[Liz]

You are spot on---for a "Repub," Paulson's sure been a drag on McC's chances in Nov. McC's numbers are falling like rocks while red states are fast turning blue. Watta stupid move he made---saying he was "suspending" his campaign as the bailout vote loomed. Where was his plan? He said NOTHING about "a plan" at the debate days later.

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MARCH 18,2008 Treasury Secretary Paulson concedes sharp decline, but not a recession

Int Herald Tribune---Reuters

WASHINGTON: The U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson Jr. said Tuesday that the American economy had turned down sharply, but he declined to label the current situation a recession. "We know we're in a sharp downclimb and there's no doubt that the American people know that the economy has turned down sharply," he said. "So to me much less important is the label that's placed on it today. Much more important is what we do about it." He said the Treasury was "all over" the turbulence in capital markets and that he did not think think the Bear Stearns shareholders believed they had been bailed out by the Federal Reserve. "The big focus on the part of all policy makers is to minimize the spillover to the real economy." Paulson said. "We need to keep our capital markets stable, functioning well." http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/03/18/business/18paulson.php

[Thebaddog]

In a Fortune Magazine feature on Paulson, I learned some things. First, he came to Washington to "do something" so there is an ego running things. His son is a reporter for Christian Science Monitor and that would be a liberal paper as I recall. And Hank is bi-partisan, which you would expect from a democrat in a Republican administration, but he's tight with Schumer and Schumer is as partisan as it gets. IMHO, Bush got rolled and forgot a principle of deferring major legislation in the lame duck period.

What on earth was Bush thinking? And is there any communication or coordination amongst all the Republicans? Obama knew the plays before they were apparent, we have to do the same. Wake Up, People. How's that for a Jerry Jones riff?