Germany, in particular, backed him because of his credentials as an inflation fighter.

Its latest move is to family dining, that inflation fighter with lower prices and large platter-filling portions.

Speedy action by the Fed is necessary to shore up the central bank's credibility as an inflation fighter, analysts said.

A year later it moved to family dining, that inflation fighter with lower prices and large platter- filling portions.

And analysts say the Fed's worry now is that a lack of tightening would damage its credibility as an inflation fighter.

The presidents of the Fed's 12 regional banks are on the whole inflation fighters, who push to keep interest rates moving up.

The central bank, he said, can now move to shore up the weak economy without losing credibility as an inflation fighter.

In a speech tonight, he vowed to be a tough inflation fighter.

Now it is the inflation fighter at the Federal Reserve who wants a controlled economy.

"He lost that bet, and he has lost some of his credibility as an inflation fighter in the process."