Michael Lutch

Tom Stemberg

Founder and former CEO of office-supply retailer Staples, who now serves as a managing general partner at Highland Consumer Partners, a Boston-based venture capital firm

I admire Obama personally, but he is letting Congress make a lot of policy decisions and I have zero faith in their ability to make good decisions.

I just hope the federal government's crazy spending binge has not created a deep hole that will cause others—particularly foreign investors—to lose faith in our economy. If that happens, we'll have a nightmare on our hands.

On health-care reform: Each and every one of Obama's policies brings problems. The higher tax rates are a disincentive to invest. The health-care bill, as opposed to providing a strategic safety net, is throwing a burning blanket over the American economy. And the bailout of the big auto companies is something one would expect to see in France or Germany.

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