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Obama: Geithner's Job Is Safe

By John Johnson, Newser Staff

Posted Mar 21, 2009 10:09 PM CDT

(Newser) – Barack Obama has a message for those who want Tim Geithner out at Treasury: Forget about it. And if Geithner himself decides he's had enough and tries to resign, the president has a ready answer: "Sorry, Buddy, you've still got the job." In an interview with 60 Minutes that airs Sunday night, Obama also said that Wall Street honchos need to spend more time outside New York to get a better sense of public anger.

As for the flak coming toward him and Geithner: "It's going to take a little bit more time than we would like to make sure that we get this plan just right. Of course, then we'd still be subject to criticism." He even poked a little fun at his detractors: "What's taken so long? You've been in office a whole 40 days and you haven't solved the greatest financial crisis since the Great Depression!"

[Images (2)]

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In this photo provided by '60 Minutes,' Steve Kroft interviews President Obama. (AP Photo/CBS News-60 Minutes, Aaron Tomlinson)

President Obama and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner. (AP Photo/Ron Edmonds)

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If you go to North Dakota, or you go to Iowa, or you go to Arkansas, where folks would be thrilled to be making $75,000 a year, without a bonus, then I think they'd get a sense of why people are frustrated. - President Obama

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