Financial Crisis Inquiry Commissioner Byron Georgiou, to former Bear Stearns CEO Jimmy Cayne just now: In William Cohan’s House of Cards, you are quoted saying some unfavorable things about Secretary Geithner. Do you recall?
Jimmy Cayne: I said some unfavorable things about Secretary Geithner?
Byron Georgiou: In the book, yes.
Jimmy Cayne: I don’t recall … I didn’t read the book, you understand.
Byron Georgiou: You didn’t read the book? [Shuffles papers, then, unbelievably, moves on, without taking the awesome and probably never-again-to-be-had opportunity to make history by reading one of Cayne’s decidedly “unfavorable” quotes about Tim Geithner to his face on national television, such as the following one.]
“The audacity of that prick in front of the American people announcing he was deciding whether or not a firm of this stature and this whatever was good enough to get a loan,” he said. “Like he was the determining factor, and it’s like a flea on his back, floating down underneath the Golden Gate Bridge, getting a hard on, saying, “Raise the bridge.” This guy thinks he’s got a big dick. He’s got nothing, except maybe a boyfriend. I’m not a good enemy. I’m a very bad enemy. But certain things really—that bothered me plenty. It’s just that for some clerk to make a decision based on what, your own personal feeling about whether or not they’re a good credit? Who the fuck asked you? You’re not an elected officer. You’re a clerk. Believe me, you’re a clerk. I want to open up on this fucker, that’s all I can tell you.”—
Georgiou, you are supposed to be representing the American People here! Get it TOGETHER.
