Turbo Tax Tim tucks tail
Good for the TARP watchdog.
Team Obama tried to tighten his leash. He bit back. Turbo Tax Tim Geithner tucked tail.
The Treasury Department backed away from a standoff over the independence of the special government watchdog appointed to scrutinize how last year’s $700 billion financial-industry bailout is being spent.
Neil Barofsky, special inspector general for the Troubled Asset Relief Program, a position also known as Sigtarp, declared victory Wednesday in his effort to clarify that he doesn’t answer to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner.
Mr. Barofsky has gained a reputation for his aggressive posture and demands for information from government officials and Wall Street. The former federal prosecutor is charged with tracking the money spent to prop up the banking system during the financial crisis and to report the results of his audits directly to Congress.
In a letter Wednesday to members of Congress, Mr. Barofsky said the Treasury had withdrawn an earlier request to the Justice Department seeking a legal opinion on how much independence the Sigtarp office enjoys. Mr. Barofsky had told lawmakers he feared that being subject to the Treasury secretary’s supervision would be “a threat to our independence.”
“We view such withdrawal as Treasury’s acknowledgment that Sigtarp is an independent entity within Treasury, and that my office and I are not subject to the supervision of the secretary,” Mr. Barofsky said in his letter to a group of lawmakers, including Sen. Charles Grassley (R., Iowa) and Rep. Darrell Issa (R., Calif.), who have pushed for his independence. “We applaud Treasury’s decision to bring to a close this needless distraction,” Mr. Barofsky said.
The Treasury Department declined to explain the reason for the withdrawal of its request to the Justice Department.
***
In related news, here’s a round-up of bloggers/analysts unpacking the spin on TARP “profits.”
See what others have said
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“Drat, foiled again.”
And Van Jones (Ho-Ho-Ho Green Jobczar!) turns out to be a 9-11 troofer.
Holdren. Jones. Geithner. Browner. Did Obama hire anybody who wasn’t corrupt or a whackjob?
Poor Turbo Tax. It really is a great program that has probably saved millions of hours of time and frustration for Americans.
Like Tim Geithner.
Still around, chaps?
The monster thread is down and looks like Word Press has changed format on numbering comments.
Oh no!
Indeed. Turbo Tax doesn’t need to be sullied by association with Tim Geithner.
But it’s easy to be critical. Let’s come up with a new moniker for Tim.
Turbo Tax is a good program but like most things it’s only as good as what you put into it. I doubt that it has programming to detect lies.
IGs are an endangered species in the Obama Administration.
Geithner, and by association, Obama, have only let go in order to get a better grip.
Obama can’t stand to be criticized nor will he allow the spotlight of truth to shine on his actions. War has been declared on the watchdogs.
Seldom, if ever, does someone as incompetent as Tim Geitner ever reach a position of actual consequence
In those instances where someone this incompetent does reach a position of some import, it ends badly
Coupling Tim Geitner with an absolute buffoon like Larry Summers is upsurd and only raises the level of real damage that can be accomplished while they hide under their desks
Put these two clowns under Obama and I suspect we will be cleaning this mess up for decades
I urge congress to force both of these idiots to resign
Obama has some friends in Chicago who will take their place
This post shows you’re just not serious, Michelle.
Sincerely,
Charles Krauthammer
poor timmy doesn’t have any subordinates to delegate to, cause the one has been on a whirlwind propaganda tour for his first six months, vacation for the next two months, and the posse of czars are all do nothing community organizers or academicians.
Timothy Geithner is another example of proving the Peter Principle wrong. He’s exceeded a whole lot of levels.
“Support your local IG.”
Step One in draining this cesspool.
FIFY
No.
Did Geithner return to his elfin homeland to find some new magic for his master? Or did he decide to vacation on Fantasy Island (aka: Marxist Vineyard) with Stuart Smalley and a full length mirror?
Bingo!
This is exactly what is meant by GIGO. Garbage In, Garbage Out. If the scum filling out the form is a typical liberal liar, it’s not the fault of the program!
Instead of calling him TurboTax Tim, I suggest…liar.
Did you guys know that the new Job Czar is a “truther”??? He thinks that 9/11 was an inside job inside the government. This guy is advising the POTUS. How much more do we need to know??? And where the he11 is the MSM? Anyone out there??? Do they ALL have their head up their a$$es???
happyscrapper said:
Think that is something, so does National Geographic – just saw an advert promoting this truther crap. I haven’t subscribed to that mag for years and one more reason not to watch the channel either.
Tax cheat Geithner is the guy in charge of catching tax cheats.
Tax cheat Geithner wanted to be in charge of the watchdog that watches how he spends the money.
Incredible hubris.
Yeah, where is the state run media on this one?
One smart guy in the way mucked up their latest scam. Culture of corruption indeed.
So, here’s hoping Mr. Barofsky doesn’t own a prized racehorse!
I am more concerned that he is a Communist than I am about him being a Truther.
The White House says Jones did not read the truther petition fully at the time he signed it. Give me a break!
Jones IS Obama. Obama IS Jones.
Jones didn’t have to run for office.
Everything Jones says is what Obama really thinks.
Dr. Thomas Sowell is someone who is an actual economist, mathematician, and scientist who teaches these classes at a major university and has written on these subjects. Why did we get Geithner and not Dr. Sowell? Because Dr. Sowell is a true fiscal conservative who never plays the race card and loves being a patriot, and he a registered Republican.