“We’re doing more in weeks than other countries do in years.”
Treasury Secretary Timothy M. Geithner made that pronouncement earlier this week after meetings with lawmakers to update them on the administration’s recovery program. The not-so-subtle dig at the world financial community was part of his ongoing effort to convince his international counterparts that they must do more to address the economic crisis.
The treasury secretary spent his week defending the boss’ plans to skeptical lawmakers behind closed doors, in front of several congressional committees, in television interviews and at public events with the president by his side. Today he’s in London for meetings with G-20 finance ministers and will talk up American plans to bail out economies in crisis. All this after enduring a blisteringly accurate and well-performed impersonation of him on last weekend’s “Saturday Night Live.”
That’s why Geithner earns the distinction of “Team Player,” as the Obama administration official who did the most this week to advance the president’s agenda. The new feature could highlight the efforts of a White House staffer who expertly handled a tough TV interview or or a cabinet secretary appeared at multiple Congressional hearings or endured a potentially embarrassing photo-op for the sake of the president’s programs. Some picks will be obvious, others less so. Either way, the weekly “Team Player” pick does not amount to an endorsement of the administration’s policies or the official’s work.
Nominate your “Team Player” by e-mailing [email protected].
Many leaders in the G20 conference cite the USA lack of discipline and structure for the default of economics which consurmes the world. I too think that there are thousands of bank CEOs, board members and loan representatives who need to share facilities in jails for years to come. They knew that people could not afford the housing they were making loans on. All they wanted was a quick fix to make themselves rich and then hide with the sheep when the axes started chopping. Well, let’s get some sheep dogs and get the wolves out of their fleece and into orange prison garb. There are also government employees who went along instead of taking the morally responsible road and shouting.