We all know that Tim Geithner has been having a rough time of it since taking over as Treasury secretary last year. There’s the actual work, of course, which is so much worse than you would ever think it could be. On top of that, he’s been repeatedly dragged in front of Congress to be grilled by dense representatives who mistakenly think he worked at an investment bank (he just worked for them, kind of, as New York Fed president), who paint him as being on the side of the fat cats who caused the financial crisis when really he is a victim of the recession himself. And the media has been ruthless: calling for his resignation, portraying him as hapless on Saturday Night Live, and showing up at his house and scaring his children. Even the president doesn’t shy away from taunting Geithner, according to this weekend’s Journal.
At a tongue-in-cheek political dinner in late January, Mr. Geithner served as a stand-in for Mr. Obama, reading aloud a letter from the president.
“Of course, I’ve had some political setbacks this year,” Mr. Geithner read. “But look on the bright side — at least I’m not Tim Geithner.”
Even if you hate the Treasury secretary’s policies, it’s hard not to feel bad for him as a person sometimes. At least he gets to go home at the end of the day, you might think, to experience a little peace and quiet with his loved ones, a little respite from the onslaught of criticism that has dogged him since that fateful TurboTax incident.
Even if you hate the Treasury secretary’s policies, it’s hard not to feel bad for him as a person sometimes. At least he gets to go home at the end of the day, you might think, to experience a little peace and quiet with his loved ones, a little respite from the onslaught of criticism that has dogged him since that fateful TurboTax incident.
Bailout Anger Undermines Geithner [WSJ]
Related: On The Money [Vogue]
