If Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner is using T-Mobile for cell phone service, Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein has to be number one on his Fave Five list. WSJ filed a Freedom of Information request to get data on who Geithner has been talking to.
Among officials at the financial firms, the individual with whom Geithner has spoken most frequently, since becoming Treasury Secreatry, is Blankfein, who has either called or met with Geithner more than 15 times, between January and July.
He has also spoken frequently with Richard Parsons, Citigroup's chairman, and Vikram Pandit, Citigroup's CEO. Another frequent name on the list is BlackRock CEO Lawrence Fink, who is listed 15 times on Geithner's calendar, according to WSJ.
Geithner disses Bank of America. He's spoken just a few times with Bank of America officials, including outgoing CEO Kenneth Lewis and Chairman Walter Massey, reports WSJ.
It makes some sense from a different perspective. Fed poured in the money lat year, the money tree grew up and is richly decorated with, well, money. It's time to pick the fruits for those who run the show. Here they are in September/October, baskets ready, waiting. "Benny, what gives? Give it a kick in the trunk."
ReplyDeleteWouldn't it be interesting to get gold for $500 (oil for $35, etc.) after one bought a river of dollars at last year's rate? But the dollar is rotten, so time is short. It needs a kick, now.
Did Tim use his contacts to help Blankfein get a Congressional earmark?
ReplyDelete"A mining company owned by Goldman Sachs and two private equity funds is in line to get a $3 million earmark for work at a rare earth elements mine in Mountain Pass, Calif. — raising questions as to why Congress would take on some of the risk for a bailed-out investment giant that’s already making a profit."
http://www.businessinsider.com/why-is-goldman-sachs-getting-congressional-earmarks-2009-10