Former Bush Treasury Secretary O’Neill: Bailout is “crazy”
This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.
Paul O’Neill, who served as President Bush’s first treasury secretary, today called the bailout bill headed for Senate passage ‘crazy,’ with ‘unbelievably bad’ consequences.
Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neill said the $700 billion bank-rescue proposal under negotiation in Washington is ‘crazy,’’ with potentially ‘awful’’ consequences for the world’s largest economy. ‘Doesn’t this seem like lunacy to you?’’ said O’Neill, who was President Bush’s first Treasury chief, from 2001 to 2002, in a telephone interview today. ‘The consequences of it are unbelievably bad in terms of public intrusion into the private sector.’’ ... ‘Is anybody thinking there?’’ asked O’Neill, who also served as deputy budget director in the Ford administration. ‘It’s too late, it’s not going to make any difference and it’s aggravating as hell when there’s a better idea and you can’t even get it in play,’’ he said, recognizing little success so far in pitching his own proposal.
Back story: O’Neill (pictured above) was the first Bush insider to publicly question the president’s judgment and decision-making ability. After he was fired, it was O’Neill who said, memorably, that Bush in a cabinet meeting was ‘like a blind man in a roomful of deaf people.’
--Peter Viles
Your thoughts? Comments? E-mail story tips to Peter Viles