Timothy Geithner Under the Microscope

Congress takes the appointment of cabinet members seriously. As seriously as managers and owners take the placement of new employees in their offices, factories, and shops. Just as applicants backgrounds are examined for any sign of trouble, Congress uses a fine tooth to comb through the background of suggested cabinet members.

Timothy Geithner is under scrutiny as he applies for the coveted Secretary of Treasury position in the Obama administration. His appointment was expected to be swift and easy, most of the members of Congress, republican or democrat supported him.

Geithner has long been the President of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, a position unlike any other in the country. Geithner is said to have performed in this role "brilliantly, non-politically, ethically, firmly, and quietly," qualities many have much admiration for.

However, it came to attention that Geithner had not submitted payment for his 2001 or 2002 tax returns until Obama and his team began looking at him for the role of Secretary of the Treasury. He submitted some $30,000 to the IRS after the statute of limitation had already passed.

Geithner admits "These were careless mistakes. They were avoidable mistakes. But they were unintentional," he said. "I should have been more careful." But some members of Congress don't see it as a mistake at all, rather a deep smear on his nearly impeccable record.

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The New Era of Obama: White House Background Checks Get Deeper

A recently released application to become a member of Obama's cabinet and administration reveals a new concept for the background check procedure at the White House. In the rapidly changing world of the Internet, many businesses (as many as 74%) do a standard Internet search on new candidates, especially those who will be filling an executive position.

Obama's application is 63 pages long. The New York Times has posted a copy at their website. It consists mostly of traditional background information, but there in addition, there are questions that have never been asked before:

"Writings: Please list, and if readily available, provide a copy of each book, article, column or publication (including but not limited to any posts or comments on blogs or other websites) you have authorized individually or with others. Please list all aliases or 'handles' you have used to communicate on the Internet."

The scope of the check is far reaching. Obama is looking specifically for information that might "suggest a conflict of interest or be a possible source of embarrassment to your family or the President Elect if it were made public..."

It is well known that people in the public eye receive an intense amount of scrutiny and any dirty laundry the media or the competition can find on them will be aired eventually. The Internet poses a specific breed of vulnerability. Every body leaves a trail on the Internet, but the anonymity is often what lures people to be more open and fresh. Obama is attempting the deepest level of character checking by looking at what people do when they feel nobody can see them.

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