Congratulations Ben Bernanke, the Most Powerful Nationals Fan In the World

Steven BielCorrespondent IAugust 26, 2009

WASHINGTON - APRIL 03: (L to R) Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke testifies while SEC Chairman Christopher Cox Under Secretary of Treasury for Finance, Robert Steele and President of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Timothy Geithner listen during a Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee hearing on Capitol Hill April 3, 2008 in Washington DC. Bernanke defended the Feds moves to prevent the failure of Bear Stearns investment bank, saying that its failure could have dealt the U.S. and world economy serious damage. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

It's been a great week in NatsTown, and now we have the kicker. President Obama has re-appointed Nationals fan and Chairman of the Federal Reserve Ben Bernanke.

How big a Nationals fan is Bernanke? There's an anecdote in David Wessel's excellent new book In Fed We Trust that late one night last fall, as our entire economic system was spiraling towards collapse, Bernanke, under more pressure than any fed chair has faced in perhaps 60 years, had one big complaint.

He was too busy to go to the Nationals game. He wanted to go. He really wanted to go. But they wouldn't let him. What was the game he was so disappointed to miss? Nationals-Marlins. Tim Redding v. Josh Johnson. It would be the Nationals' 99th loss of the season. Bernanke desperately wanted to be there.

There are lots of DC big wigs who show up in Nationals Park from time to time, usually to root for the opposing team. Not Bernanke. He ditched the Red Sox the minute the Nationals showed up. Kinda makes sense, actually, since he's spent most of his life studying the Great Depression. He's just got a special interest in downward spirals, I guess.

Congratulations, Ben. See you at the Red Porch.