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Democratic White House hopeful Barack Obama and his Republican rival John McCain Tuesday agreed that one of the world's richest men, Warren Buffett, would make a good treasury secretary.
The two were asked at the beginning of their second presidential debate who would be a good replacement for current Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson who is standing down at the end of the current administration.
"I think the first criteria, would have to be somebody who immediately Americans identify with. Immediately say we can trust that individual," said McCain.
Buffett, chief of the Berkshire Hathaway holding company, has supported Obama in the race for the White House.
But McCain praised Buffett's contribution to the economic crisis, which has plunged the global stock markets into turmoil.
"He's already weighed in and helped stabilize some of the difficulties in markets and with companies in corporations, institutions today," McCain said, while adding that he also thought highly of Meg Whitman, an ex-CEO of eBay.
"She knows what it's like to be out there in the marketplace. She knows how to create jobs. Meg Whitman was the CEO of a company that started with 12 people and is now 1.3 million people in America make their living off eBay."
Obama also said he thought Buffett would be a good pick to steer the country's economy in such troubled times.
"Warren would be a pretty good choice. I am pleased to have his support," Obama told the town-hall style debate at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee.
"But there are other folks out there. The key is making sure that the next treasury secretary understands that it is not enough just to help those at the top.
"Prosperity is not just going to trickle down. We have got to help the middle-class."
Dubbed the "Oracle of Ohama" after his Nebraska hometown, Buffett is noted for his belief in investing and for his personal frugality despite his immense wealth. In the past he has said he believed the financial markets should be more tightly regulated.
According to the Forbes annual billionaire's list published in March, Buffett saw his wealth jump from 52 billion dollars last year to 62 billion, pushing Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates out of first place.
But amid the financial crisis, Forbes said Buffett has since slipped back to second place.
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