Sen. Jim Bunning Releases 70 Responses By Bernanke As More Organizations Come In Support Of Pittman Crusade

More Mutual Assured Destruction from Ber Bernanke: "Without addressing every specific item, I believe that the release of much of the information requested would inhibit the policymaking process or reduce the effectiveness of policy and thus would not be in the public interest."

In other news Dow Jones, New York Times, the Associated Press and Reuters all have enjoined Bloomberg in demanding that Federal Court uphold the previous decision by the NY Supreme Court, seeking the Fed to disclose confidential bail out information.

Credit Suisse Stock Halted, To Take Q4 Charge, In Settlement Talks Over US Dollar Payments

With UBS out, and CS to follow, how the hell will the ultra upper middle class continue not paying their taxes?

Guest Post: The Exxon Purchase Of XTO Is Interesting

XOM is the world's best investor in the energy business, and has a multi-decade track record and the returns on capital to prove it. This is undeniable. But, Exxon looks out 20 years when evaluating acquisitions and investments. Natural gas investors should not look too much into this bet, because Exxon's time horizon is longer than most of our careers, and perhaps lives, will be.

Guest Post: A World Crisis No Bailout Can Stop

When Dubai World black swanned global investors last month with what amounts to be a reported $80 Billion in debt liabilities, it sent shivers down the spine of many a financial manager and stock trader. For those who were paying attention, Dubai’s troubled assets were no surprise, it was simply a matter of time. Oft repeated by contrarian analysts and investors like Dr. Doom Marc Faber, Gerald Celente, Jim Rogers, and Karl Denninger, the mathematical certainty of the economic crisis would play out - eventually.

A Greek, An Austrian And An Irishman Enter A Bailout Bar... Ireland Joins The 2nd Round European Collapse Brigade

Just in case you needed some more validation for a "strong" Euro thesis, the latest bit of news out of Europe shows that all those problems that were initially swept under the rug, just like in a crappy Japanese horror movie, find a way to reach out and haunt Central Bankers worldwide. First the Baltics, then Greece, then Austria, and now, once again, Ireland. 50% state ownership of Ireland's two leading banks is now on deck. To keep this as surreal as possible, may we suggest that Fred "Iceman" Mishkin quit his job in Columbia where all he does is spread completely factual and thoroughly undiscredited economic non-bullshit and run for [president/despot/tyrant/monarch/steam spewing geyser] of Iceland.

Guest Post: Cramer’s Best Buy Earnings Recommendation Gets Crushed

On last week’s Mad Money, game show host Jim Cramer told his acolytes “to pick up [Best Buy] BBY before Tuesday morning’s announcement.” First, trading stocks ahead of earnings is the riskiest aspect of trading. Most professional traders close their positions ahead of earnings and decide what to do after the announcement. The reason for this risk management strategy: guessing earnings is a complete gamble.

Does Dropping Money Velocity Mean The Rally Will Reverse?

A frequent theme on Zero Hedge is the structural limitation imposed on corporate revenue and profitability absent an overall increase in the currency in circulation, or said otherwise, in the "velocity" of money. If banks do not lend out the money, and the money does not somehow find its way to companies' top lines, there is logically less revenue thus lower EPS (especially with the key layoff rounds already having taken place). We were gratified to see Rosenberg pick up on this theme in his latest "Latkes with Dave" piece. As Rosenberg points out, the banks continuing unwillingness to lend money out will end up transforming not only the political landscape in D.C., but could very easily be the end of the seemingly endless bear market rally.