STILL ROOM UNDER THE BUS - AT 6:53 A.M. ET:  Stories are circulating that the secretary of the treasury, whose tenure began with revelations that he had problems figuring his income tax, might be advised not to get too comfortable in his new office:

WASHINGTON (AP) -- If not distancing itself from Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, the White House is placing firmly on his shoulders responsibility for how the government handled the $165 million in bonuses paid to about 400 executives and traders at American International Group Inc...

...But his future could soon be as murky as the economy's. His short tenure has been shaky at a time when the new president and the Democratic-led Congress are trying to project confidence to the markets and the nation.

COMMENT:  This president has no trouble throwing folks under the bus.  It started with his pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr., who proved an embarrassment during the campaign.  Even grandma, who, Obama reported, held racist views, found room next to the rear axle.  Tom Daschle is shielded from the sun's rays by the bus's frame.  There's room for a few more.  The company and conversation down there are excellent.

March 18, 2009