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Just guessing, but I'd wager that O'Neill's management style can be described as:

1. "Hands on" micro-manager -- able to shoot straight through to the fringe of the subject.

2. "Consensus seeker" on decisions -- taking credit for the ones that turn out well, finding cover for the ones that don't.

3. Boot-licking to those above him, boot-kicking to those below him (a la General Weasley Clark).

4. And, maybe, even thought of the Treasury post as a sinecure, a reward of some sort, rather than a functional job -- with real responsibilities and accountability.

These traits are bass-ackwards and in direct conflict with Bush's management style. Oil and water -- they never would've understood each other. Frankly, I'm more shocked that he was hired than that he was fired.

Wasn't O'Neill like the 4th choice for this position, anyway? Seems to me they had trouble filling the Treasury post initially.

And, when you come right down to it, wasn't O'Neill not just wrong, but dead wrong, in his arguments about the impact of the tax cuts? Who needs a Treasury secretary that can be so wrong on such an important policy issue?

4. And, maybe, even thought of the Treasury post as a sinecure, a reward of some sort, rather than a functional job -- with real responsibilities and accountability.

That my be the most telling point - "I actually have to work at this and press the policy points of the administration?" The Enrons and Worldcoms are being teken down - I don't see a lot of kow-towing to corporate bigwigs ...;-)

And, when you come right down to it, wasn't O'Neill not just wrong, but dead wrong, in his arguments about the impact of the tax cuts? Who needs a Treasury secretary that can be so wrong on such an important policy issue?

If you think that a booming stock market and a quarter of strong growth make O'Neill wrong then I agree with you. However the economy is not creating enough jobs to keep up with a growing labor force, the debt, trade deficit, and falling dollar are bad enough to alarm the IMF which alarms me. The signs that we are heading for big trouble are there. It may turn out that O'Neill was entirely correct.