Obama's Treasury Secretary A Cursing, Skateboarding "Hipster-Wonk"

The Economist profiles Barack Obama's Treasury Secretary pick, who they approvingly describe as a "seasoned crisis manager":

Mr Geithner looks a lot younger than his 47 years (though not as young as he did before the crisis began). He skateboards and snowboards and exudes a sort of hipster-wonkiness, using "way" as a synonym for "very" as in "way consequential" and occasionally underlining his point with the word "fuck". In temperament he seems similar to Mr Obama: he is suspicious of ideology, questions received wisdom, likes a competition of ideas and is keenly aware of how uncertain the world is.

...

He is a quick learner: within a year of joining the New York Fed he could debate the intricacies of monetary policy with academic experts. But he will join an Administration rapidly filling up with heavyweights on economic policy, not least of them Mr Summers. Indeed, one of the big questions of the new team that Mr Obama is expected to unveil on Monday is just how Mr Summers, a brilliant but intimidating and sometimes abrasive figure, will fit in.

Read the whole thing.

Comments

[SteveDenver]

Boy, they really pick apart every little petty thing when you step into the political limelight. He's probably said some great things, too, but it's not negative enough for news or speculation.

It's about time we had a White House full of fit, agile types. I'm sick of looking at sacks of anger like Cheney and Rumsfeldt.

[dandypuddin]

Hipster, skateboarding, cursing wonk. I was worried for a while about the implosion of our economy. I feel so much better now. Please HP, focus on what's important while Rome burns.

[Wiserone]

Bankers explain that they got into this mess by giving loans to people who wouldn't repay them. Congress responds by giving loans to banks who won't repay them. Is this a great country, or what? Time to dump some tea....taxation without representation.

[Okieborn]

How Great !!
This guy will get the job Done !!!!!

[Liberalforsure]

I wish Obama and his team could start like today before bush completely ruins this country.

[dandypuddin]

Too late.

[hindy]

Obama should get Geitner in there IMMEDIATELY to work with Paulson. Hopefully Bush won't Bush-wack this and cooperate!!! If not, I'm afraid of what might happen. This is like a black hole. Heaven help us all if Obama can't somehow - if not take over right away - at least insert his people NOW to work alongside the failing - ailing disaster known as the Bush Administration. The world can't wait till January 20th!!!!

[Okieborn]

The only place Paulson belongs next to is another prisoner !!!
Another Bush Thief ~~~

[VivaZapata]

and I'm a swimming, sweet talking bisplilblak.

[joebhed]

me too.

[SnapShots]

I don't know any of these people and haven't had time to read up on them yet and it's all moving so very quickly that I really hope these folks know what they're doing because Citi just received $300 billion, nobody has ever seen financial madness like this before, and nobody has any idea how this economic nightmare is going to end up. Fascinating!

[decolonizeme]

I would feel more comfortable if he had experience as an Arabian horse breeder.

[strangerinthenight]

Loaded, and quite appropriate remark. I am willing to bet, this time, PE will select the cream of the crop. His cabinet is shaping up with very little controversy. He may not have all that experience but he came prepared for the job.

It will nice not to hear the word "nukular" again. Lame duck belongs in Texas.

[SnapShots]

Lame duck belongs in court.

[billw8017]

Larry Summers makes a bad impression. He is one of the smartest men of the 19th century, all about voucher privatization schemes, monetary stringency, and unrestricted international finance -- and, of course, the native inferiority of women. Out in the greater world where his World Bank worked its havoc, this was called the Washington consensus. Jerry Bremer introduced it to Iraq where it has a lot to do with that country's economic collapse and the fierce insurgency.

[procrustes]

Sounds like a creative guy, to me. You know, one of those weirdo's that knows what he likes, has the fortitude to live it, and the one we always turn to for leadership because he's the dude that always has the neat ideas?

[yorkie]

It;s a gamble on anyone considering the enormity of the econ mess /crisis we are in and the tough choices that have to made....I think O hopes the stress/mess will ease by '12 and then bring in more ''liberal leaning' types to econ table,,,one think for sure O is well read on many ideas and will have an open ear to the KRUGMANS,GALBRAITHS AND KUTNERS ....I hope O will also seek advice from great dem leaders like BILL BRADLEY and GARY HART.....This current mess shows what a waste of talent,ideas, etc have been past 8 yrs,,,,what a debacle the 2000 race ended up to be ! to think where O could be starting out as PRES if it were GORE he was replacing. !!!

[kotexbarbie]

Yeah, and Hit ler was an artist who painted with one ball! So what? It's still the Fed guarding the henhouse.

[klcbaby]

Finally....My generation taking hold of this country. Let's see what we can do and I can only hope it's for the better. It's time for change. Bring it on.

[kotexbarbie]

Can't wait for you to be misrepresented by one of your own. And let's retire the "Bring it on" shtick, unless you mean the collateral damage of economic collapse!

[realitychecks]

Cool,now that's what I call change!Soooo tired of all those really old guys hanging out in the hallways scratching their butts trying to figure out how to lull the people into false security.I hope he rides his Harley to our rescue!

[Alex02139]

This is not change. This is yet another crisis-driven globalization corporate economist who was appointed by Bush. There are so many much more talented progressive economists, Steiglitz, Rivlin, Reich, Sacks, that's just a few. Why did Obama go for Bush reruns at Treasury, Defense, National Security? Why Larry Summers, the guy is pro-corporate to his marrow? I don't get it, and I certainly don't like it.

[kotexbarbie]

Who said anything about Obama and progressive? Take him at his word -- he said Republicans have a lot of good ideas.