One Senator Actually Responds

I don't get into political issues here, but I have been impressed by one politician's response to my messages of concern, the most recent being the nomination and confirmation of Timothy Geithner. Senator Bob Corker from Chattanooga asked very hard but pertinent questions in the hearings about the auto bailouts AND he is the only person who has given me consistent and thoughtful answers to my communications. So I share his latest message with you, in the hopes that it can give you some encouragement that there is some politician in Washington who is attempting to use common sense and represent the best interests of the people.

"Dear Mrs. Stewart,

Thank you for taking time to contact my office regarding the nomination of Timothy Geithner to be the Secretary of the Treasury Department. Your input is important to me, and I appreciate the time you took to share your thoughts.

Like you, I am concerned with the serious challenges we are facing in our financial markets, and how they are affecting our overall economy. The Department of Treasury plays a crucial role in the recovery process of our economy, and I believe it is important that we have a treasury secretary that understands our financial markets.

There is no question that having a Treasury Secretary nominee with perceived tax issues has been troubling. For that reason, I have spoken several times to Mr. Geithner, read every word of his testimony and his answers to hundreds of questions from the Finance Committee, and then called him again before the vote to ask him a number of very pointed questions. He answered those tough questions regarding his tax returns to my satisfaction. While, like you, my preference would be that we were not in the situation to even have to discuss tax issues with a Treasury Secretary nominee, I also think it is appropriate to give fairly wide latitude to presidents regarding their cabinet selections. At the end of the day, while the issues surrounding Secretary Geithner's confirmation are very important, after spending a great deal of time exploring the merits of his confirmation, I believe that he does pass the test of being qualified to be the Treasury Secretary.

Thank you again for your letter. I hope you will continue to share your thoughts with me as I serve you in the United States Senate.
Sincerely, Bob Corker
United States Senator "