Phil Gramm for Sec. Treasury?!

Bush admin profiteering to be expanded to home turf...

[excerpt of dKos diary linked at bottom]

Ft. Worth Star Telegram

WASHINGTON - Two years ago today, Sen. Phil Gramm resigned from his seat, and the Texas Republican vowed to concentrate his energies on a new career as an
investment banker.

But the siren call of political service may be luring Gramm back. Washington sources, former staff members and several published reports mention Gramm's name for a job many say he was born to fill: Treasury secretary.

Gramm, 62, who is a managing director of UBS Investment Bank in New York, did not respond to a request for an interview. "We don't comment on rumors," said Susan Austin, UBS spokeswoman.

Nonetheless, there were unmistakable signs that a trial balloon is being floated with Gramm's name.

A report Sunday by conservative syndicated columnist Robert Novak was headlined: "Gramm looks good for Treasury." And a Washington Post story Monday on the revamping of President Bush's economic team mentioned Gramm as one of several possible replacements for Treasury Secretary John Snow, who still has the job but is expected to leave early in Bush's second term.

http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/nation/10302418.htm

Phil Gramm was one of my senators for 16 years (if memory serves, he was elected in a special election in '84) and one of the things he harped on so much was the importance of "small business" and he always liked to point out that "big government" was the bain of America's existence. Now, I'm not here to debate either of those, oh no. I'd just like to point out the hypocrisy of a man who, at the age of 60 upon leaving the Senate, to my knowledge had never held a private sector job. Philsie went from his post-graduate work to the faculty at A&M, eventually taught here and ran for Congress as a Democrat and switched parties when he couldn't get re-elected as a Democrat. (good riddance, by the way)...

kineticdissent's dKos Diary

...just wait 'til they privatize your Social Security!