Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said he doubts that President Barack Obama would ask him to remain in his post if he secures re-election. According to the Associated Press, Geithner is the only remaining top-level official on the president’s original economics team.
“He’s not going to ask me to stay on, I’m pretty confident,” Geithner told Bloomberg Television Wednesday. “I’m also confident he’s going to have the privilege of having another Treasury secretary.”
Geithner previously considered leaving the administration in August after the debate over raising the national debt ceiling was resolved, but Obama intervened and asked him to remain in his position. Now, many expect that Geithner will only serve through the 2012 election.
Geithner has come under fire during his tenure as Treasury secretary, specifically for his role in the administration’s response to the 2008 financial crisis. The AP reports that many observers criticized his pro-Wall Street stance and the failure of government spending to stop the rise of unemployment.
But Geithner supporters say he helped the president in the restructuring of the financial system, specifically in regards to his role in the $700 billion financial bailout.
Before closing his interview, the Treasury secretary expressed his gratitude for the role he was able to play in the Obama administration.
“I’m very fortunate,” Geithner said. “I work with tremendously talented people, and this is one of the most important times in modern history to be in the world of economic policy and finance. And I work for a great president, who I believe in.”
