Cheat Sheet

Over at Slate, Daniel Gross has a quick rundown on Timothy Geithner, Obama's reported choice for Treasury Secretary. Geithner had never worked as a big banker, CEO of a Fortune 500 company, been a distinguished economist, or held elective office. But he, like Obama, has worked as a community organizer for years. “Of course,” Gross writes, “the community Geithner has been trying to organize—with limited success—is the international and domestic financial community.” Geithner has been a key behind-the-scenes player in the financial crisis, so his familiarity ensures a smooth transition. Unlike Larry Summers, his main rival for the post, he is establishment “without exhibiting self-importance and arrogance.” Unlike Henry Paulson, he relies as much on statistics as he does telephone calls to Wall Street CEOs.