It takes one...?

With all the bailouts from the U.S. in the last week or so, I have not seen or heard anyone on TV or radio or print questioning the credential of Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson as the one to lead the rescue and sit as the de facto CEO of the financial market. Before Paulson was appointed Treasury Secretary, he was the CEO of Goldman Sachs. One may be relieved that Goldman is one of the two investment banks that did not fail outright. It is still hard to overlook the fact that he was the head of investment banking, then COO, then CEO of one of the major players that caused this present market crisis. It is under his watch that the instruments that made such a horrific impact in the last few months was created. It is safe to say that if anyone should know the details of these instruments, Paulson is the one. So, even if we were to leave his culpability as the former head of Goldman Sachs out of the question, as the Treasure Secretary he should still understand the risk and the deceptive nature of these practises in the investment banks and acted to control them. For over two years Secretary Paulson did nothing to curtail these dangerous practises; in fact, he encouraged it. Now that the system he helped created crashed and is taking everyone with it, he proposes to have the U.S. government buy up all the bad debts and even the investment banks. This would make Paulson the King of the United Kingdom of investment banks and insurance companies. A promotion indeed. The question though is whether he is the right person for the job. His link to the institutions he is spending a lot of the government's money to save and his part in creating this crisis are serious questions on his qualifications. Should the con who set up the game be the one to save the world after the game almost destroy it? I am no so sure.