Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor,
    Wednesday's editorial, entitled "Both sides must work past partisanship," had a clear message: Republicans are angry obstructionists because they largely voted against the confirmation of Timothy Geithner as secretary of the treasury.
    The article makes many references to the "partisan divide" and gives many Republican examples. It condescendingly references "hard feelings and disappointed hopes" and implies that those who are afflicted (Republicans) are "selfish and shortsighted." It questions Republican motives for voting no and claims that they "sulk in a proverbial
corner."
    On the other hand, what is the Daily's criticism of Democrats? One throwaway line about how they might have ignored the ethical issue. When the Daily speaks of "working together" and "being bipartisan," what they are really saying is that Republicans should go along with whatever the Democrats want. Even if this were true, it's still not the issue.
    Geithner failed to pay about $34,000 in payroll taxes to Social Security and Medicare between 2001 and 2004, which he paid immediately prior to his confirmation hearing. In his confirmation hearing, he claimed this was a "careless mistake," but Geithner is no fool; in his entire government career, he has worked with money. As the newly confirmed secretary of the treasury, he will work with billions, possibly trillions, of American dollars. But now he claims he can't use TurboTax correctly. Geithner is either untrustworthy or irresponsible.
    If Republicans were as bitterly partisan as the Daily accuses them of being, there were better targets of their rage than Timothy Geithner. Despite his tax problems, Geithner is much respected for his intelligence and competent management of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. He is an independent, not a Democrat, and could have easily been treasury secretary in a McCain administration. As cabinet appointments go, senators on both sides generally believe that the president should get the people he wants appointed. Even Hillary Clinton, who inspires such hatred among Republican ranks, was confirmed 94-2 as secretary of state, the highest-ranking cabinet position. Clearly, the GOP was not "blocking the progress of the other party on any front and by any means necessary."
    The Daily is right about one thing: the primary concern of every senator should be the well-being of his or her country and constituents. But it gives the American people too little credit to assume that only this one person is fit to be secretary of the treasury. We can do better than someone who lied about his taxes. The real bipartisan solution would have been to find someone new.
   
Sincerely,
Jonathan Danzig
Class of 2012