BREAKING NEWS: Senate confirms Geithner for Treasury

By Michael J.W. Stickings

Well, the vote was (relatively) close, 60-34, but the Senate confirmed Obama's Treasury secretary nominee, Tim Geithner, earlier this evening.

Some of his opponents cited his failure to pay some Social Security and Medicare taxes over several years earlier this decade, but it was just a stupid (and explainable) oversight on his part, hardly worthy of what it provoked.

There were several good reasons to oppose Geithner, as I suggested both here and here, including his enthusiasm for the ever-larger Wall Street bailout and the fact that he was very much part of the problem to begin with.

But it's done, and, putting aside my reservations, I continue to trust that Obama knows what he's doing.

**********

UPDATE: It wasn't just Republicans who voted against him. Democratic Senators Harkin, Byrd, and Feingold, as well as independent Senator Sanders, voted against confirmation.