- Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Adds GM to Holdings
- Lunch With Warren Buffett: $2 Million-Plus?
- Warren Buffett: Lady Di Called Bill Clinton 'Sexiest Man Alive'
- CNBC Transcript: Warren Buffett on Squawk Box
- Warren Buffett: We're Buying Two US Stocks
- Warren Buffett to CNBC: Mark Zuckerberg Right to Keep Tight Control Over Facebook
- Warren Buffett: Apple and Google Too Risky For Me
- Warren Buffett Reassures Shareholders on Cancer and Succession
- Warren Buffett Recently Considered $22 Billion Acquisition
- Warren Buffett 'Very Comfortable' With Berkshire Stock Buybacks
RSS FEED
MOST SHARED
- How Nasdaq Lost Control of Facebook IPO, by the Minute
- Marc Faber: 100% Chance of Global Recession
- Fresh Fears as EU Finalises Reform Plans
- Spain's Bankia Eyes Stake Sales After Record Bailout
- What College Tuition Will Look Like in 18 Years
- Don't Fall for Cheap, Debt-Laden US Stocks: Expert
- Don’t Trust Buybacks
- Facebook: The Song — Yes, We're Serious
- A New Look at the ‘New Poor’
- Six Pack: Beer Buzz of the Week
- Greek Exit Could Trigger 50% Fall in Euro Stocks: Analyst
- Under Pressure, FHA Skews to Wealthier Home Buyers
- Big Stock Upside for Hudson City Deal: Analyst
- 5 High-Yield Stocks Ready to Boost Dividends
- Yoshikami: Four Things You Need to Know About Gold Now
- Steinbock: The Euro Zone Endgame Begins
- Option Bulls Take Another Shot on Idenix
- Week Ahead: Europe Has Wall Street Bull on Short Leash
- Citigroup Lost $20 Million on Facebook IPO Trades
- JPMorgan to Shake Up Risk Team After Big Loss: Report
- EU Finalizes Bank Reforms; Shifts Burden to Bondholders
- Spain's Bankia Eyes Stake Sales After Record Bailout
- EU Set to Launch Action Against China Over Telecom Aid
- Marc Faber: Chance of Global Recession Is Now 100%
- Cool Jobs: From Gold Stacker to Bed Tester
- 'Flash Sale' Sites: Gimmick, or Online Shopping Future?
Warren Buffett Watch
Text Size 
Why Mr. Buffett Won't Be Going to Washington
 |
NBC's Tom Brokaw asked the two presidential candidates who they might have in mind to take on the "greatly expanded" powers of the Treasury Secretary, on the assumption Henry Paulson won't stay in the post.
McCain replied that it has to be someone Americans would immediately trust. "A supporter of Senator Obama's is Warren Buffett. He's already weighed in and helped stabilize some of the difficulties in the markets and with companies and corporations, institutions, today." McCain went on to mention former eBay CEO Meg Whitman as another possibility.
Obama's polite response: "Warren would be a pretty good choice, Warren Buffett, and I'm pleased to have his support. But there are other folks out there."
Back on September 24, Buffett told the Squawk Box team that if he was in the White House come January, he would ask Hank Paulson to keep the job for another year. That led Carl Quintanilla to ask if Buffett would be willing to "do something on the public side?"
Buffett didn't jump at the idea, but did graciously say that "if anybody wants my opinion," he'd be happy to "help them out."
McCain has mentioned Buffett's name before as a candidate for Treasury, and it didn't really make sense then, much less now.
It would be difficult to find any Buffett-watcher who thinks he would be willing to leave Omaha and the job he loves and does so well, making billions with Berkshire Hathaway, to dive into the political mud-fights of Washington.
The idea that someone who likes to make decisions and take action quickly would be willing spend his days negotiating, fighting, and compromising, with slow-moving politicians and bureaucrats is simply inconceivable.
McCain may be trying to show his bipartisanship by associating himself with Buffett's sterling reputation for honesty and common sense, but he's got to know that even if he gets the White House job next month, Buffett won't be accepting any full-time employment offers.
Current Berkshire stock prices:
Class A: [US;BRK.A
Loading...
()
]
Class B: [US;BRK.B
Loading...
()
]
Questions? Comments? Email me at
Data is a real-time snapshot *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes
