"President Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals for key posts at the Treasury Department," says this morning's press release. "David S. Cohen, Assistant Secretary of Treasury, Terrorist Financing; Alan B. Krueger, Assistant Secretary of Treasury, Economic Policy; and Kim N. Wallace, Assistant Secretary of Treasury, Legislative Affairs. Each of the nominees is currently serving as a Counselor to the Secretary of Treasury." I'd emphasize that last line. Folks who know more about the Department than I do have suggested that the staffing situation at Treasury is not, in fact, that dire. Alan Krueger, for instance, has had an office for some time, and a staff. But he's been called a "Counselor" rather than an "Assistant Secretary." So too with David Cohen and Kim Wallace. The Obama administration is making sure the nominees are free of tax liens and enslaved maids, but because that takes some time, they've put them to work in non-confirmed capacities so they can support Geithner even before they've received the Senate's official consent. Today's appointments make the departmental chart look better but don't change the number of warm bodies tapping numbers into Excel. Full press release after the fold. The main appointments we're waiting for now are Deputy Undersecretary, Assistant Secretary for Domestic Finance, and Assistant Secretary for International Policy.
