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“Confidence Men” author Ron Suskind gives an inside look into the Administration and Obama’s style of leadership.
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Promise ability to -- has come into question since before He won the election.
Even though that in his inner circle of says things like -- home alone.
There's no we don't charge to describe the Obama White House now a new book takes us behind the scenes of the Obama presidency.
During one of the worst financial crises in our nation's history.
Joining us now Ron -- kinda -- to prizewinning author.
And his latest book look at the cover here confidence men Wall Street Washington in the education of -- president Ron welcome to the show.
I'm dead in the center of your book enjoying every page it's really a great read and if you want insight.
Into that White House and how work the book is a great.
Guide really.
I would ask you.
Just to describe to me what you see as the president's leadership style how fifteen make decisions.
He -- Jerry with with real well lack of experience He had only managed its own one and narrated these steps.
As president -- the most complex managerial organism on the planet and ultimately what you find is him struggling at the beginning.
The book shows and page after page that He tries to step up the kind of be Roosevelt in that first month or two after all it is 75% approval rating millions of people.
Two million people on them -- rather.
You know -- crying on the mall.
Weeping and Schering.
And and what you find is that Obama.
Wants to take down the big bags He says like this is what we need and Democrats or Republicans were actually supportive of that.
You know too big to fail banks are creating fear -- we're -- have another Lehman style disaster I want to solve that -- gets blocked by his key advisors He He.
He essentially gets gained by his own people in these early days it's hard to read it was hard to report.
But it's Obama not sure of himself He gets the wind knocked out of -- -- And ultimately what you find over the coming year the key here all the way into 2010.
When very little happening he's not sure to I want more stimulus -- I wanna be a deficit hawk.
He can't decide.
-- -- decision I think cripple them I think what's so interesting because we paid so much in the media.
Certainly in business media we paid incredible attention to what happened with the banks.
The president wanted to take Citigroup part break it into pieces He never got to do it because He was outmaneuvered by Tim Geithner.
How does that happen when the president gets outvoted by the secretary of the treasury.
But these are expert advise whether it's economics or national security they do advise president they often don't agree but.
When the president makes a decision they're supposed to line up to execute that didn't happen time and again with -- presidency.
In 2000 antennae starts getting memos from the chief of staff for -- chief of -- name Pete -- saying you're getting gained by your own people you need to step up.
Assert accountability take ownership of your White House and ultimately that whole team is out the door except Tim Geithner.
And one question if we're asking now is house Geithner managed to survive.
Well -- and He apparently.
Really likes Tim Geithner says somehow.
-- it was able to resuscitate himself inside the White House you also don't have kind words.
Four Larry Summers -- I mean he's a very controversial figure.
As says some very not nice things about women in particular.
And He seems like a heavyweight not White House and somebody not afraid to throw its weight around.
Well you know He was -- the president was warned about hiring Larry from the start I mean my god you know just Stalin would have trouble managing Larry Summers and ultimately -- Ultimately Larry is I think too much for the president to manage Summers creates a kind of Larry Summers debates aside as say the president thinks is gonna oversee it he's just another guy at the table.
Openly though Summers.
First do no harm principles just like Tim Geithner ends up being mostly a formula for inaction.
A rather -- the action that the president.
Well.
Wanted to embrace but didn't what he's president he's the last word.
Threat ultimately the president says in the last interview with measles like I'm now the president I need to be at the time apparel I've grown into this job the question is is that true or not what state.
Well another thing I found interesting is that.
And the way these guys in her -- you really get a bird's eye view of these very important meetings that -- debating society hobby.
