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British Cabinet Chief Gus O'Donnell says the new Obama government is almost impossible to work with. He is having trouble even getting in touch with key personnel. “There is nobody there". “You cannot believe how difficult it is.”

Maybe everyone is in the conga line every time he calls!





Quote:

He means there is nobody is the senior positions at the Treasury. In the middle of the worst economic meltdown since WW2 Obama has filled one (1) of the 19 top positions at Treasury. There were a couple of nominations Monday. There is a holdover as assistant secretary for terrorist financing, not likely to play a leading role in this crisis.




In their defense, the NY Daily News makes a good point in Today's Editorial:

Free Geithner:
Congress must stop glomming treasury secretary's precious time

Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner has some pressing duties these days like, oh, saving the world financial system. So why won't Congress stop bogging him down and getting in the way?

The way the House and Senate have been commandeering his time, you would think Geithner has only one responsibility - and that is to testify in front of legislative committees.

In the eight business days since last Tuesday, Geithner has been summoned to Capitol Hill no fewer than five times to talk at length about the banking system and the economy.

The House Ways and Means Committee was first up in grilling Geithner last week. The next day, the Senate Finance Committee took its turn. The day after that, the House Budget Committee got in its licks.

This week, the House Democratic caucus questioned Geithner behind closed doors about - and this is rich - why he's not doing more, faster, to solve the financial crisis. Yesterday, the Senate Budget Committee threw questions at the guy.

All told, Congress gave Geithner just three business days of late to concentrate on his true work. And they wonder why he hasn't gotten around to filling every one of the top staff position at Treasury.

The House and Senate should agree: They'll invite Geithner sparingly and put their questions to him through a joint panel. Enough of this blah-blah nonsense.