Patterico's Pontifications

1/26/2009

Senate Confirms Geithner

Filed under: General — Patterico @ 8:22 pm

Timothy “TurboTax” Geithner has been confirmed on a 60-38 vote to be the Treasury Secretary.

Michelle Malkin lists the 10 Republicans who voted for a guy who didn’t pay taxes he certainly knew he owed . . . until he was nominated to be the guy who handles hundreds of billions of our taxpayer dollars.

I sure hope he doesn’t use “TurboBailout.”

(Joke shamelessly stolen from commenter Pablo.)

Comments (32)

32 Responses to “Senate Confirms Geithner”

I know you all hate McCain, but note he did not make this list of shame. The GOP should have gone 100% against this one. Stupid.
Joe (17aeff) — 1/26/2009 @ 8:42 pm
I – AM – SO – INCREDIBLY – ANGRY ! It’s time to buy that pitchfork!
IdahoGal (3f3949) — 1/26/2009 @ 8:52 pm
I do not believe Voinovich has ever been or ever will be a conservative. He, for some inexplicable reason, has chosen to have that (R) instead of his more apt (D) attached to his name.
John Hitchcock (fb941d) — 1/26/2009 @ 8:53 pm
The once proud USA has become a Banana Republic without the bananas.
Perfect Sense (0922fa) — 1/26/2009 @ 9:37 pm
Perfect Sense, you are very mistaken. Hawaii grows bananas.
John Hitchcock (fb941d) — 1/26/2009 @ 9:43 pm
I’ll remember to use his excuse when I decide not to pay my taxes in April. I for one don’t trust a guy handling anything financially related when he can’t navigate TurboTax. For G-d sakes, my wife’s 77 year old grandfather can and he knows nothing about computers OR finances.
the other JD (51ca0c) — 1/26/2009 @ 10:04 pm
That’s okay; you win some, you lose some. Turns out Gore’s “The Sky is Warming” Congressional appearance has been canceled in DC because an arctic snap is expected, LOL! (See Drudge)
Patricia (89cb84) — 1/26/2009 @ 10:57 pm
Comment by IdahoGal — 1/26/2009 @ 8:52 pm

You can borrow mine. I’d rather carry a torch. Warmer…
Scott Jacobs (90ff96) — 1/26/2009 @ 11:03 pm
Scott, your torch will come in handy at first, so long as it isn’t one of those British battery-operated torches. Then IdahoGal’s fork will come in handy to determine if they’re done yet. (8:{
John Hitchcock (fb941d) — 1/26/2009 @ 11:09 pm
Actually, TurboBailout probably works better than the pen and pencil approach they’re currently using.
Kevin Murphy (0b2493) — 1/27/2009 @ 12:16 am
Intuit Comment Regarding Tim Geithner Testimony

SAN DIEGO – Jan. 21, 2009 – Intuit Inc. (Nasdaq: INTU) today released the following statement responding to Capitol Hill testimony by Treasury Secretary-designee Tim Geithner regarding his use of TurboTax software. It can be attributed to Dan Maurer, senior vice president and general manager of TurboTax.

“Each year, millions of Americans use TurboTax to accurately prepare and file their federal and state tax returns. The software helps taxpayers report their income and find the deductions and credits they’re entitled to claim.

“TurboTax, and all software and in-person tax preparation services, base their calculations on the information users provide when completing their returns. TurboTax also has built-in error-checking tools that routinely catch common taxpayer mistakes.

“Federal law and our own privacy policy prohibit us from discussing specifics of any customer’s return.”

Does Intuit actually have some sort of record on file that might contradict Geithner’s story? If so, is he relying on Intuit not to challenge his blaming its premier product for his troubles?
L.N. Smithee (5875fb) — 1/27/2009 @ 4:06 am
#11 L.N. Smithee:

Does Intuit actually have some sort of record on file that might contradict Geithner’s story?

If you use the web based versions of TurboTax®, all data storage is done on Intuit’s servers~so it’s extremely likely that there is a privately accessible contradiction to Geithner’s claim.

But, as Maurer notes, that information cannot (and should not) become public, barring release by Geithner himself.
EW1(SG) (e27928) — 1/27/2009 @ 4:20 am
Does Intuit actually have some sort of record on file that might contradict Geithner’s story?

If he e-filed, his return would have passed through their servers at least. I don’t know whether they’d keep a copy. If he printed and filed, I don’t see where they’d have specific data.
Pablo (99243e) — 1/27/2009 @ 4:26 am
I can’t believe that Richard effin’ Shelby voted for this clown. Or, for that matter Orin “Supreme Court Justice” Hatch! What are these guys thinkin’!

Aside from his tax and nanny problems, this clown is a Rubinista and was at the NY Fed while much of the hand-wrung-over melting down was occurring. He’s also been involved in this whole TARP scam, which I see as a minus and not a plus…

How are regular folks supposed to trust that their money is being handled honestly and properly, when a guy like him, who clearly wouldn’t have paid the back bills due if not required to by the vetting process, can be appointed to oversee the very entity he defrauded…

Geitner at treasury-great!, a tax cheat in charge of the IRS…

Rangel as head of ways and means-great!, another tax cheat sitting on the commitee that is charged with matters of taxation and expenditure…

Holder at Justice-great! A corrupt, partisan, friend of Blago, it seems, who is one of the architects of the policies that led the law enforcement agencies to not speak to each other prior to 9/11…

Panetta at CIA-great! A guy who for all his plusses has absolutely no experience or background in intelligence or national security. I’ll sure sleep better at night though, knowing that in no way was he connect to the BusHitler interregnum…

I could go on, but It’ll just ruin my day getting steamed up about O!&Co.…

After all, I should shut up-because they won!, and whatever I do not oppose a thing they do-that’s too partisan…

Oh, and I forgot, under no circumstances am I to listen to Rush!

I haven’t listened to that blowhard in yeasrs, but you better believe I will start again!

Buck Farack. Chimperor ObaMussoliniSoros cantake a flyin’ leap as far as I’m concerned!
Bob (99fc1b) — 1/27/2009 @ 4:43 am
Imagine a world where cops, prosecutors, etc… didn’t break laws.
imdw (7b3cb3) — 1/27/2009 @ 5:06 am
what was feingold’s reason for voting against geithner? could be interesting…
tike redman (3ecf0b) — 1/27/2009 @ 5:16 am
Tim Geithner was a cop, a lawyer, and an economist??? Who knew?

But you’re right, cops and lawyers shouldn’t NOT declare their IMF payment of taxes, either.
Adriane (6cae82) — 1/27/2009 @ 5:19 am
tike, here’s Feingold:

“Mr. Geithner’s tax liability is a different matter, however. I am deeply troubled by his failure to pay the payroll taxes he owed, despite repeated alerts from his employer at the time, the International Monetary Fund, that he was responsible for paying those taxes. Moreover, his earlier interactions with the Internal Revenue service over his failure to pay sufficient payroll taxes for his household employees make Mr. Geithner’s explanations of his failure to pay his own payroll taxes even less satisfactory. The failure to comply with our nation’s tax laws would be problematic for any Cabinet nominee, but it is especially disturbing when it involves the individual who will be charged with overseeing the enforcement of our tax laws.

Sounds about right to me.
Pablo (99243e) — 1/27/2009 @ 5:34 am
Imagine a world where cops, prosecutors, etc… didn’t break laws.

And where tax cheats aren’t put in charge of the economy. That would be change I can believe in.
Pablo (99243e) — 1/27/2009 @ 5:35 am
Amen Pabl0…
Bob (99fc1b) — 1/27/2009 @ 5:40 am
I have used TurboTax for years, and shall again this year. It is good to know that, regardless of how badly I foul up, I’ll still be qualified to be Secretary of the Treasury.

Unfortunmately, I don’t have a housekeeper on whom I haven’t paid taxes.
The Dana who uses TurboTax (3e4784) — 1/27/2009 @ 5:47 am
Of course, now we know what bipartisanship means. And I’m certain that, had President Bush nominated someone who ~~cheated on~~ had made a regrettable error on his taxes, the Democrats would have voted overwhelmingly for his confirmation.
The graciously bipartisan Dana (3e4784) — 1/27/2009 @ 6:18 am
If he e-filed, his return would have passed through their servers at least. I don’t know whether they’d keep a copy. If he printed and filed, I don’t see where they’d have specific data.

Because they guarantee returns filed using their software. They have an absolute vested interest in holding a copy just so they can look at it when they get ready to pay out.

They have to able to show how you intentionally lied to the software to avoid paying out.

Or so I would imagine.
Scott Jacobs (a1c284) — 1/27/2009 @ 6:22 am
Bipartisanship has always meant that Republicans should just go along with the Dems, Dana. Strange how it is never the other way around.
JD (a1ce2d) — 1/27/2009 @ 6:27 am
JD: [Slapping forehead!] Well, of course you’re right. How could I have been so foolish?
The naïve Dana (3e4784) — 1/27/2009 @ 7:16 am
Imagine a world where cops, prosecutors, etc… didn’t break laws.

Which one is that, hope or change?
Jim Treacher (796deb) — 1/27/2009 @ 7:58 am
Imagine a country where big city mayors didn’t keep getting busted for criminal acts. Another one just bit the dust, Hartford, making it four clouded in scandal so far this year.

Funny, the article doesn’t mention his political affiliation.

I think we all know what that means.
daleyrocks (5d22c0) — 1/27/2009 @ 8:52 am
I have used TurboTax for the past few years. They do keep a copy of your return. I have examined past-year returns they have on file.

And speaking of big city mayor problems, wasn’t that Detroit mayor (does that make him double-D?) busted for visiting Canada in violation of his bail terms?
John Hitchcock (fb941d) — 1/27/2009 @ 9:14 am
Imagine a country where big city mayors didn’t keep getting busted for criminal acts.

And yet, our own local scumbag keeps his job, despite all evidence to the contrary, and the bodies keep piling up. He learned well from the old man, didn’t he? Daley Senior always told his subordinates regarding their engagment in shady deals and public corruption – “Do whatever you want, but don’t get caught!”
Dmac (eb0dd0) — 1/27/2009 @ 1:08 pm
OPEN FOR BUSINESS: THE LINE FORMS TO THE RIGHT!
I wondered in earlier comments (months ago actually.) What the first disgrace would be of a democraptic president. Well, there ya’ go. A Secy of the Treasury who forgets to pay his taxes. Whats next a DHS cheif with undocumented household employees?!?!? Yeeeesh. Welcome to the Monkeyhouse. (don’t get your knickers in a twist, it’s a Vonnegut novel title.)
pitchforksntorches (4dd8c4) — 1/27/2009 @ 1:51 pm
Because they guarantee returns filed using their software. They have an absolute vested interest in holding a copy just so they can look at it when they get ready to pay out.

Assuming the version run on your PC, producing a paper return filed by mail, I’m sure they’d require a copy of it before they’d pay on a guarantee.
Pablo (99243e) — 1/27/2009 @ 1:59 pm
Assemblyman Chuck Devore of So. Cal, who is hoping to unseat Barbara Boxer next election, makes the point while having fun at Geithner and Obama’s expense.

http://chuck76.com/taxes/
Dana (137151) — 1/27/2009 @ 6:29 pm

1/26/2009

Senate Confirms Geithner

32 Responses to “Senate Confirms Geithner”

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