MTV Inadvertently Airs Geithner and Liddy Drama

The AIG drama is a layered affair. There’s the initial outrage between the American people and the company, of course. But there’s also the more personal drama playing out between many of the officials and executives involved. The galling bonus news has strained ties between Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and AIG CEO Ed Liddy. The bonuses were negotiated in early 2008, so Liddy had plenty of time to tell the government that contracts demanded AIG pay them. Yet Liddy apparently told Geithner only last week. This, for obvious, reasons, made Geithner very upset. All of this sadness, anger, and outrage reminded us of a really cliché fight among young lovers. And, luckily, that’s the kind of programming MTV specializes in. While tending to my shameful habit of watching MTV’s glossy reality shows, I realized that MTV’s The City offers a glimpse into what the Geithner-Liddy conversation must have sounded like. It features Jay and Whitney, a couple whose relationship was already getting rocky. And ... (link)