Will AIG slap around its obnoxious new CEO?

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Robert Benmosche has been CEO of American International Group (NYSE: AIG) for less than a month, but he's already established a reputation as an arrogant jerk -- which is exactly not what AIG needs at this particular moment in history.

Benmosche drew some sharp criticism for his comment that New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo "doesn't deserve to be in government" and his comment that he will deal with "all those crazies down in Washington."

Those are pretty ambitious comments given that he and every single AIG employee around the globe literally owe their jobs to an unprecedented episode of taxpayer largesse -- brought to you by, at the expense of much well-deserved populist resentment, those "crazies down in Washington."
There are reports that Benmosche received a stern rebuke from his board of directors -- and he even told The Wall Street Journal that ". . . the board doesn't have to tell me that. I've already told it to myself." He admits that his comments were "too aggressive" but says he was trying to show support for employees and voice his willingness to defend them.

But I'm not so sure. The AIG situation is delicate on a multitude of levels -- the company's massive financial problems are exacerbated by political concerns and its role as a majority-owned subsidiary of the United States government.

If he can't serve as CEO for a month without saying a whole slew of stupid, ill-advised things, don't you have to reconsider whether he's the right guy for the job?

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Last updated: February 10, 2010: 04:05 AM

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