Wright, Ayers, Rezko, Clinton, Richardson.... and now, Treasury Secretary Designate Tim Geithner.
Tim's problem? Seems he didn't pay a whole lot of taxes while he was working for the International Monetary Fund... and he hired an illegal alien housekeeper... shades of Zoe Baird and Kimba Wood.
These issues go to fundamental competency indicators and Mr. Obama is lacking in this regard.
Between this type of involvement and picking Leon Panetta to run the CIA, I'm not all that confident to begin with, but it's this type of nonsense that makes me lean towards fear for the safety and security of our country.
Mr. Obama has GOT to do better than this.
Geithner's Past Tax Problems Delay Confirmation Hearing
By JONATHAN WEISMAN
WASHINGTON -- 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.
President-elect Barack Obama's pick for Treasury secretary, Timothy Geithner, left, employed an immigrant housekeeper with expired work papers.
Those issues, and a series of other tax matters, caused the postponement Tuesday of Mr. Geithner's confirmation hearing as Treasury secretary. They were instead the subject of a closed-door meeting between the nominee, currently president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and members of the Senate Finance Committee, in whose hands his confirmation lies.
Several senators said after the meeting that they intended to remain supporters of Mr. Geithner, who has playing a central role in tackling the financial crisis. Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus (D., Mont.) called the issue serious, but not disqualifying.
"I still support him," said Sen. Orrin Hatch (R., Utah) as he emerged from the meeting. "He's a very competent guy."
Sen. Charles E. Grassley of Iowa, the committee's senior Republican, did not give Mr. Geithner a pass. "It's serious, and whether or not it's disqualifying is to be determined," Mr. Grassley said after the meeting. Similar issues have derailed other candidates for high office in the past.
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Obama aides said they didn't think these issues would present a problem, given what they characterized as the minor nature of the infractions and the gravity of the role Mr. Geithner has been nominated to take. Mr. Geithner's "service should not be tarnished by honest mistakes, which, upon learning of them, he quickly addressed," Obama press secretary Robert Gibbs said in a statement.
Senate aides said a new hearing, which promises to be contentious, has been scheduled for Friday.
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