At a hearing on AIG in November, one lawmaker had called on Geithner to step down. If Geithner were to be replaced, “it would have to be someone outside Wall Street,” explains Daniel Clifton of Strategas Research Partners. “The argument is that Geithner is too Wall Street.”
And although nobody is tossing their hat in the ring officially, Clifton tells the desk that insiders are whispering about a short list; and the names being floated are Senator Christopher Dodd (D-CT) and former NJ Governor Jon Corzine.
via If Geithner Goes, The Top Two Contenders – CNBC.
This is why I maintain that New Jersey is the petri dish for wackadoodle Leftie-ism being attempted on the national level. Having aided in and abetted the financial ruin of NJ, Corzine is being bandied about as a potential SecTreas?? Jeebus…
And beyond that, the Geithner matter will serve as an indicator of just how President Obama will react to his recent series of setbacks. Congress is obviously poised to move back towards the center and actually pretend to listen to their constituents. They want Geithner’s head on a platter. Obama can agree, and send them a nomination that will mollify voters, or he can flat out refuse, or he agree and then nominate Dodd (who the Senate will confirm out of loyalty) or Corzine (probably ditto).
The last of these will signal a take-no-prisoners reaction and a move further to the left. If Geithner goes and Corzine is nominated, the debacle that is New Jersey will become national news and we are here to help tell that story.
[A tip of the monkey skull fez to Rundfunk, who actually reads the financial press.]
Since Corzine would be the third Goldman Sachs alumnus in a row to be Treasury Secretary, I think that they are required to add to the Secretary of Treasury position the term “Defender of the Faith”. It turns out, though, that Faith works in Goldman Sachs’ Treasury Department.