Obama, now being annoyed by having to find credible people, finds his Treasurer working alone. Pathetic.
US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner is practically alone on the job, working night and day to cope with the worst economic downturn in decades.Of the 15 key Treasury Department positions that require Senate confirmation, only one has been filled. Stuart Levey, a leftover from the previous administration, who as under secretary of the treasury for terrorism and financial intelligence, is not central to the crisis management however.
Unemployment figures which revealed Friday that 651,000 jobs were lost in February, showed the recession is running ever deeper, but Geithner, who started work in late January, has no deputy secretary, no under secretaries for international affairs and no deputy under secretaries.
Annette Nazareth, who had been expected to be chosen as deputy secretary — Geithner’s top aide — has withdrawn her name, the Wall Street Journal reported in its online edition, citing people familiar with the matter.
The former Security Exchange Commission head “withdrew in large part because of the long vetting process” President Barack Obama has put in place to choose members of his government, the daily said.
Geithner’s choice for undersecretary for international affairs, Caroline Atkinson, also took her name out of the running, only weeks ahead of the April 2, Group of 20 developed and developing nations summit in London.
Read the full article here