The extension and expansion of the payroll tax holidays for workers would be number one on my list and key to avoiding recession.

My policy is I will help any policymaker who asks, whether they be a Republican or a Democrat.

There is plenty of blame to go around for the U.S. housing bubble, but not much of it belongs to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The two giant housing-finance institutions made many mistakes over the decades, some of them real whoppers, but causing house prices to soar and then crater during the past decade weren't among them.

They called me the sexiest economist in America, and that was years ago, when I had hair and body mass and my teeth were shiny.

Investor demand for distressed property has been healthy, as rents rise to levels that can cover investors' costs while they wait for properties to appreciate. Giving investors a small tax break should further juice up demand, supporting prices for distressed homes and the market in general.

In a normal time, I don't think economic policy makes a large difference one way or another. But in times of crisis it makes all the difference in the world.

I'm a registered Democrat.