as seen on tv
Senator
And I’m all for it. Free enterprisein its most pure incarnation. Why else would an Ivy League patrician decended from Mayflower pilgrimsl work in the government for a pittance, compared to what he could earn on wall street? He has every right to a lucrative book deal, and to “tell all”.
Fox news this morning challenged viewers to come up with a helpful title for Timmy’s tattle tale tome. Although I could easily serve up a sardonic top 10 list in this regard, I refrain from doing so, owing to the proven risk of derailment to some of the narrow gauge PJ minds. Rather – and more importantly – I’ll suggest a few topics Professor Geithner should enlighten us on, before some wikileaker hacks in and renders his upcoming book of secrets moot . . .
First things first – How did you get confirmed to become Secretary of the Treasury, after admitting to tax fraud in a congressional hearing? You defrauded the government of tens of thousands of dollars (which probably seemed irresistable, as a pootly Fed Governor) after receiving both written and oral tax guidance on how to do it right. Although this would seem more egregious than hiring an undocumented domestic worker (Kimba Wood) or renting horror DVDs from blockbuster (Robert Bork), you were confirmed anyway. Were favors promised and delivered for this amazing feat? Some people actually believe that being a tax scofflaw should bar one from public service, you know. That old “public trust” and ethics thing.
The Wall Street Bailout – same question. Why promote a patently extra-legal course of action that drains the US treasury by bailing out virtually every big name on Wall Street during the Bush administration? This may not be unconstitutional, despite what some claim, but there were actual laws in place governing how such financial meltdowns are supposed to be handled. You know – things like FDIC insurance, which reimburses the depositors in the event that bad loans render a bank insolvent. Bankruptcy courts. Full disclosure of assets and debts to the investment public. You completely disregarded those laws, risked hundreds of billions, and the very CEOs who drove the bus over the cliff kept their jobs. WTF? Do they have pictures of you frolicking with some underage Dominican hookers at a Federal Reserve office party or something?
QE-XLVII – sorry, I don’t know what quantitative easing we’re actually on right now. I’m just assuming the edition coincides with the super bowl. But since the only result of printing money non stop has been to prop up bank profits (they get to borrow from the Fed at near zero rates), and we have HIGHER unemployment than 4 years ago, I’m interested in your position. Has QE been a success, or failure? And no fair saying its Bernankes fault. He can’t do it without your collusion. Since banks are the only apparent winners in QE, and you’re the biggest friend a banker ever had, we naturally assume this was your idea, all along.
Euro-stash – your new book would be an ideal time to reveal the secret programs we have to prop up the European union and its comatose minor league economies. By some estimates we’ve sent them over $600 billion in various packages and loans, to keep them afloat. Since these are our tax dollars at work (actually not, we’re running a huge deficit) and will someday have to be repaid by our childrens’ children, a full accounting of this situation seems in order. My attitude is that when something is stamped TOP SECRET, and it’s not waterboarding a guy with a turban to find out where Bin Laden is hiding, then the reason it’s secret is because the public would object strenuously if they knew the truth. For that matter, the public objects to waterboarding too, you know.
I don’t actually expect Geithner to answer any of these questions in his book, of course. Instead, we will no doubt all be reassured that every action taken since his ascent to the top levels of unelected government bureaucracy-dom were necessary and prudent, and the USA would have immediately suffered a tragic collapse had he not done exactly as he had, when he had. After all, he has an Ivy League degree, and the backing of the full faith and credit of US Government and Wall Street Billionaires. In this regard Geithner’s memoirs are going to be every bit helpful and compelling as those of Clinton, Bush, Reagan, Carter and Nixon.
But wait . .. they keep finding old documents from the Nixon era, that prove just how ignorant he was, and ill advised in his policy decisions. Do you think that could ever happen to Geithner, under the FOI act?
“Don’t you bet against it.” (alert – this is a famous movie quote – guess which film). Even though I’m not holding my breath waiting for some wikileaker to hack into this stuff – it’s not as sexy as state department intrigue and enemies lists – there are enough people outraged by the wall street bailouts to stoke the embers of the bailout fest for years and years.
Enjoy your money Mr. Geithner. And your new job as, being announced later this year, as some wall street CEO. You’ve earned every penny!
Full disclosure – “as seen on tv” has never worked for the federal government, wall street, or H&R block. But she recognizes tax fraud and government malfeasance when she sees it, even if congress and the media pretend not to.
Ps – thanks for reading this far. My top 10 suggestions for Geithners new book are: “Tax Avoidance for Dummies”; “Catch 22 Billion”; “The Golden Spigot”; “From Here to Insolvency”; “Atlas Shirked”; “A Tale of Two Fed Governors”; “Zen and the Art of Quantitative Easing”; “Fifty Shades of Red Ink”; “Guns, Germs, and TBills”; and "Bury my Debt at Wounded Knee”
Fox news this morning challenged viewers to come up with a helpful title for Timmy’s tattle tale tome. Although I could easily serve up a sardonic top 10 list in this regard, I refrain from doing so, owing to the proven risk of derailment to some of the narrow gauge PJ minds. Rather – and more importantly – I’ll suggest a few topics Professor Geithner should enlighten us on, before some wikileaker hacks in and renders his upcoming book of secrets moot . . .
First things first – How did you get confirmed to become Secretary of the Treasury, after admitting to tax fraud in a congressional hearing? You defrauded the government of tens of thousands of dollars (which probably seemed irresistable, as a pootly Fed Governor) after receiving both written and oral tax guidance on how to do it right. Although this would seem more egregious than hiring an undocumented domestic worker (Kimba Wood) or renting horror DVDs from blockbuster (Robert Bork), you were confirmed anyway. Were favors promised and delivered for this amazing feat? Some people actually believe that being a tax scofflaw should bar one from public service, you know. That old “public trust” and ethics thing.
The Wall Street Bailout – same question. Why promote a patently extra-legal course of action that drains the US treasury by bailing out virtually every big name on Wall Street during the Bush administration? This may not be unconstitutional, despite what some claim, but there were actual laws in place governing how such financial meltdowns are supposed to be handled. You know – things like FDIC insurance, which reimburses the depositors in the event that bad loans render a bank insolvent. Bankruptcy courts. Full disclosure of assets and debts to the investment public. You completely disregarded those laws, risked hundreds of billions, and the very CEOs who drove the bus over the cliff kept their jobs. WTF? Do they have pictures of you frolicking with some underage Dominican hookers at a Federal Reserve office party or something?
QE-XLVII – sorry, I don’t know what quantitative easing we’re actually on right now. I’m just assuming the edition coincides with the super bowl. But since the only result of printing money non stop has been to prop up bank profits (they get to borrow from the Fed at near zero rates), and we have HIGHER unemployment than 4 years ago, I’m interested in your position. Has QE been a success, or failure? And no fair saying its Bernankes fault. He can’t do it without your collusion. Since banks are the only apparent winners in QE, and you’re the biggest friend a banker ever had, we naturally assume this was your idea, all along.
Euro-stash – your new book would be an ideal time to reveal the secret programs we have to prop up the European union and its comatose minor league economies. By some estimates we’ve sent them over $600 billion in various packages and loans, to keep them afloat. Since these are our tax dollars at work (actually not, we’re running a huge deficit) and will someday have to be repaid by our childrens’ children, a full accounting of this situation seems in order. My attitude is that when something is stamped TOP SECRET, and it’s not waterboarding a guy with a turban to find out where Bin Laden is hiding, then the reason it’s secret is because the public would object strenuously if they knew the truth. For that matter, the public objects to waterboarding too, you know.
I don’t actually expect Geithner to answer any of these questions in his book, of course. Instead, we will no doubt all be reassured that every action taken since his ascent to the top levels of unelected government bureaucracy-dom were necessary and prudent, and the USA would have immediately suffered a tragic collapse had he not done exactly as he had, when he had. After all, he has an Ivy League degree, and the backing of the full faith and credit of US Government and Wall Street Billionaires. In this regard Geithner’s memoirs are going to be every bit helpful and compelling as those of Clinton, Bush, Reagan, Carter and Nixon.
But wait . .. they keep finding old documents from the Nixon era, that prove just how ignorant he was, and ill advised in his policy decisions. Do you think that could ever happen to Geithner, under the FOI act?
“Don’t you bet against it.” (alert – this is a famous movie quote – guess which film). Even though I’m not holding my breath waiting for some wikileaker to hack into this stuff – it’s not as sexy as state department intrigue and enemies lists – there are enough people outraged by the wall street bailouts to stoke the embers of the bailout fest for years and years.
Enjoy your money Mr. Geithner. And your new job as, being announced later this year, as some wall street CEO. You’ve earned every penny!
Full disclosure – “as seen on tv” has never worked for the federal government, wall street, or H&R block. But she recognizes tax fraud and government malfeasance when she sees it, even if congress and the media pretend not to.
Ps – thanks for reading this far. My top 10 suggestions for Geithners new book are: “Tax Avoidance for Dummies”; “Catch 22 Billion”; “The Golden Spigot”; “From Here to Insolvency”; “Atlas Shirked”; “A Tale of Two Fed Governors”; “Zen and the Art of Quantitative Easing”; “Fifty Shades of Red Ink”; “Guns, Germs, and TBills”; and "Bury my Debt at Wounded Knee”
