Richard Darman - Definition and Overview

Richard (Dick) Gordon Darman was born May 10, 1943. He served as Director of the Office of Management and Budget for the first Bush administration from 1989 to 1993. Darman was regarded as provocative and intelligent by Washington insiders. He is criticized by some economists for being too focused on the budget deficit and is sometimes blamed for convincing Bush (41) to renege on his promise of Read my lips: No new taxes, which is widely believed to have contributed to Bush's defeat in the election of 1992.

Prior to serving as Director of the Office of Management and Budget, Darman held other governmental positions, including: Assistant to the President of the United States (1981-85); Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Treasury (1985-87); and Assistant U.S. Secretary of Commerce (1976-77).

Darman graduated from Harvard College in 1964 and from the Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration in 1967.

Since May 1, 2003, Darman has been Chairman of the Board of AES Corporation, an electric utility company.

Darman is also a Senior Advisor affiliated with the Carlyle Group.

Some sources suggest that Darman is also a member of the Trilateral Commission.

Books

• Who's in Control? Polar Politics and the Sensible Center (1996; ISBN 0684811235)