At the end of June, Tim Geithner said that he was considering leaving his post at the Treasury after the debt deal past, telling friends that he's tired, needs a break, and wants to put family first (his wife and son are living in Westchester again so that young Geithner can finish high school there). TG's work pals were a bit too busy to say anything at the time, but now that the whole debt situation is behind us, they've begun to let him know he's not going anywhere.
Obama, for one, doesn't want to lose his office buddy, while White House Chief of Staff Bill Daley doesn't want to deal with a confirmation battle that would take place should Geithner need to be replaced, which is why he "jokingly" tells Tim to fuck off and gestures towards his crotch when the topic of resignation comes up.
Mr. Obama and his chief of staff, William M. Daley, have been urging Mr. Geithner to stay, administration officials say, not only for continuity when the economy has weakened and to avoid an all-but-certain confirmation fight in the Senate over a successor, but also because Mr. Obama has developed a close rapport with Mr. Geithner...Especially in recent weeks, the issue has become a running joke, officials say: Mr. Geithner and Mr. Daley tease about the ankle bracelet that the White House makes him wear, or Mr. Geithner asks if Mr. Daley has yet read his resignation letter, to which Mr. Daley answers in unprintable language.
"Haha you can blow me if you think you're going anywhere! Haha don't make us throw you down the hole again and lower lotion to you all weekend! Haha, have you seen Soul Surfer?....You make one move for that door and that's going to happen to you the next time you put on a wetsuit, haha!" But seriously, get comfortable.
Pressured By White House, Treasury Secretary Is Expected To Stay [NYT]
