Obama Statement on Emerging Tim Geithner Confirmation Snag

During a meeting of the Senate Finance Committee, the nomination of Tim Geithner for Secretary of the Treasury hit a few bumps, as he disclosed what is being described as a "common tax mistake," and a problem with a housekeeper that Geithner employed. The housekeeper's papers expired after she had already been working for Geithner.

White House Press Secretary-Designate Robert Gibbs has released this statement:

""The President-elect chose Tim Geithner to be his Treasury Secretary because he's the right person to help lead our economic recovery during these challenging times. He's dedicated his career to our country and served with honor, intelligence and distinction. That service should not be tarnished by honest mistakes, which, upon learning of them, he quickly addressed. He made a common mistake on his taxes, and was unaware that his part-time housekeeper's work authorization expired for the last three months of her employment. We hope that the Senate will confirm him with strong bipartisan support so that he can begin the important work of the country," said incoming White House press secretary Robert Gibbs.

According to First Read, the sense is that this will not be a problem for Geithner. Both errors look like honest mistakes, and Geithner corrected them, repaying the taxes.

From what I can tell, I agree. As I said about Attorney General Eric Holder's nomination, it would be very bad politics for the GOP to block confirmations without a really heavy case to do so.

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