What a Day, What a party, What a Country

Ever day is a new beginning for all of us. However, the last three months have represented some of the most extraordinary new beginnings in history. We have inaugurated the first black president and the Republican party has elected the first black chairman of either major political party. The Land of Lincoln produced President Obama and the Party of Lincoln produced Chairman Steele.

These two milestones represent a major improvement and forward movement in race relations as well as allows the country to celebrate the visible forward movement on the Rev. Dr. King's dream, though there is still work to be done. It would be unfair and incorrect to assume that these two milestones only occurred because of either white guilt or black pride alone. These may have been present to some degree, but Mr. Obama and Mr. Steele were elected on the strength of their character and the strengths they posses as individuals.

The election of both men represent a desire to have excellent communicators at the helm. They also mark a shift and reaction against the old order. Mr. Obama had to first best Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Steele had to beat out an incumbent chairman chosen by Mr. Bush. Even though I voted for Mr. Huckabee in the primary, Mr. Barr in the general election and supported Mr. Dawson for RNC chair I see the elections of Mr. Obama and Mr. Steele as positive directions in the country. I still like Mr. Dawson and admire his accomplishments but realize that Mr. Steele is most likely to be able to counter Mr. Obama effectively without race becoming an issue. Mr. Steele is also very well qualified and an extremely able communicator. These factors will aid us in the hard work to come of countering Mr. Obama's most unacceptable policies and presenting our own vision.

Secretary of the Treasury Timothy F. Geithner

On January 26, 2009, Timothy F. Geithner was sworn in as the 75th Secretary of the United States Department of the Treasury in a ceremony attended by President Barack H. Obama, and Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr.

Before his nomination to the Treasury, Secretary Geithner served as the ninth president and chief executive officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, where he began on November 17, 2003. In that capacity, he served as the vice chairman and a permanent member of the Federal Open Market Committee, the group responsible for formulating the nation's monetary policy.

Secretary Geithner first joined the Department of Treasury in 1988 and worked in three administrations for five Secretaries of the Treasury in a variety of positions. He served as Under Secretary of the Treasury for International Affairs from 1999 to 2001 under Secretaries Robert Rubin and Lawrence Summers.

He was director of the Policy Development and Review Department at the International Monetary Fund from 2001 until 2003. Before joining the Treasury, Secretary Geithner worked for Kissinger Associates, Inc.

Secretary Geithner graduated from Dartmouth College with a bachelor’s degree in government and Asian studies in 1983 and from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies with a master’s in International Economics and East Asian Studies in 1985. He has studied Japanese and Chinese and has lived in East Africa, India, Thailand, China, and Japan.

He and his wife, Carole Sonnenfeld Geithner, have two children.

Speeches & Statements

2004

03/25 - Change and Challenges Facing the U.S. Finanacial System05/27 - Perspectives on the U.S. Financial System06/09 - The Changing Face of Risk management06/10 - The Bretton Woods Instiutions in the 21st Century10/01 - Changes in the Structure of the U.S. Financial System and Implications for Systemic Risk10/14 - Challenges Facing the Global Payments System11/17 - Hedge Funds and Their Implictions for the Financial System12/08 - Remarks at the National Academy Foundation's 2004 Dinner

2005
01/13 - Key Challenges in Risk Management01/19 - A View from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York03/30 - Perspectives on Monetary Policy and Central Banking
04/01 - Perspectives on U.S. Monetary Policy04/12 - Economic Policy and Sustainability of U.S. Productivity Growth04/19 - Financial Integration and its Implication for International Cooperation04/25 - Remarks by Timothy F. Geithner at the Institute of International Finance, Inc.'s Annual Membership Meeting in Washington, D.C.10/18 - Challenges in Risk Management10/19 - U.S. and the Global Economy

2006
01/11 - Some Perspectives on U.S. Monetary Policy01/23 - Policy Implications of Global Imbalances02/28 - Risk Management Challenges in the U.S. Financial System03/09 - U.S. Monetary Policy in the Global Financial Environment04/05 - Risk Management Challenges in a Changing Financial Environment05/16 - Implications of Growth in Credit Derivatives for Financial Stability
05/19 - Principles to Guide Future Evolution of Financial Supervision and Regulation05/31 - Uncertainty and Transperancy in the Conduct of Monetary Policy
09/15 - Hedge Funds and Derivatives and their Impliction for the Financial Systems
10/04 - Progress Toward Financial Stability in Emerging Market Economies
10/26 - Global Economic and Financial Integration: Some Implications for Central Banking

2007
01/11 - Developments in the Global Economy and Implications for the United States
02/28 - Liquidity and Financial Markets
03/23 - Credit Markets Innovations and Their Implications
04/17 - Global Economic Integration: The Opportunities and the Challenges
05/04 - Reflections on the Changing Global Economy
05/15 - Liquidity Risk and the Global Economy
06/13 - Asia, the World Economy and the International Financial System
06/20 - Reflections on the Asian Financial Crises
12/13 - Restoring Market Liquidity in a Financial Crisis

2008
03/06 - The Current Financial Challenges: Policy and Regulatory Implications
04/03 - Actions by the New York Fed in Response to Liquidity Pressures in Financial Markets
06/09 - Reducing Systemic Risk in a Dynamic Financial System
07/24 - Systemic Risk and Financial Markets

2009
01/26 - Remarks of Secretary Timothy Geithner (Swearing-In Ceremony)
01/27 - Treasury Secretary Opens Term with New Rules To Bolster Transperancy, Limit Lobbyist Influence in Federal Investment Decisions03/25 - Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner Remarks Before the Council on Foreign Relations