Jim Gilmore on Corporations Senate challenger 2008; previously Republican Governor (VA)

Washington “asleep at the switch” at financial oversight

Gilmore said the situation stems from companies allowing too much borrowing against too little assets. “We simply have to have more oversight right now to make sure that people understand that they can’t operate their businesses that way against the public interest,” he said.

Warner faulted Washington and Wall Street for being “asleep at the switch.” He said the country should look at Britain’s use of a single financial regulator as a possible model to fix the current crisis. “If there was ever a time to send somebody to Washington that can read a balance sheet... it’s now,” Warner said.