Gingrich: Bailout Plan ‘Un-American’

Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson certainly has his Democratic detractors, but they aren’t the only ones who have some serious doubts about his controversial $700-billion bailout plan. In an appearance on ABC’s “This Week With George Stephanopolous” on Sunday, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich blasted Paulson’s plan, calling it “un-American” and even opining that Paulson should have resigned.

ABC News’ “Political Radar” blog:

Gingrich even expressed concern with Paulson’s connections to Wall Street.  The treasury secretary served as the chairman of a major global investment banking and securities firm before joining the Bush administration.

“You have the former Chairman of Goldman Sachs asking for 700 billion dollars, and in his initial request, asking for it in such an un-American way that I think he should have resigned,” said Gingrich. “I think Paulson has terminally misunderstood the nature of the American system. Not just no review, no judicial review, no congressional accountability. Give me 700 billion dollars, 700 BILLION dollars! ‘I’ll be glad to spend it for you.’  That’s a centralization of power that is totally un-American.”

Read more

abcnews.go.com

Newt Gingrich, pictured, points to Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson’s background at Goldman Sachs as one source of the problem with Paulson’s perspective on Wall Street’s woes.