• Posted on Monday, October 8, 2007
  • Bookmark and Share
  • email
  • |
  • print
  • |
  • rss

tool name

close
tool goes here

A Q & A with Henry Paulson

Sign up for email newsletters now!

Sign up for email newsletters now!

 Never miss a McClatchy story
Follow us on Twitter
Follow us on Facebook

More on this Story

Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson.

Chuck Kennedy / MCT

Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson. | View larger image

Comments (0)
By Kevin G. Hall | McClatchy Newspapers

Excerpts from an interview with Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson:

Q: What’s been unexpected? A: “The thing that’s surprised me about my job is I’ve thought about my role in preserving the safety and soundness of the financial system, and that’s very important, but in today’s world there’s the third element of the security of the financial system … the Treasury secretary has a very important role to play in that regard, both in this country and around the world.”

Q: What’s been most satisfying? A: I had a first-rate team of people working with me at Goldman Sachs, and I have a first-rate team (at Treasury). I would say that was my biggest trepidation … because I didn’t have a clear picture of the team I would be working with at Treasury.

Q: How do you explain today’s stock market? A: Markets go up and markets go down. I look to the economy and I believe we have a healthy economy, but I continue to believe that that the housing downturn and the credit-market turbulence are going to extract a penalty to growth going forward.

Q: Do you talk with Bob Rubin, a former Goldman Sachs CEO and former Treasury secretary? A: I’ve talked with Bob extensively before coming down here, and I still go to him for advice, and he’s been very helpful in terms of advice. The one thing he said to me, which I think I have taken (to heart) is, 'Don’t personalize anything.'”

McClatchy Newspapers 2007
JOIN THE DISCUSSION

We welcome comments. Please keep them civil, short and to the point. Obscene, profane, abusive and off topic comments will be deleted. Repeat offenders will be blocked. Thanks for taking part — and abiding by these simple rules.

Comments are displayed newest first. If you would like to read a thread from beginning to end, select "Oldest first" from the drop down menu.

ECONOMY IN TURMOIL

economy in turmoil

Read McClatchy coverage of the economic pain Americans around the country are feeling, from Florida to California to Alaska.

ECONOMY QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

hall & pugh

McClatchy correspondents Kevin G. Hall (left) and Tony Pugh are available to answer your questions about the economic meltdown at home and abroad, and what's in store for ordinary Americans.

Q&A: THE HOUSING CRISIS

Mark Zandi, the chief economist for Moody's Economy.com, is took questions from McClatchy readers about the nation's deep housing crisis. His book, "Financial Shock," offers a 360-degree look at what caused the crisis, what mistakes were made and who made them. It offers a way forward to prevent future crises.

Q&A: TERMINAL CHAOS

U.S. air travel these days is about as fun as a trip to the dentist. Departure delays are rampant, bags often miss the flight you've caught and rising jet fuel prices have major airlines charging to check a bag. In his new book "Terminal Chaos," George Donohue, a professor and former high-level Federal Aviation Administration official, explains why our system of air travel is broken and what can be done to fix it. Read the responses.

Q&A: THE THREE TRILLION DOLLAR WAR

For two weeks, Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz and Harvard professor Linda Bilmes, authors of "The Three Trillion Dollar War," fielded questions about the cost of the Iraq war and its impact on the U.S. economy. They're not taking new questions, but they're still posting answers to ones they've already received. Read their responses.