Another Litmus Test

R

RickD

Moderator
One thing to look for is to see if the next selection for Treasury Secretary moves (or Bush orders) an end to all these import restrictions.

Just as I write this, the radio news tells me that Bush has selected his Sec Treasury nominee. He is former Alcoa Chairman, Paul O'Neal.

It was said that conservatives were in opposition to O'Neal because he once voiced support for Al Gore's gas tax (remember that?).

So far, this day's roster of appointments seem very, uh, "moderate." New Jersey Governor Christie Todd-Whitman was selected for (I think) EPA.

No white males yet. Think Dubya is sending a message to someone?

I don't believe there is a conservative in the Bush camp, save for Cheney.

Time will tell.

Rick
 
Neal Knox gives another perspective in his latest newsletter (emphasis mine):


Dec. 20 Neal Knox Report -- President-Elect George W. Bush
(it's a relief to say that) is avoiding the halting start of the Clinton Administration by quickly whipping out top-level appointees -- with four more coming today.

So far he hasn't named his Attorney General, the most critical cabinet post for gunowners. (The Treasury Secretary is over BATF, but is always a banker who never pays any attention to that agency -- the more important job to us is the Assistant Treasury Secretary for Enforcement, who is over BATF, Customs and Secret Service.)

Although John Danforth's name was floated last week -- which
brought chills to some of us -- the two leading candidates seem to be Oklahoma Gov. Frank Keating and Montana Gov. Marc Racicot.

Keating was Assistant Treasury Secretary for Enforcement, and let BATF do about as it pleased, demonstrating a great love for Federal law enforcement.

That may be because Keating started out as an FBI agent, back in the days when -- even more than now -- FBI was regarded as almost a divine institution by its agents. I can't imagine any former FBI agent considering the possibility that Justice Department did wrong at Waco, Ruby Ridge or some other outrage in the future.

Racicot -- the unflappable Bush spokesman so often seen and
heard during the Florida ballot fight -- has a solid law
enforcement background, but it came from within his state,
including service as Montana's attorney general.

State law enforcement folks respect, but do not have the same love and devotion for Justice Department that former agents do. Let's hope Bush appoints Racicot as AG -- and forward that suggestion to Mr. Bush.
----------------

Monday's post on the AG appointment brought an email from Gary Marbut, the hard-nosed head of the Montana Sport Shooting Assn, who wrote "Marc has ... signed many pro-gun laws which we've gotten through the Legislature (he has opposed us on only a couple of peripheral issues).

"He'd probably make a pretty good and fair AG .... His
popularity in Montana continues to hold above 80%. The 20% are hard liberals and hard conservatives. Thus, he's a great consensus-builder, just the kind of person GW is said to need in his camp.

"So, maybe there should be some quick national sales work on
Racicot as AG. Maybe if GW got the word that a Racicot appointment would find acceptability with a broad spectrum of people, and would help oil the waters ....."

Sounds like a good idea to me.

The press reports Racicot is in Austin now to talk to W.
about either AG or Interior Secretary. Good, but AG is far more important.
 
Other than being Alcoa CEO, does anybody know ANYTHING about this guy????????????????????????????

http://news.excite.com/news/r/001218/19/bush-treasury

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Alcoa chairman Paul O' Neill emerged Monday as a leading contender for the key job of Treasury secretary in the administration of President-elect George W. Bush, Republican sources said.

"Bush wouldn't be taking the time to have lunch with him if he wasn't taking a serious look at him," said one source close to the transition process.

For O'Neill, who is 65, the timing of an offer to head Treasury could be fortuitous. He plans to retire from Alcoa at the end of the year. Getting one of the most crucial Cabinet posts would allow O'Neill to tap into his extensive government experience working in the 1960s and '70s in the Office of Management and Budget.

O'Neill appears to have ties to several key members of Bush's inner circle, including Vice President-elect Dick Cheney, Bush's national security adviser Condoleezza Rice and his chief economic adviser, Lawrence Lindsey.

Perhaps equally important, O'Neill -- who heads the world's largest aluminum producer -- is apparently a friend of the Federal Reserve Chairman, Alan Greenspan.

ADVICE FROM GREENSPAN?

Bush, whose father had a strained relationship with Greenspan during his own presidency eight years ago, seems to be eager to build ties with the powerful Fed chief, whose crucial role in the economy could have a key effect on Bush's fortunes in office.

A breakfast meeting with Greenspan was the first appointment in a series held by Bush in his first morning in the nation's capital as president-elect.

snip

Bush, who puts a premium on trust, friendship and loyalty, had never met O'Neill before Monday, sources said.

O'Neill's connection to Cheney dates back at least as far as the Ford administration, when Cheney was chief of staff and O'Neill served for three years as deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget.

Cheney and O'Neill worked together at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank in Washington.

Lawrence Lindsey, who is Bush's chief economic adviser and one of his most trusted aides, is a scholar at the institute and is tipped to get the top economic advisory post at the White House.

A MAN OF MANY CONNECTIONS

For the past 12 years, O'Neill has been a trustee of the Santa Monica, California-based Rand think tank and became chairman of the board of trustees in 1997. Condoleezza Rice was a trustee from 1991-1997.

On Dec. 5, O'Neill gave Rand $2.5 million to endow the Paul O'Neill Alcoa Professorship in Policy Analysis -- the largest gift Rand has received in its history.

During the time when Cheney and O'Neill were working in the Ford administration, Greenspan also held a White House post, serving as chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers from 1974-1977.

In a March 1999 interview on the cable television network CNBC, O'Neill referred to Greenspan as an "old friend".

snip
 
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