So Treasury Secretary-Designate Timothy Geithner failed to pay his taxes until the Obama vetting team discovered the “honest mistake.” And he, also “mistakenly,” illegally employed an illegal immigrant worker. There are only two possible explanations, both of which should disqualify him. Either he is a criminal or he’s not as bright as he has been portrayed. Personally, I think he’s plenty bright.
What is disturbing about this is that it comes while we are in the midst of a financial and economic crisis which is largely the creation of people who we were led to believe were brilliant and eminently qualified. People like former Fed Chairman Alan “Cheap money” Greenspan and Barney “roll the dice” Frank.
We hear a lot about peoples’ confidence in the free market being undermined by the current crises. But it is our confidence in Washington that needs reconsideration. These people are not gods. They are fallible humans, often ideologically driven and not always the brightest bulbs in the chandelier.
Whatever faith we might have had that the people pulling the levers were competent and reliable has been seriously shaken. Mr. Geithner probably will be confirmed notwithstanding his legal lapses. And he may very qualified in terms of intelligence and experience. We’ve paid a high tuition to learn that what we need to pay is more attention.
6 comments:
Please stop your fascist tirades. You sound like a crotchety old man. You offer no real suggestions, thoughtful insight or even critical analyses of the subjects you choose to harp on. If you insist on polluting the public domain with your hate filled rhetoric, please include, at the very least, some constructive advice. Your cynical attitude reeks of immaturity and is typical of the "red right". If you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all.
I disagree with your assesment of this blog. Red, Right, and Lou's views and insights might not be in line with the mainstream media but I am surprised to see them described as fascist and hate filled. I think he uses humor and quotes from a number various sources to make his arguement.
You might also want to take your own advice of "if you have nothing nice to say to not say it all." If you don't like Lou's opinion you have the option not to read it. Just like I'll ignore any future posts you add to this blog.
I have a question for Anonymous #1: If these blog posts were directed in the same tone and manner toward the right, would they still be considered "polluting" and "hate-filled"? Is it just when people disagree with your opinions that they are fascist tirades? I've put up with years of Bush Bashing--nothing on any level that you would read on this blog. Please tell me your attitiudes on being nice are distributed fairly across the political spectrum. Otherwise your comment can only be considered immature. Beyond that, I don't think you see the hypocrisy in your own words. I do think the point about adding some constructive advice is a good one.-
Facist - no.
Counter productive - yes.
Homourous - perhpas
Spiteful? probably.
Anon #1. Thanks for your less than helpful post. Here are a few quotes from Senator's examining Geithner's nomination...
AGAINST nomination...
Enzi, the Senate’s only accountant, announced his opposition to Geithner by asking, “How do I explain to my constituents that I voted to confirm someone who will make them pay taxes, but sometimes does not pay his own taxes?”
FOR nomination...
Republican Senator Orrin Hatch, once considered a conservative, said he would vote for Geithner because his tax cheating was nothing more than a series of “honest mistakes.”
Let's assume that Geithner's tax cheating is an "honest mistake". Even so, why would anyone want this guy running the IRS? I guess out of 300+ million Americans we can't do any better than at best a moron who can't do his taxes or a two-bit tax cheat.
I for one am so glad that with those qualifications maybe we can hire a Gitmo detainee to run the Treasury department.
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