NYT: Chief of Staff Bolten Is Expected to Shake Up 2 Key Teams

[DeepModem Mom]

Chief of Staff Is Expected to Shake Up 2 Key Teams
By ELISABETH BUMILLER
Published: March 30, 2006

WASHINGTON, March 29 — Joshua B. Bolten, the incoming White House chief of staff, is expected to press President Bush to assemble new economic and Congressional relations teams and overhaul the management of the West Wing, Republicans close to the White House said Wednesday.

A prominent Republican in Washington who consults often with the White House said Mr. Bolten, who is to assume his duties next month, wants Mr. Bush to replace the Treasury secretary, John W. Snow, with someone who can more forcefully communicate the administration's message that the economy is strong. This Republican was granted anonymity to discuss private deliberations within the administration....

***

Names circulating in Republican circles as possible candidates for the Treasury post included Henry M. Paulson Jr., the chief executive of Goldman Sachs; John J. Mack, the chief executive of Morgan Stanley; and Richard D. Parsons, the chairman of Time Warner.

It was unclear if any of the three would consider taking the job. Their names surfaced immediately after Mr. Bolten's appointment because Mr. Bolten, who once worked for Goldman Sachs, is friendly with Mr. Paulson and Mr. Mack. Karl Rove, the president's chief political adviser, is said to think highly of Mr. Parsons, who has worked with the White House on several issues, including its efforts to overhaul Social Security....

***

Republicans said Mr. Bush had not ruled out bringing in an experienced Washington hand to help calm Congressional Republicans who have complained with increasing boldness and exasperation that the White House staff is exhausted and adrift. While Mr. Bolten's appointment was generally well received by the party, many Republicans said on Wednesday that the staff changes did not go far enough....

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/30/politics/30bush.html

[Rex]

1. He wants a better Yes Man!

A better, brown nosing, ass kisser!

[WhiteTara]

2. I can't think of a worse nightmare scenario

than a wall street crook set up as the head of our treasury. We are doomed.

[niyad]

3. the economy is strong? that's why there are 13 empty storefronts in just

3 blocks here in my neighborhood? why houses are on the market for months? why the unemployment rate is high, the wage scale sucks, and all of the high-tech jobs were outsourced to india.

BS BS BSBS . . . . . . . . . . .

[0007]

18. I beg your pardon. The economy must be strong I've seen

many homeless sleeping in new refrigerator cartons lately.

[ozymandius]

4. replace Snowjob?

But - Jeebus - he's doing such a great job wearing that lipstick, rainbow wig and kneepads.

I doubt they will find someone who can whore fiscal self-destruction with such gusto.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

5. Right. The problem is the TREASURY department. n/t

[salin]

6. Proof that things will only get worse...

once again the problem, as diagnosed by bushco, isn't the policies - it is having a "forceful" enough saleman to pitch the policies.

Everything with these folks is about the belief in manipulation of public opinion - and NONE of it is about good public policy.

[ninkasi]

7. That's the truth...

They never stop to evaluate whether the policies themselves are at fault, they just try to repackage bad policies with a bigger, shinier bow, and hope the public will be deceived.

[salin]

8. Just look at the bang-up job Karen Hughes is doing

for the US image abroad :sarcasm: These dogs need to learn some new tricks.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

9. So, they want a better liar about the economy. Great. Just great.

[salin]

10. What is kinda interesting is *where* they are mining for a better

liar.

Given how a hallmark of this admin has been to do anything to avoid following any appearance of similarity to the Clinton admin... Bolten is pushing to look for a head or high up in the NY investment community... sound familiar? That sorta makes me chuckle... if they go that way - I hope that we are ready/poised to ridicule - not just on the yes-man they desire but on the Clinton Mystique of the move (that will drive rwingers nuts.)

[DeepModem Mom]

12. Yep. Bob Rubin, formerly of Goldman, Sachs, did a good job...

for Bill Clinton. There are actually quite a few powerful Dems at that firm, but Hank Paulson, of course, is not one of them.

[Dulcinea]

16. Anyone considering this job should read "The Price of Loyalty."

Paul O'Neill's book about his tenure as Treasury Secretary.

A very good read, I might add, from a lifelong Repub who came to despise the Bushistas.

[tanyev]

11. "Those deck chairs would look better over there, don'tcha' think?"

"Oh, yes, that's fabulous--AAAAGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!"

[salin]

13. that about does it...

There has been scuttlebutt for more than a year that the admin wanted to Dump Snow - but couldn't find anyone of stature who would be willing to take the job (ala folks in the finance world learned from the first jr Treas. Sec. that the admin wants NO advice and will do as they please, and given that - no one of stature wants to be tainted with this admin's disasterous fiscal policies and their legacy.)

[Supersedeas]

23. odd that deck chair has a golden parachute tied to it...and so does that

one...

[bemildred]

14. That's what we need, a new org chart. nt

[coalition_unwilling]

19. Yes, I'm sure Power Point and Visio will make everything bettter. nt

[bemildred]

20. They really help you think better, don't they?

:rofl::rofl:

[coalition_unwilling]

21. I'm not sure how to get the sarcasm icons into subject headers, but

I have this vision, based on some of the Repuke honchos I've encountered in the business world, of them running their Power Point presentations with embedded Visio flow-charts showing that victory in Iraq is right around the corner.

[zann725]

15. Is THIS "Bolton" related at all to moustache-laden U.N. "Bolton"?

I ask because this Admin. notoriously appoints only those "close" and well-known/trusted by its "core" members. Has anyone even raised the question on last name similarity?

[DeepModem Mom]

22. I think they have different spellings. This guy is Bolten...

and the mustache at the U.N. is Bolton. Undoubtedly related philosophically, however.

[Brooklyn Michael]

17. Shorter Bolton:

"People don't see the economy as being strong, so we need someone to yell about it louder...

...and the Congressional Relations team needs some new ideas, as we currently have NO relations with Congress. They do their thing, we do our thing and ignore them."