Self-appointed sophisticates among Washington's chattering
class have been mercilessly sniping at secretary of the US Treasury
Paul O'Neill for his alleged gaffes since the Bush administration
took office. They ignore one key aspect: his well-deserved
reputation for getting results.
O'Neill, after all, spent 23 years coming out on top in the
dog-eat-dog world of American business: first as vice-president and
president of International Paper, and then as chairman of Alcoa.
And already he has added a feather to his cap since arriving in
Washington by spearheading the president's push to move a tax cut
through Congress. The result: new legislation signed into law
months ahead of schedule. That was no mean feat for an
administration that supposedly lacked a mandate.
Today, O'Neill is the point man for the World Bank's largest
shareholder. And the Bank, to his mind, hasn't been performing as
well as it should. "The World Bank...
