In a sane political world, Barack Obama's nominee for Treasury Secretary, Timothy Geithner, would be toast by now. I'm trying to remember how many previous nominees for various offices have been bounced from contention for failing to pay Social Security taxes for illegal immigrant help, but it was at least three. And this guy? Well, here's how the lead in the Wall Street Journal puts it:
Timothy Geithner didn't pay Social Security and Medicare taxes for several years while he worked for the International Monetary Fund, and he employed an immigrant housekeeper who briefly lacked proper work papers.
So not only did he have an illegal immigrant as a housekeeper, but he himself forgot to pay taxes, over $25,000 worth (more taxes than some people make in a year). And this guy wants to be Secretary of the Treasury. Aha! Here's the information I was looking for--buried in the last line of the story:
Such issues, however, have derailed other nominations. President Bill Clinton's first and second choices for attorney general both withdrew amid allegations they failed to pay taxes for household help. President George W. Bush's first choice for Labor secretary withdrew after it emerged that she had housed an illegal immigrant.
But never mind. We mustn't allow anything--Geithner, Governor Blagojevich, Roland Burris--to mar The Coronation. It's gonna be a long four years, if we've had two political soap operas so far, and the guy isn't even sworn in yet.
2 comments:
Why would Blago, whose efforts to extort promises in exchange for the Senate seat, impact Obama? The only records of communique between their two camps indicate Obama's folks telling Blago to get bent.
Richardson withdrew. I won't be surprised to see Treasury-boy beat a retreat after the media has their field day.
But seriously? The Coronation? After two terms of blank checks, can we give the guy time to get sworn in before we start impeachment proceedings? I mean, at least hold off 'til he opens a black hole detention facility or something. ;)
Sift through the NY Times, the Washington Post, the LA Times, Time, Newsweek, ABC, NBC, CBS, MSNBC, CNN, and/or CNBC, or the celebrity-worshipping magazines (O, People, Us). Find me a questioning article about the inauguration. You can't do it. $150 million for the event. There's a recession on, where's the guilt, where's the outrage? How many poor people were supposed to be fed or AIDS vaccines paid for with the $40M Bush '04 inauguration?
I'm not talking about impeachment. I just reject, with great vigor, the cult of worshipful personality surrounding a man I did not vote for.
Re: detention center
He just might keep it open. I'll wait and see. He's already continuing Bush's war in Afghanistan (http://uk.reuters.com/article/burningIssues/idUKTRE50D65O20090114).
Re: blank checks
Silly me. The media outlets listed above gave Bush a free pass on every flub, foul-up, and failure. He's been loved by the press, and treated with the great respect due his office.
Post a Comment