February 15, 2008
GAO's Walker To Head Blackstone Think Tank
Comptroller General David Walker, who has made warning the nation about the gravity of the nation’s fiscal problems a central focus of his decade-long tenure at the Government Accountability Office, is leaving within the month. He will take a position at the helm of a brand new public policy think tank, underwritten by Wall Street billionaire and longtime budget hawk Pete Peterson.
Peterson, who walked off with nearly $2 billion when the Blackstone Group -- which he founded -- went public last year, is planning to spend at least half of it on the venture. In addition to focusing on trade and budget deficits, the think tank may also turn its attention to other national vulnerabilities, such as U.S. dependence on foreign energy sources and the problem of nuclear weapon stockpiles.
-Julie Kosterlitz, National Journal
