Sock it to Ben.

Academic economists have never been known for their sharp sense of personal style. That certainly goes for new Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors Ben Bernanke. Bernanke has a penchant for wearing light-colored socks with dark blue business suits, proving that you can take the economist out of the academy but you can't always completely remove the academy from the economist. In this regard, George W. Bush loves to play practical jokes on the White House staff he personally enjoys the most. In the case of Bernanke, the President and his senior advisors recently showed up at a scheduled economic strategy meeting all wearing the same uniform--dark blue business suits with light-colored Bernanke-style socks. The President's point: Ben, if we can't change you, we'll join you. White House insiders say that the President's practical joke may be a good sign for the CEA Chairman. "Bush tends to do well by people he likes personally," a strategist said.

CEA Chair Ben Bernanke: with afoot in the door, he knows how to step up to the plate, toe the line, and nail down the facts (and no one pulls the wool over his eyes).