Axelrod Denies Losing Internal Battle To Geithner Over Bailout

[babylonsister]

http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/economy/axelrod-denies-losing-internal-battle-to-geithner-over-bailout/

Axelrod Denies Losing Internal Battle To Geithner Over Bailout


Did top Obama adviser David Axelrod lose an internal battle to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner over the latter’s desire to make the new bailout plan less tough on financial institutions and on soaring executive salaries, as The New York Times reported this morning?

No, Axelrod insists. He’s denying the story and adamantly defending himself. “It’s a dry hole as a story,” Axelrod said in an interview. “It was way overplayed.”

The Times story about the internal battle has been one of the key stories of the day — it was the first report of serious infighting to leak to the press and raised questions as to who inside the administration is wielding the real power over economic policy, and in whose interests. It suggested Geithner had prevailed over Axelrod and others to make the new plan much friendlier to Wall Street and soften the plan’s populist edge at a time of public outrage about the crisis.

Axelrod insists he has no quarrel with Geithner. “The plan that Tim came up with, I’m totally comfortable with it,” said Axelrod. “There was no confrontation. There was nothing like that. There was no tug of war. Like with so many other issues, there were discussions.”

Pressed on whether the “discussions” divided along the lines articulated in the story, Axelrod said they didn’t. “I never had that sense,” said Axelrod, who noted that he was sitting next to White House press sec Robert Gibbs while he spoke. “I always felt like I was working with Tim. What he came up with was meaningful and important. We all embrace it.”

[EraOfResponsibility]

1. god damn the media

I can't take much more of this shit.

[FrenchieCat]

2. Wasn't that another one of those planted story

that was posted here last night,
and as one might have guessed,
had some DUers jumping into the pile for a dry hump?

[babylonsister]

3. I don't know, but it tells me to be wary of believing anything

from anyone other than the horse's mouth. I thought the speculation was over; guess not.

[backscatter712]

4. Seems that half the stories coming out of the MSM these days are bullshit.

And yes, the media right-wingers are not below tossing this sort of gossip on the news wire and pawning it off as news in their campaign to undermine the Obama administration.

[Cha]

5. CMWhores strike

again. They make up shit as they go along.

[firedupdem]

6. Same as the story about Lugar, I was thinking the guy was a

jerk until other DU'ers pointed out that he was not a horrible guy. Then we find out the man is with Kerry working in DC. Even Rachel reported this supposed snub. I don't believe shit anymore unless I hear it straight from the horses mouth.

[amborin]

7. you can only hope he lost....with something as serious as the liquidity crisis, one would

hope that a campaign manager would not be calling any shots....it's above his pay grade, for starters

this stuff is deadly serious....

of course, it's all such a mess, that Axelrod's remedies might be as good as yours or mine

[babylonsister]

8. Not mine. I bow to smarter people than myself. nt

[Truth2Tell]

9. Frankly I hope the story is true

and that Axelrod is "downplaying" the dispute because he is very good soldier.

It would be nice to believe that someone with Obama's ear is pushing a populist agenda, even if they lose a few.