Politico writes another right-wing hit piece (this time about Geithner)

[blueclown]

Treasury island: Geithner's lost crew

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0309/19723.html

If President Barack Obama wants to boost confidence in his economic recovery plan, he’s going to have to assure the markets that there isn’t just one guy working on it.

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner is trying to stabilize the nation’s banking industry, implement a housing rescue plan and prop up a plunging stock market – all with about 18 vacant senior positions, virtually the entire upper echelon of his department.

The staff is so faceless that lobbyists have begun trading jokes about a “ghost” bureaucracy, given the many empty picture frames hanging on the department’s walls.

Administration officials told POLITICO they will soon submit to the Senate a slate of candidates for the posts, including replacements for two who bowed out Thursday, one of whom was Geithner’s pick for his top deputy.

Most of the people who have been tapped to fill the top positions are already working in the building; they just don’t have their titles, their offices and their portraits yet.

But without those particulars, Geithner’s quiet colleagues can’t publicly represent the administration, robbing Obama of the opportunity to work multiple media outlets to pitch the program or to flood Capitol Hill with a show of force – and action – that could impress lawmakers, investors and the public.

Those added advocates also might help deflect attention from the often wooden performances often offered by Geithner, which have not gone over well on Capitol Hill and Wall Street.

“The fundamental, major problem for Tim Geithner is that there aren’t a couple of people under him who can help pick up the slack and talk to people in the markets and international folks,” said Peter Madigan, a former deputy assistant secretary for legislative affairs at Treasury during the Reagan Administration.

Politico has really turned into a rag... they had a bit of integrity when they first started, but now they are no better than the Post...

[Rosa Luxemburg]

1. Doubting Thomas's

they will be proved wrong!

[Median Democrat]

2. This One Is True - Geithner Has No Help - Volckner Noted This Too

People want to characterize Geithner as incompetent, but the real truth is that he has too much on his plate without any help thanks to vetting issues.