Obama faces a difficult choice for Treasury secretary

Lawrence Summers has the president-elect's ear on economic matters, but his penchant for controversy gives pause to some. Ex-Federal Reserve chief Paul Volcker is seen as a more reassuring choice. > During the campaign, when Barack Obama needed an authoritative voice to defend his tax and spending proposals, he turned to Lawrence H. Summers -- the Clinton administration Treasury secretary and former Harvard president who has one of the sharpest minds in modern economics. (link)