Well. yeah. Brietbart reports (via the AP) that "President-elect Barack Obama called disclosures about Treasury choice Timothy Geithner's tax problems an embarrassment Wednesday but said Geithner's "innocent mistake" shouldn't keep him from confirmation as the new administration's top official in urgent efforts to revive the economy. " (emphasis mine)
'Innocent mistake?' If you read just a bit further: "The revelations that Geithner had failed to pay $34,000 in taxes several years ago derailed Senate Democrats' plans to speed him to confirmation by Inauguration Day, but senators in both parties said the information was unlikely to torpedo his chances in the end. "
$34,000 and it's an 'innocent mistake?' Uh - haven't many people gone to jail over such 'innocent mistakes?' And this is the guy who is supposed to oversee the IRS? Would this guy have ever been seen again had he been a Republican, versus the Chosen one of THE One? And why is the mainstream media giving him a pass on this?
UPDATE#1: And so the other shoe drops: Michelle Malkin reports that Geithner was reimbursed for those taxes that he never paid! Read the whole report. Doesn't sound like such an 'innocent mistake' anymore, does it?
UPDATE#2: Betsey Newmark follows up on Michelle's post - "he will have to answer the story in both National Review by Byron York and in the Wall Street Journal that the IMF actually gave American employees a tax allowance to cover what they were supposed to have paid. And Geithner received those reimbursements and signed a form acknowledging receipt of that allowance and promising to pay his taxes."
My reaction to update#2: I had no idea! NO IDEA! Geithner was an IMF agent! Wow, like dangling from wires like Tom Cruise. And succeeding in missions designated 'impossible.' Maybe we do need the IMF to tackle the economy, as it looks like mission impossible right now...
UPDATE#3: A good roundup on the topic from taxprof.
