Saturday, December 20, 2008

Cronyism Run Amok

Some commentators have suggested whether a company receives the beneficence of the Federal bailout or not depends on who they know. Was Lehman Brothers allowed to go under while other investment banks were spared because Lehman had no particular connection to the Bush family? Did the Cerberus ownership stake in Chrysler with its chairman John Snow being Bush's second Secretary of Treasury militate toward the company being saved? Did it help that the chairman of global investments for Cerberus Capital Management, L.P., was the first President Bush's Vice President Dan Quayle? Michael Savage suggested it had everything to do with it on his font of information radio show last night. I can't say with certainty, but close connections to the Bush family sure don't seem to hurt.

No comments: