Busy Bair
Few people are busier these days than FDIC Chairwoman Sheila Bair, as she works to try to stem the financial crisis. And she’s not afraid to talk about it.
In addressing the National Association for Business Economics annual meeting on Monday, she deviated from her prepared text only once, when she said she heard the attendees had to work on weekends. “Welcome to D.C., we work weekends,” she informed the crowd in all seriousness. “And breakfasts, lunches and dinners.”
We don’t doubt it. But Bair, whom Forbes called the second most powerful woman in the world, is also too busy to talk to the press these days. During the question and answer segment, she refused to take any questions from the media, even telling one questioner, who happened to be a reporter, that she wouldn’t answer him.
Once she finished and was already halfway out the door, the moderator thanked her for keeping her agreement to speak, made months ago, despite all that had been going on.
