Fresh Loaf

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke will give a speech on the economy at Morehouse College today.

Bernanke is apparently bored with straight speech-giving. Based on the transcript published on the Wall Street Journal’s web site, he plans on spicing-up today’s Morehouse address by delivering it in the form of ma nishtana, the four questions traditionally asked by the youngest child at a Passover seder. No, I’m not making that up.

In his conclusion, Bernanke tries to go upbeat. He will declare he is “fundamentally optimistic” about the U.S. economy and note “[r]ecently we have seen tentative signs that the sharp decline in economic activity may be slowing.”

Tentative signs that the sharp decline may be slowing?

It’s sad what passes for optimism these days.

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AIG: U.S. taxpayers save the insurance giant from its own bad investments via the Fed’s historic $85 billion bailout, which, despite its unfairness, was needed to prevent the worldwide financial bedlam that would follow an AIG collapse.

STREET CRED: Wall Street’s free fall has given Obama an opening, but while he does poll better than McCain on the economy, he doesn’t poll as well as a generic Democrat against a generic Republican.

PALIN: Not ready to be Hewlett-Packard CEO, according to former HP chief and McCain economic adviser Carly Fiorina, who then dug herself an even deeper hole by adding that McCain couldn’t lead the company either.

ALDERMAN: The convicted murderer was executed Tuesday for the 1974 killing of his wife.

ERR LIKE A SAILOR: Disgraced former Georgia lawmaker Ron Sailor Jr. is sentenced to 63 months for fraud and money laundering.

FUEL AND FAR BETWEEN: Ike has left the city of Atlanta with just 15 days worth of fuel, prompting the closure of two fueling stations and a plea to city employees to conserve.

STANDOFFISH: A fugitive wanted in a 2006 Atlanta murder is arrested in Chicago after a standoff.

THE YOST IS CLEAR: After being unexpectedly fired by the Brewers, there’s some speculation that former Braves third base coach Ned Yost could end up back in Atlanta.

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