble opinion. Academics can balance out the greed, and the Wall Street types can bring their real world experience to the table.

bring is mostly based on greed.

Academics simply can't tell you that. They don't know the thought process of the private sector, having never been a part of it. They won't see the possible loopholes. They can't tell what the reaction might be.

I'm sorry, but there's no way around having someone from Wall Street in the room. Further, I think you're painting them all with a fairly broad brush. As Jon Stewart himself rightly said, there's a bunch of these guys that make like $40,000 a year (not in bonuses) that are actually trying to do the right thing. The problem is, they probably wouldn't make it through a confirmation hearing because they likely don't have the CV behind them that these other guys do.

Though we may disagree, it's been a pleasure speaking with you on this issue. It's refreshing to actually have a polite, if non-agreeing discussion here once in a while.

During House testimony today, we heard that before Treasury told the rest of America what the new bailout (oops, I mean legacy) plan was, they called wall street and let them know. Then amazingly, the bank and financial stock sold like hotcakes to a starving crowd. Inside knowledge begets greed?

If you cannot do.. teach...
To catch a thief.. you need a thief..

That said, academic economists are just as responsible as Wall Street types if not more so for our economic troubles.