Maybe they all got all caught up in the hope and/or the change, but it’s ok…because Tim Geithner is on the case.

Apparently they’re sending Geithner to try and convince business owners, the same ones that Democrats demagogue regularly, which the President doesn’t hate them as much as he thinks they do. Whether or not they’re buying any of it…

Geithner did everything but put on a Paul Revere costume and wave a “Don’t Tread on Me” flag when he declared, “This president understands deeply that governments don’t create jobs, businesses create jobs. And our job as government is try to make sure we’re creating the conditions that allow businesses to prosper so they can hire people back, get this economy going again.

“We have a recovery led by private demand, private recovery,” he continued. “That is the most important thing we can do right now…of course, we recognize that if we’re going to have growth in the future we also need to be — make people confident that we’re going to have the will as a country here in Washington to act to bring those deficits down over time as growth strengthens, recovers.”

Lovely. Geithner also made soothing noises about keeping most of the across-the-board Bush-era tax cuts, the ones Obama spent his campaign denouncing as giveaways to merely “the rich.”

Now, does any of this jive with any of President Obama’s agenda items?

Just words.

While we like to have fun at Lil’ Timmy’s expense lately, he might not be the person to blame for what many consider to be a directionless economic policy (that even Dems like Robert Reich and Warren Buffett are starting to criticize). There is another official in the Obama Administration who might be MORE to blame than Triple-T.

That official? Barack Obama. So sayeth the always fair and balanced Byron York…

Signs of confusion are all around. First, the president hasn’t troubled himself to hire a team to work alongside Geithner at Treasury. There are normally eighteen high-ranking Department officials who have to be confirmed by the Senate, and Obama has nominated three — and none of them have even had hearings yet. “Geithner isn’t getting any support from the White House,” another clued-in GOP aide told me. “No one man can do this job. Where is everyone who is supposed to be helping?”

Second, the administration is giving off signs of uncertainty about its own analysis of the crisis. The White House knows its forecasts of growth next year — when the administration predicts the economy will magically snap out of deep recession and resume robust growth — are too rosy. But they know they can’t rein in those forecasts, bring them more in line with the expert consensus, without blowing the president’s big-spending budget out of the water. So they stick to a less and less credible forecast.

Third, the White House even seems unsure of its much-touted $787 billion stimulus package. Do you remember how often President Obama said his plan will “create or save” four million jobs? Well, a group of economists sympathetic to Capitol Hill Democrats reportedly says the number might be significantly lower — maybe 2.5 million jobs.

In light of that, the president’s pledge to “save” jobs is looking fuzzier by the day. At a Senate hearing last week, Geithner hemmed and hawed when he was asked the simple question, “What’s a saved job?”

You can read the whole piece here. Where I think the biggest problem lies is that Obama chose Geithner, Larry Summers, and Peter Orszag to send the signal to Wall Street and the financial sector that the “dream team” was coming and we were all going to be ok.

Then the three of them go out to do interviews, and don’t exactly give off the vibe that they believe any of the words coming out of their mouth. That’s a problem.

Like what you read? Join Citizens for Brodigan to get all the latest updates!

When you have cats like Jack Welch and livelong Democrat Warren Buffett criticizing you as well…well, they’re a little harder to criticize.

Well, you can add to that list forty-nine economists polled by the Wall Street Journal who said, with their best Jon Lovitz impersonation, “It Stinks!” From the article…

On average, they gave the president a grade of 59 out of 100, and although there was a broad range of marks, 42% of respondents rated Mr. Obama below 60. Mr. Geithner received an average grade of 51. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke scored better, with an average 71…

[E]conomists’ main criticism of the Obama team centered on delays in enacting key parts of plans to rescue banks. “They overpromised and underdelivered,” said Stephen Stanley of RBS Greenwich Capital. “Secretary Geithner scheduled a big speech and came out with just a vague blueprint. The uncertainty is hanging over everyone’s head.”…

The economists’ negative ratings mark a turnaround in opinion. In December, before Mr. Obama took office, three-quarters of respondents said the incoming administration’s economic team was better than the departing Bush team. However, Mr. Geithner’s latest marks are lower than the average grade of 57 that former Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson received in January.

Capt. Ed throws in some commentary…

On the other hand, what’s his excuse for forgetting to staff the Treasury Department or sending Geithner out to announce his plan when he doesn’t have a plan yet? Reserve a special place for those two missteps in your rapidly bulging “What if Bush did it?” file, please.

It’s going to be a long, long, loooong two years until the midterms.

UPDATE: Hmmm…

UPDATE DEUX: Nuance indeed!

Like what you read? Join Citizens for Brodigan to get all the latest updates!

You know, kind of like Candidate Obama saying he was going to lower taxes, reign in spending, and usher in a whole new era of transparency.

That brings us to Treasury Secretary Lil’ Timmy Turbo Tax, who is talking aboot going after tax cheats to a panel headed by Charlie Rangel (the irony is quite biting). Though I care less aboot Lil’ Timmy’s tax problems as much as I am him criticizing the past policies HE WAS A PART OF. So sayeth Michael Goodwin…

Geithner now preaches the religion of regulation in the financial markets, yet, in his former job, he was supposedly standing guard at the epicenter of the meltdown. As chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank in New York, he was the central bank’s eyes and ears on Wall Street. Apparently he was blind and deaf, to judge how the banks marketed toxic junk.

Meanwhile, Geithner’s personal tax history is shocking for a man now in charge of the Internal Revenue Service. His tax delinquencies, with interest and penalties, came to about $43,000, some of which he paid when he was audited in 2006 but most of which he didn’t pay until he knew Obama would give him a job.

I wonder how the agents who audited him feel about working for him?

Yet there was Geithner yesterday, talking about morals and justice and the “absolute right judgment” of the budget and going after delinquents. The hypocrisy is breathtaking.

Yep, but Republican’s are the one’s who are the hypocrites. Please refer to the 1987 Supreme Court decision in the case Pot v. Kettle.

UPDATE: ROTFLMAO!

UPDATE DEUX: AWESOME!

Like what you read? Join Citizens for Brodigan to get all the latest updates!

“Gained seat on Senate Banking committee. Good place to fight government bailouts.”

He also included a link to the official press release on his Senate website:

“I’m excited about the opportunity to fight on behalf of the millions of Americans who want to maintain a strong, free-market economy. The level of government intrusion in our economy over the past year is alarming, and I intend to do everything I can to stop these failed policies.

“Our economy is in distress, but I do not believe our path to prosperity will be found through increasing government spending, withdrawing from the global marketplace, or making it harder to create jobs and attract investment here at home. We must secure America’s prosperity by promoting a sound dollar, expanding our trading partnerships, and making America the best place in the world to do business.”

I had no idea the Senate was even dishing out the seats today, and at first glance can’t find any other readily available information. DeMint is on of the few senators who has been against all the bailouts/stimuli/handouts from the beginning, and at least right now it’s the one issue we all seem to be universally united against (and apparently really, really need to be).  Sen. DeMint, I award you two kudos.

On the other hand, there’s House Leader John Boehner. Apparently, he was handing out a “Top 10 Facts” about the current democrat plan for stimulus. I had seen the article a few days ago, but forgot to save it…and while Boehner’s people apparently gave it out to the heads of the Sunday Morning talk shows, they haven’t posted it ANYWHERE ELSE for those of us who might be interested in it, and might want to…oh, I don’t…write aboot it and get the information out there. You sir…FAIL! FAIL! FAIL!

As for the latest with Tim Geithner, Obama’s nominee for Treasury Secretary…you know, I made the same mistake using Turbo Tax when I was self employed. The difference is, no one wanted me to run the Internal Revenue Service.

Then there’s this point Ed Morrissey made:

… remind us today that Geithner has a few other problems on his resumé, including the fact that he wrote the original TARP program that got tossed aside like yesterday’s news by Henry Paulson as worthless as soon as Paulson got the money. Geithner didn’t exactly cover himself in glory at the New York Fed, either. If this is “uniquely qualified”, it’s small wonder we’re in the trouble we’re in.

While I think the tax issue is embarrassing plus trivial, these issues have a lot more meat to them. And while I’m still on the side of appointing him (out of fear of what we might get next), I’m starting to waver a little.

And then there’s the matter of the stock market yesterday…

In Washington, policy makers were watching share declines and considering moves that would go beyond last fall’s effort to infuse cash into banks in exchange for preferred shares. While the government money helped to stabilize the financial system for a while, the moves haven’t persuaded investors that banks have strong enough financial cushions to absorb further losses. Policy makers are now looking for alternatives to preferred-share investments to help banks build up their equity to give them confidence to begin lending again.

Among other plans under consideration, government officials are weighing the option of buying securities that pay interest like bonds but can be converted into common stock. Such “convertible” securities, typically issued by companies struggling to raise capital, often leave the buyer owning a big chunk of the company. When the securities are converted to common shares, other common stockholders’ shares are diluted, cutting the value of the banks’ shares. Current share prices appear to reflect that low value.

UPDATE: In the “approve Tim Geithner” column is the fear that he might be replaced with people like this.

UPDATE DEUX: Okay, Boehner gets a pass for this one.

Like what you read? Join Citizens for Brodigan to get all the latest updates!

No, he wasn’t in cahoots with Gov. David Patterson to delay him having to choose Hillary’s successor. His reason for holding up the process was…honestly, I’m not quite sure. Here’s his reasoning…

A spokesman for Mr. Cornyn, Kevin McLaughlin, said, “this is not an effort to scuttle or block the nomination, but a legitimate policy difference. Senator Cornyn’s goal is to create transparency on all levels of government.” Mrs. Clinton’s husband, former President Bill Clinton, signed an agreement with the Obama transition team, putting some limits on foreign donations to his foundation, as well as stipulating annual disclosure of new donors.

But Senator Cornyn, in a letter to Mrs. Clinton last Friday, said he remained worried that her diplomatic activities would be compromised “unless tighter foreign fund-raising restrictions and transparency protocols are adopted.”

Only here’s the rub…the way things stand right now, instead of voting to confirm her today, the Senate is just going to vote to confirm her tomorrow. Even if we wanted to block the confirmation, we don’t have the votes, so the point of this exercise is lost on me.

I actually really like Cornyn and think he’ll be a great head of the RSCC, but this was just silly. Republicans are going to have to pick and choose our battles. Let’s be honest, the biased liberal media is going to call us divisive no matter what we do…so when we decided to take a stand, let’s make it count. Blocking Hillary Clinton (or Tim Geithner, for that matter) wastes a “those divisive Republican’s” news cycle that could be better used to fight the 2009 Fiscal Suicide Act, or the Big Labor Anti-Choice Act (otherwise known as “Card Check”).

Plus, Clinton and Geithner were gifts to us. Would we prefer Secretary of State John Kerry, or Treasury Secretary Paul Krugman?

UPDATE: Hmmm…

UPDATE DEUX: See?

Like what you read? Join Citizens for Brodigan to get all the latest updates!

–>Gallup: Palin top choice of Republicans to run in 2012

–>NYTimes doesn’t know the constitution

–>Not everyone is crazy aboot Tim Geithner

–>No One Knows What to Do About Crisis

–>Republicans Should Look to Mitch Daniels

And I’ll be honest, as I look at some of the names for Cabinet positions…there’s not really all that much to complain aboot. I know some of my conservative brethren are beefin’ aboot Eric Holder, but I’m personally indifferent.

There was also criticism of Rahm Emmanuel for being an “extreme partisan.” And that’s true, Rahm is an extreme partisan…as head of the DCCC where being an extreme partisan is a job requirement (as it’s supposed to be for the RCCC as well). Rahm in the Clinton Administration was a centrist who pushed for free trade and welfare reform.

But let’s look at some of the rest:

The economic team looks to be Tim Geithner at Treasury, Bill Richardson at Commerce, and both Larry Summers and Bob Rubin as top White House advisers. I’ve always been a fan of Richardson, and the other three have all been applauded by economic folks on the left as well as the right. The DOW jumped 500 points upon Geithner’s name.  The only one of consequence who isn’t happy aboot Geithner seems to be Jim Cramer…and that just makes for some entertaining television.

For foreign policy you have Hillary Clinton at State, Jim Jones at the NSA, and Robert Gates staying at Defense. Clinton is more of a Hawk then some of the Republicans BAM was thinking of for the position. Jones was rumored to be in the running for Vice-President…then the next day unofficially endorsed John McCain and was an unofficial adviser on his energy plan (one of them may have even been the best man at the others wedding). And Gates is the current Sec. of Defense who did this weird thing where he held people accountable for fucking up.

(And as a side note, the fact that he replaced Don Rumsfeld in 2006 instead of in…oh, I don’t know…2003, is the source of great anger for us at JBdotC HQ)

(And as another side note, knowing that with every former Clintonite that gets appointed a piece of people like Chris Matthews and Andrew Sullivan dies inside, makes me feel a tingle down my leg I’ve never felt before)

Then there’s Janet Napolitano, a Governor from a border state, for Homeland Security. She’s for increased border security (though not “The Fence”), cracking down on employers who higher illegal immigrants, and creating an online database to help employers verify citizenship. Plus it’ll create a new Republican Governor (the AZ Secretary of State is an R), so that’s good too.

I know criticizing every appointment the other guy makes is part of the game we play, and had it been President-Elect McCain you would have MSNBC, NYTimes, and all of the other Obama supporters nitpicking over every decision he made, much in the same way the right is doing to P.E. BAM now.  But if we all take a step back, his picks have little to do with ideology (the source of most of our disagreements) as they have to do with experience and competence.  There’s really not a whole heck of a lot to complain aboot.

At least for now…

*That was a Sideshow Bob reference, so please save the hate mail.

**I hope everyone else is having as much fun saying BAM as we are.  My favourite is saying “BAMelot.”