Summary The U.S. isn't looking for a bailout and the IMF wouldn't have enough money if it were.
WASHINGTON: International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde travels the world trying to keep the global economy on track. But some of the greatest threats are brewing just blocks from her Washington office and there's little she can do about them.
The IMF has been left largely on the sidelines as Democratic and Republican fights over the federal budget raise the specter of a government default or another recession. The tools that give the IMF leverage in other parts of the world don't work in Washington:
The U.S. isn't looking for a bailout and the IMF wouldn't have enough money if it were. With the United States being the largest IMF shareholder, the fund cannot afford to antagonize lawmakers who must approve the U.S. contribution.
