TIME >> Why Bush can't seem to find a good Treasury Secretary

[sabra]

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1198189,00.html

The Toughest Cabinet Job in Town
Why Bush can't seem to find a good Treasury Secretary

When George W. Bush shook up his White House staff a few weeks ago, the smart money in town took a decidedly blasé attitude about it. Wake me, said a longtime Republican player, when they dump (Defense Secretary Donald) Rumsfeld and (Treasury Secretary John) Snow. Until then, he added, it's not a policy change of much significance.

That take still looks smart. But if, as many expect, Snow is the first to go, and soon, it's worth spending a few moments to consider why this White House has such a hard time finding the kind of Treasury secretaries it, and the country, really needs.


...

But even Bush may be losing his patience. Which raises the question: If Snow goes, who gets to ride into the sunset as Bush's (presumably) last Treasury chief? The choice will tell us a couple of things:

First, does the new White House chief of staff, Josh Bolten, understand the job? In this day and age, Treasury secretaries really have only one job: to monitor, regulate and above all reassure financial markets. A Treasury boss should above all be a horse whisperer, someone who quietly speaks to key people around the world about changes in our own economy, alerts them to trends in fiscal policy, and takes in information from key players in the private sector for use by policy makers in Washington. In essence, he's sort of a double agent in the house of finance. Bolten should understand this, coming from Goldman Sachs. But that hardly means this view will prevail.

[texanwitch]

1. Bush has to pay off all his friends who gave him money.

[SammyWinstonJack]

5. BINGO! nt

[Old and In the Way]

2. Who wants to be the chief bailer on the Titanic?

Who's the sucker that wants to be still standing when the music stops?

[napi21]

3. Shrub caan't FIND any good financial people who would agree

with HIM! I think it's rather amusing that even the bad ones don't seem towant anything to do with this admin NOW!

[n2doc]

4. Answer: Because a good one would care about the economy

You know, things like deficits, balance of trade issues, all those inconvenient things that * really doesn't want to hear about while he and his cronys are looting the treasury.

[northzax]

6. let's see. a brief job announcement:

WANTED: influential and powerful current CEO of a major brokerage house. Must be willing to leave $25 million/year job for $150,000 one. Will have no influence on policy decisions, but will be expected to sell those policies to the public and other Heads of State. Must be willing to take orders easily from 22 year old college dropouts, express no personal opinions on economics, finance or tax policy, serve as a scapegoat for the failures of aformentioned policies and have a healthy disregard for all media outlets not owned by Rupert Murdoch. Long hours, sense of humor required. Benefits include fully paid health insurance, Lincoln Town Car with driver, and being totally ignored by the President. Please send cover letter explaining the brilliance of the White House fiscal policies, resume and application fee made out to the George Bush Presidential Library-

and no one wants the job? really, if you saw that on Craigslist, would you be applying?

[datadiva]

7. Uh, he's running out of people willing to cook the books? n/t