In Slate, disgraced Wall Street analyst turned pundit Henry Blodget examines the financial picture:
"What do Roberts' investments say about him? He is rich, but not so rich that the $200,000 Supreme Court justice salary would feel like chump change. Still, he will be comfortable hobnobbing with other capitalists-turned-public servants in Washington (for whom $200,000 is chump change). Roberts benefits or will benefit from virtually all the various Bush tax cuts, from income to dividends to capital gains to estate taxes. His fortune is self-made, which suggests a bias toward self-reliance rather than entitlements and subsidies.
"Roberts' one-eighth share of the cottage in Limerick (worth less than $15,000), combined with an investment in the 'New Ireland Fund' (also less than $15,000) suggest a possible Gaelic fetish.
"Roberts' stock and mutual-fund holdings in 2003 were highly diversified, consisting of domestic and international stocks in multiple industries. In keeping with Roberts' reputation for prudence, the equities consisted primarily of dividend-paying blue chips like Coca Cola (less than $15,000), AT&T (less than $15,000, sold), Merck (less than $15,000), etc. Those who view Roberts as a robotic starched-shirt, however, should note evidence of a romantic-idealist streak: a chunk of XM Satellite Radio worth between $100,000 and $250,000. This bizarrely out-of-character investment suggests that Roberts is either clairvoyant or not afraid to dream: The stock is up tenfold since early 2003.
"Also in keeping with Roberts' clean-cut, churchgoing image, his investments did not include companies in vice industries (gaming, drinking, smoking, etc.)."
Rudy for governor? No way, says John Podhoretz :
"The decision by George Pataki not to seek a fourth term as governor of New York state is merely a reflection of reality. Unless certain Democratic nominee Eliot Spitzer hauled off and arrested himself, there would have been no way for Pataki to win. Nor will he make a serious play for the presidency, because Pataki is many things, but he is not a fool.
"The White House might try a Hail Mary play for the seat and give Pataki an ambassadorship or a Cabinet post very soon and see whether the totally unknown Lt. Governor Mary Donohue might prove unexpectedly talented at the top job (as is the case with Jodi Rell, who got the job in Connecticut when John Rowland went off to the pokey and has become a star). Otherwise, the bench is unbelievably weak. Some nice and good guys in the Congress -- Pete King, John Sweeney -- can and may and will run, but Spitzer will mow them down.
"You're going to hear a lot of Rudy Giuliani talk in the next few days -- Rudy for Governor, blah blah blah. I don't think he'll go for it. In the first place, the position of the GOP in New York state is so parlous that even the hero of 9/11 would begin with a disadvantage. More important, the sorts of liberal-Republican things Rudy would have to say and do -- on abortion and stem cells and guns and the like -- to secure the governorship would make him permanently unelectable as president."
The New York Daily News , meanwhile, says Pataki has bigger ideas: "Gov. Pataki backed out of a tough race for a fourth term yesterday and started to set his sights on an even bigger prize: the White House."
How many New Yorkers will be running for the presidency, anyway?
And is this guy joining them or not?
