Noam Scheiber gives a bit more background on the appointment of Tim Geithner to what is arguably the second most important post in America right now. Turns out he was well-liked by colleagues during his previous time at the Treasury, especially those lower down than him in the pecking order - always a good sign. At meetings with subordinates, he'd rarely sit at the head of the
table. In fact, he'd rarely sit at all, preferring to pace around the
room prompting people for input. When he briefed a higher-up,
Geithner's habit was to bring along the bureaucrat who'd worked with
him on the issue. ... Within the building, Geithner became legendary
for his self-deprecating humor. Shortly after taking over at Treasury
in 1995, Rubin convened a meeting with his senior officials and asked
them to introduce themselves, prompting an arms race of resume
embellishment. Finally, it was Geithner's turn. "Well, I've mostly been
in high school," he cracked. Everyone doubled over in laughter.
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