Neel Kashkari, Bailout Czar, Not A Fan Of Public Questions

When it came time for questions, the former Goldman Sachs executive told the eager audience that he had time for just "two or three."

In response to the first question, about the government's latest lifeline for beleaguered insurance company American International Group, Kashkari gave a clipped response before quickly moving on.

"This morning's action at AIG was a one-off event" that was necessary for the financial stability of the markets, he said. "He didn't say anything that I couldn't have learned from going to the Web site," griped one mortgage entrepreneur. Treasury spokeswoman Jennifer Zuccarelli said it's not unusual for public officials to answer a few questions before moving on. Kashkari's impatient tone comes amid a growing desire for openness about how government agencies, including the Treasury, are handling billions of taxpayer dollars being used to prop up Wall Street.

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Read up on Neel Kashkari, the former Goldman Sachs exec and current Assistant Secretary of Treasury

Comments

[tomas0808]

The Enron guys are in jail. Why not these guys? Bring back the guillotine!!!!

[Levittown]

These banking giants occasionally put themselves above the Senators. They are like surgeons, sometimes believing they are God-like. When the Congress has the guts to rid the industry of Golden Parachutes and the millions paid out even when losing then the industry will shape up. These guys get millions for doing their jobs.If they do it right that justifies the big bucks. But when they don't and bail, further rewards are not acceptable. Today accountability, responsibility and transparency is more necessary then ever before. When those in charge are careless, reckless or crooked they must be removed.

[suesue707]

Someone needs to tell Mr. CashNCarry that he is not really a real Czar. Where do these a$$holes come from? You think Bush would put someone in charge of the largest payout in history who elicits a little trustworthiness and not disdain of us taxpayers for having the nerve to have a question or 2.

Please put firing this jerk at the top of your list on January 20th, President Obama.

[hillpill]

CashNCurryInAHurry

[raoulhubris]

American Capitalism is the mother of all Pyramid schemes.

[ErnestineBass]

Unfettered capitalism certainly is.

[grizhead63]

This arrogantPrick is in charge of doling out taxpayers money to the Wall StreetBarnums? Please POTUS-Elect Obama, please make this position your first appointment.

[Clare53]

Second.

[Tinsdale]

Thirded

[jotunloki]

How did anyone sign off on this piece of slime?

[billsmile]

Public schmublic, there's money to be stolen....

[TheNoBullExpress]

Pappy Bush used to read nightime stories to all the boys:

Jesse James the Bank Robber was young Juniors favorite

[BigBagel]

Naw, Jessie took money from banks, W gives it to them.

[Swedishgal]

Jesse and Frank also helped old widows. They were modern day Robin Hood's. Good point about Bush and Co giving to the banks. Obama needs to get rid of that a-hole. The nerve! Telling us that 'we;re bailing out a bunch of crooked millionaires but don't you dare ask any questions. Me thinks Congress needs to ask some very hard questions and don't let the SOB's wiggle their way out of answering them.

[Mikeeee]

They fear the questions, because they don't have any answers that make any sense and they know it.

[demofem]

If Kashkari doesn't like answering questions, then he's in the wrong line of work at the wrong time. The Obama campaign has promised transparency, and taxpayers have every right in the world to know what's being done with this bailout money. If Kashkari can't go along with that, then he should just go.

[Axlotl]

Dude, Obama - fire this guy, and Paulson, as soon as you can. They're incompetent, corrupt, or morons, just like every other Bush appointee.

I swear, were they THAT terrified of anyone that knew what they were doing coming along to make them look bad? It seems it....

[grizhead63]

There goes our $700 Billion$$$.

[Rex11]

Umm.. perhaps we should all just have a huge tax protest in 2009. Stop feeding the machine. Then they might not be so hasty about giving out all those bonuses to the A-holes that got us into this mess. Their thinking has been all along - "Thank god we can steal money the people and call it a tax under the guise of legality!"

I say cut off their allowance - they've used up their three strikes. Apparently Melissa Etheridge is doing it. The way she sees it - If she doesn't get the same rights as everybody else (Prop 8), or be treated the same as any other citizen than why should she pay taxes to a system that doesn't recognize her as a full citizen?

Either way it is simply insulting and unacceptable to expect the people of this nation to contribute to such ongoing and criminal shenanagans. Lessons don't get learned if there are no consequences to the mistake.

Cut them off or give us a huge piece of the pie with total transparency... IN WRITING!

[ErnestineBass]

Cripes on a cracker...does anybody STILL believe this "bailout" was necessary?

Hume...? Thunderclap...? Bueller...­Bueller...­?

Geez Louise.

[Barryyes]

How about the 2 trillion dollars the Fed lent from the special window? There is no disclosure here either. What is the best guess for whether we see any of this money again?

[SmootyBooty]

err...hair?

[SmootyBooty]

off with his head...