Will Grassroots stop Geithner nomination?

The Washington Post Online Commentary ^ | Chris Cillizza

[Joe27]

The Geithner Dilemma Last week, revelations came that Tim Geithner, President-elect Obama's appointee to become treasury secretary, had not paid Social Security or Medicare taxes for years and consequently owed $43,000 in back taxes. In the aftermath of the news, Geithner's Senate confirmation hearing was postponed, and he huddled with Senate leaders last week to explain his actions. After a delay of less than a week, the Senate Finance Committee began grilling Geithner today and, seeking to pre-but any questions about his tax snafu, the Treasury Secretary designate called the errors "avoidable" but "unintentional. That explanation seemed to satisfy the members of the committee who passed Geithner on to a full vote by a 18-5 margin today.

[Joe27]

Guys, are we really going to sit this one out? I sent a mass e-mail, mass phone text and called my senators this morning.

All the Democrats that oppose Linda Chavez because of allegations that she had an illegal employee better eat their words. We're the only ones who will hold them to it by giving them hell.

Make the call, tell your friends, and lets hope Rush will say something. Obama did call him out...

Yeah we won't stop it, but lets show we won't just get written out of the whole process.

[GovernmentShrinker]

If he’s really so incredibly knowledgeable and skilled that the nation would uniquely benefit from his contribution, then he should be hired as a deputy. And if he wants to contribute his knowledge and skills to the nation for all the right reasons, then he should be perfectly amenable to that solution.

[Jubal Madison]

So, let me get this straight, he wants to be Treasury Sec., but he can’t his taxes right? I am going to call my Senators now.

[TexasCajun]

It sure will not be because of elected Republicans!!

[USNA74]

This is the exactly correct solution - obtain the guy’s knowledge without sending a stupid message that it’s ok to avoid taxes.

[Tex Pete]

As someone who has received a dreaded IRS letter, I am appalled that this is even being discussed. The guy intentionally avoided paying taxes (I did not).

I understand that cheaters are the norm in the democrat party, but this guy has no business being the head of the Treasury.

[manic4organic]

Contacted both of my Sens.

[Cloverfarm]

I e-mailed my senators last week and pointed out that Geithner could not get a job as a bank teller around here with a record like that.

[MrB]

Oh, I WANT them to send the stupid message that it’s OK to EVADE taxes.

What he did was tax EVASION, which is a crime for the little people.

We should all AVOID taxes through obedience to the tax laws but finding the maximum reductions possible.

I want this guy to be confirmed by the democRats so that we have a talking point for YEARS. This one will resonate, because the Dhims want to avoid the “elitist” label at all costs.

“See, the DemocRats DO have different rules for themselves than for the rest of us.”

[cake_crumb]

If the errors were “avoidable but unintentional” as Geitner claims, he’s NOT QUALIFIED to run the Treasury Department! But....we know they weren’t “unintentional”, which makes him a tax evader and a crook, which should make him fit in nicely with the rest of the crooks in Obama’s cabinet. I can’t WAIT to see how much he embezzles from the treasury before he’s caught.

[Joe27]

Good job guys. The messages I’ve sent out have gotten even my non-political friends active. It’s really absurd. They need to be given hell over this. Senator Limbaugh, as he is calling himself right now, needs to ‘vote nay’ and sound the alarm.

The democrats are trying to tell us that the only person in the country who can do that job can’t even work TurboTax? Pathetic.

[Carley]

Let’s not ignore the fact that he received remuneration for the those taxes. He kept the money despite signing a document promising to pay the taxes.

[utahagen]

I've made calls, sent emails, and mailed letters about this one. Now, I am praying that at least the DEBATE over Geithner lasts too long for there to be a vote today. The “only Geithner can do this” argument always has been specious, but becomes even more obviously nonsense as TARP’s results are looking worse. Will any other Freeper promise to say at least one prayer this afternoon that the debate drag on so they can't vote on geithner today?

[George Smiley]

Saturday, January 24, 2009 10:50:29 AM · 2 of 5

George Smiley to marktwain

Sent via email to my Senators this morning:

Cabinet nominations: Timothy Geithner/Eric Holder

Dear Senator XXXXXXXXXXX:

I an utterly appalled that either of these men are being seriously considered for Cabinet-level positions.

Timothy Geithner received numerous memoranda and explicit instructions from the IMF regarding the tax treatment of payments received from IMF; for him to claim that his multi-year non-payment of taxes due was “inadvertent” or “accidental” is at the least ludicrous and at the most, borders on perjury.

Shouldn’t the Secretary of the Treasury serve as a positive example of voluntary citizen complicance with the tax laws? Clearly, Mr. Geithner does not. To put him in charge at Treasury would be like putting Alberto Espinoza Barron in charge of the DEA.

From my point of view, he’s given all of us the finger. Need I bring up the infamous Leona Helmsley quote?

Eric Holder’s associations with the last-minute Clinton pardons, among which the Marc Rich pardon and the pardons of the FALN terrorists stand out, leave ethical questions open which to this day remain unanswered.

And how can we appoint as our chief law enforcement officer a man who stated in the “Chiquita” case, “There is no clearly defined rule of international law prohibiting material support of terrorism.”

Lastly, his stands on Second Amendment issues make him completely unpalatable to Second Amendment advocates.

I urge you to vote against confirmation of both of these men should their nominations make it out of the Judiciary Committee.

[hocndoc]

Do I get the same deal?

Come on, Obama’s got Larry (”Women can’t do math and science”) Summers advising him on the economy and he wants my Senators to approve a tax dodger for Secretary of the Treasury.

This just doesn’t add up.

[GeronL]

You could deliver 200 million signatures and O will say “I won”.

[John.Galt2012]

Well, lets not be too hasty here. Maybe Timothy Geithner is a great pick for the Treasury. There have been two different analytical works (one from the UK MoD) that say the USA is going to experience a tax revolt by 2012. These were written a while ago. I thought to myself, this is not possible. Then along comes Timothy Geithner who failed to pay self-employment taxes from 2001 to 2004 and then decided not to pay them, after he was notified, until 2008 (only then because of his nomination for Sec Treasury). He did not go to jail. He was not tortured. He did not forfeit his property. So what, if he takes over the Treasury, what message are they sending to the more than 20 million self-employed Americans out there??? Sure, go ahead; do not pay your taxes, at least not for the next 8 years or so. Nothing will happen to you. We will not be arrested, in fact, maybe we can find you all positions in the 0bama administration. Worst case senario, it becomes a major stimulus project; building 20 million jail cells for the tax dodgers, ha, not likely. They would be hypocrites and have to throw Geithner in jail to stop the hemorrhaging of revenue. By putting Geithner in the Treasury, they are setting a precedent. They are telling us, it is OK to NOT pay your taxes (if its an simple mistake). Actually, not paying taxes would be nice since there is going to be alot of tax revenue needed to payoff these bailouts. Very interesting, a modern day Boston Tea Party.

[italianquaker]

He will get more then 70 votes and maybe more the hilldog

[Joe27]

He won’t beat Clinton- she got 94 votes, IIRC, and 5 GOPers already voted against him in committee.

And to the other comment: Who gives what Obama’s response is? Are we now so afraid of his political power that we’ll sit out the next two to four years.

[ridesthemiles]

If he’s really so incredibly knowledgeable and skilled that the nation would uniquely benefit from his contribution, then he should be hired as a deputy”:

If this guy is so intelligent, so revered, so indispensible, then what will happen if he has a heart attack or a car accident?

Will the entire USA government unravel if he is gone???

He is a tax cheat and should not be in any government position.

The standards of the NObama Administration are a complete mirror image of Illinois style politics.....