83 Quotes by Diane Swonk

A limited statement would be more productive because the Fed is trying to deal with psychological issues. They want the focus to be on their action, not their words.

This is not much of a surprise. We've got a Fed saying growth is strong, but they're still hedging against a downturn. This is a Fed waiting to see the whites of the eyes of recovery.

You don't want this rally to be cut short before we get back on solid economic ground.

This is a very unusual recession in that the consumer did not collapse and incomes are in the black,

They're now looking at the demand trade-off on oil prices, not just the inflation trade-off, which will make Fed policy much more complicated. It's a subtle but important change.

It's about the Fed being more communicative with the markets, ... won't just be walking into Greenspan's shoes.

It's all vehicle sales and gas. Chain-store sales were relatively strong during the month, suggesting consumers diverted their vehicle spending to other sectors. We also had a cold snap which prompted early spending on winter wear.

It's all part of adding certainty in a chaotic situation.

It's hard to kill this darn consumer, isn't it? Anyone who is losing sleep over the consumer is losing sleep over the wrong thing.