Former Treasury Sec. Paints Bush as 'Blind Man'

reuters.com ^ | January 09, 2004

[Maria S]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill likened President Bush at Cabinet meetings to "a blind man in a room full of deaf people," according to excerpts on Friday from a CBS interview. O'Neill, who was fired by Bush in December 2002, also said the president did not ask him a single question during their first one-on-one meeting, which lasted an hour.

"As I recall it was just a monologue," he told CBS' "60 Minutes," which will broadcast the entire interview on Sunday.

In making the blind man analogy, O'Neill told CBS his ex-boss did not encourage a free flow of ideas or open debate.

"There is no discernible connection," CBS quoted O'Neill as saying. The president's lack of engagement left his advisers with "little more than hunches about what the president might think," O'Neill said, according to the program.

CBS said much of O'Neill's criticisms of Bush are included in "The Price of Loyalty," an upcoming book by former Wall Street Journal reporter Ron Suskind.

[Maria S]

I ran through search and didn't find this posted; Mr. O'Neill sounds like a democrat snitch.

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[CSM]

Be careful, a troll posted this earlier. Someone may get you confused and ZOT you!

[PaulJ]

A guy who was fired speaks poorly about the boss that fired him. Now there's a story!

[Wright is right!]

See BS is begining its Election Year Anti-Bush Blitz. It started with a story on the dropout rates in Houston under "No Chahld Left Buhind" on 60 Minutes II the other night. You can bet there will be at least one per newsmagazing right up thru October. And they're not even going to TRY to be subtle about it.

Michael

[Arkie2]

Isn't this the genius who toured Africa with Bono? Nuff said!

[q_an_a]

while he came to his post with great fan fare, hardly anyone mentioned that Alcoa is not a great company from which we can say,"See how well run business runs government." O'Neil's Alcoa was one of the last surviving of an industry in turmoil.

[Dolphy]

The president's lack of engagement left his advisers with "little more than hunches about what the president might think," O'Neill said, according to the program

I kind of think the President may have been thinking, "what a dope," but refrained from sharing that with him.

[claudiustg]

---A guy who was fired speaks poorly about the boss that fired him. Now there's a story!---

Some people you'd like to fire over and over again.

[Valpal1]

Funny how his statements contradict each other.

He was subjected to a "monologue" but the president's "lack of engagement" left him unable to discern what the president "thinks".

Nother angry loser mad about being put outside the circle of power.

[frithguild]

Comes a time when the blindman takes your hand
and says, "Don't you see?"

[Big Guy and Rusty 99]

Sour grapes, anyone? How about some cheese with your whine, Mr. O'Neil?

[jocon307]

"Comes a time when the blindman takes your hand
and says, "Don't you see?"

Yes, but then, when you are among the deaf, you hear him not, and it availeth you not.

[RLK]

The president's lack of engagement left his advisers with "little more than hunches about what the president might think,"

-------------------------

The presumption here is that Bush thinks. He doesn't think. He only presents himself as a bland affable social presence. It is a family characteristic and charicteristic of the subculture which he has inhabited.

[philosofy123]

Why Bush invited Bono to the WH? I guess he wanted to play footsy with the liberals. Hey conservatives, listen to this one more time; TEY WILL NEVER LOVE YOU OR ACCEPT YOU.

[Arkie2]

I don't believe I asked that question and in fact didn't even mention Bush. Got an axe to grind?

[CROSSHIGHWAYMAN]

He was subjected to a "monologue" but the president's "lack of engagement" left him unable to discern what the president "thinks".

Sounds like there was only one DEAF one in the room.

[dangus]

Hmmmm... Grumble...

I'm sorry, but when it comes to domestic issues, the President seems an awful like a mule who doesn't give a crap about what his constituents want.

The medicare explosion... funding for abortions... amnesty for illegal aliens... radical multiculturalist language policy... uncontrolled spending...

the list goes on and on.

He's a Christian and a patriot, but he's also an authoritarian, big-government, exceptionally mostly intelligent bully... A "benevolent" despot with serious philosophical and political weaknesses.

[dangus]

For the record, I can't argue with the criticisms of O'Niell... An election year is no time to attack your boss on personality issues. Mr. O'Niell, please learn: a time, a place, and a way.