Let's Make Timothy Geithner America's Tax Czar, While We're at It

The Senate confirmation hearings for Treasury Secretary-elect Timothy Geithner have been delayed till next week, now that everyone knows he skimped on his taxes in the early aughts. You can look at this situation in one of two ways:

Scenario 1: Treasury Secretary-elect Timothy Geithner was so confused by the complex tax structure of his then-employer, the IMF, that he didn't realize how much he really owed. He also botched a deduction related to child care expenses (you can deduct day camp fees, but not sleepover camp fees, because they provide s'mores at sleepover camp). Even if he could have been more forthcoming about it when he was audited in 2006, Timothy Geithner made an honest, or at least semi-honest, mistake.

Scenario 2: Treasury Secretary-elect Timothy Geithner was sitting in his study late one night, staring at his TurboTax, and he said to himself: "Fuck it! I just don't fucking care. Screw you, Uncle Sam. You take and take and take and what do I get? Another fucking war? More potholes and collapsing bridges? Fuck you." And then Timothy Geithner hit ESC and poured himself a Scotch on the rocks.

Whichever. I say we confirm this man as soon as possible. I'll feel so much better about deducting my cat's kibble and miscalculating my totals this April if I know someone at the top understands.