Anyone answering the phone at Treasury?
posted at 9:34 am on March 11, 2009 by Ed Morrissey
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Thank you for calling the Treasury Department in the Age of Obama. Due to our neglect in appointing senior positions, no one can take your call right now. If you are calling from the offices of our G-20 allies, please press 1 and we’ll send you 25 complimentary Region 1 DVDs for your inconvenience:
He has a reputation for being the archetypal senior civil servant professional, unflappable, and, above all, discreet.
But Sir Gus O’Donnell risked sparking a transatlantic tiff today with an imprudent remark about Downing Street’s relations with the White House.
The head of the civil service, Sir Gus said the handover to President Barack Obama’s administration was severely hindering preparations for next month’s G20 summit.
In an extraordinary blunder, the usually-guarded Sir Gus said no-one in the U.S. Treasury department was answering telephone calls.
He said it meant the Government was finding it ‘unbelievably difficult’ to hold discussions ahead of the meeting of world leaders in London.
Gee, I seem to remember when Barack Obama ran on the promise of restoring relations with the rest of the world. How’s that working out so far? The Brits seem unimpressed in the extreme.
When we last heard from the Obama team about their peculiar handling of Gordon Brown, they claimed to be too overwhelmed and exhausted from the economic crisis to pay attention to the niceties of protocol. The upcoming G-20 summit will focus on that very problem, aiming for coordination of action to rebuild confidence in Western financial systems. Is Obama now too overwhelmed and exhausted to work on that crisis as well?
This problem likely stems from the failure of the Obama administration to fill senior positions at Treasury. One might think that Geithner and Team Obama would make that a priority, especially in areas where phone calls might come from American allies looking to coordinate on policy. Now it looks as though they still haven’t hired the receptionists.
Administrations change in Washington every four or eight years, but the bureaucracy is supposed to provide for competent continuity — in fact, it’s the only good reason for it to exist. In my lifetime, I don’t think I’ve seen a transition this disorganized, this incompetent, and this embarrassing. (via Legal Insurrection)
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“Para Espanol, marque numero dos.”
Doughboy on March 11, 2009 at 9:37 AM
I’m sure the liberal trolls here will find some way to blame this mess on W. or Rush.
rbj on March 11, 2009 at 9:38 AM
Racist.
wccawa on March 11, 2009 at 9:38 AM
So, I assume that during the press briefing today, Gibbs will take on Sir Gus O’Donnell.
myrenovations on March 11, 2009 at 9:38 AM
The probably play recordings of Obama speeches when they put you on hold.
BigD on March 11, 2009 at 9:38 AM
Its tax season. Geithners got 6 more weeks of Turbo Tax lessons at the Learning Annex.
Chuck Schick on March 11, 2009 at 9:40 AM
And those are the good points of the Obama administration.
Guardian on March 11, 2009 at 9:40 AM
Sign me up for that job! Sounds like all you have to do is answer the phone and make up lies about where Geithner is.
anniekc on March 11, 2009 at 9:40 AM
Actually I think is a great opportunity for a Paul Shanklin parody.
BigD on March 11, 2009 at 9:41 AM
and this surprises….who?
serenity on March 11, 2009 at 9:41 AM
“I’m away from my desk,or busy helping some other country. If you care to leave a message, please do so at the tone.”
JiangxiDad on March 11, 2009 at 9:42 AM
This coming from the man that told McCain that the president must be able to multi task when he left the campaign trail to go to Washington.
Guest1.1 on March 11, 2009 at 9:42 AM
I heard they are running an ad in “Newsweek” and the NYT.
Dire Straits on March 11, 2009 at 9:42 AM
My 9 year old could organize a better transition than this.
Pulchritudinous Patriot on March 11, 2009 at 9:42 AM
Change. Change. Change.
. . . waiting for the collapse of the dollar. . .
King of the Britons on March 11, 2009 at 9:42 AM
Well, for Christsake, Bush should have left explicit, written instructions on how this whole gov’t thing worked, anyway!
anniekc on March 11, 2009 at 9:42 AM
.
.
.
Awesome.
subbottomfeeder on March 11, 2009 at 9:43 AM
Too busy F-ing things up here to worry about F-ing up the rest of the world… yet…
Cap & Trade = FAIL
Bank Bailouts = FAIL
Foreign Policy = FAIL
Gittmo = FAIL
Appointments = FAIL
Gifts to Dignitaries = FAIL
**** and the hits just keep coming…
Mark Garnett on March 11, 2009 at 9:43 AM
You forgot the dog that doesn’t shed.
Limerick on March 11, 2009 at 9:45 AM
Here I thought we only needed to worry about who was answering the phone at 3am, now I learn that it’s a 24 hour concern?
There must be plenty of qualified people out there who could be appointed; perhaps if Ogabe were to be concerned about the nation rather than the party?
Bishop on March 11, 2009 at 9:45 AM
They’re still going over those 60-page Disclosure Applications. You know, to see if any of the applicants own guns and stuff. This takes time!
hoosiermama on March 11, 2009 at 9:45 AM
Well, for Christsake, Bush should have left explicit, written instructions on how this whole gov’t thing worked, anyway!
anniekc on March 11, 2009 at 9:42 AM
Sweet tea on the monitor and keyboard. ROFL.
Maybe they could hire Ernestine (Lily Tomlin) the telephone operator. She’s not working. “One ringy-dingy…two ringy-dingy…Hello? Is this the party to whom I am speaking?”
kingsjester on March 11, 2009 at 9:45 AM
Ed, someone really ought to do the reporting on whether Treasury has even put forward names for these open AS and DAS positions. And if they have, what are the relevant Committees doing with them?
DrSteve on March 11, 2009 at 9:46 AM
What annoys me the most is that liberals will claim Obama has only been on the job for 51 days and it is unrealistic for him to have everything in place so quickly. What those same people do not understand is that Obama was elected on Nov 4th. It is too early to do the math, but that is around 120 days ago. His appointments cannot be confirmed until Obama took office, but shouldn’t he have had at least some semblance of a plan? I am just a lowly peon, but if I was going to take over a failing business in a couple of months, I would try and find ways to fix it before I started. The stimulus plan was a joke. He didn’t even write the thing. He should have been able to formulate a plan of some sort with Geitner and then have acted on it when he took office. I certainly remember seeing a ton of “Office of the President Elect” press conferences where Obama was talking about how great his administration would be.
txaggie on March 11, 2009 at 9:47 AM
restoring America’s image across teh world… one unanswered phone call at a time
gatorboy on March 11, 2009 at 9:47 AM
They are checking with Chavez and Putin for their input.
Dire Straits on March 11, 2009 at 9:47 AM
About that dog… If I were one of Obama’s kids I would be pissed. He promised the dog for November, after the campaign. He’s been on the cover of a dog magazine. And now it is March and they still don’t have a dog. He sucks.
You cannot promise a dog and then not get one. I can’t wait until one of the kids starts giving blind quotes to Tapper.
myrenovations on March 11, 2009 at 9:47 AM
Clearly Sir Gus failed to sign up for Zero’s G20 text message updates.
Mr Purple on March 11, 2009 at 9:48 AM
With his Columbia BA in 1983, is this the protocol Obama learned from his year employed by the Business International Corporation?
maverick muse on March 11, 2009 at 9:48 AM
OT but sort of related: “China February Auto Sales Rise 25% After Tax Cuts.”
Not that Ogabe will notice.
Bishop on March 11, 2009 at 9:48 AM
They just need to have Barry beatbox in the back while Timmy raps out the Vmail novelty rap message:
“WEEEEELLLLLLLLLLL
This is Timmy G’s office, and I ain’t here. I’m balled up in the corner and I’m twitching with fear. When the economy collapses and they come for my ass, I’ll be on a vacay in Aruba and dodging my tax.
Leave a message. BIATCH!!!!!!”
BEEEEEP!
leetpriest on March 11, 2009 at 9:48 AM
You left out
“putting our children and grand chi;ldren in debt before the are born” = Passed
Guest1.1 on March 11, 2009 at 9:49 AM
From the Financial Times:
And this is the “leadership” of our 52%???
Rovin on March 11, 2009 at 9:49 AM
The liberal trolls will steer clear of this post just like they do the several others where they are faced with too much simple truth to make any excuse – but simple truth never seems to stop them, so we’ll see
Grafted on March 11, 2009 at 9:50 AM
LOL2
maverick muse on March 11, 2009 at 9:50 AM
Maybe they just can’t hear the phone over the sound of the printing presses going full speed.
Vashta.Nerada on March 11, 2009 at 9:50 AM
The two faces of Obama:
Whoah, whoah whoah. You want us to fix the economy AND answer the phones? Give us a break, we’re doing all we can.
What do you mean choose between fixing the economy and changing healthcare? All of the great Presidents have been multitaskers.
Pray that we don’t encounter a REAL crisis in the next 4 years.
hawksruleva on March 11, 2009 at 9:50 AM
Rovin on March 11, 2009 at 9:49 AM
Nice Rovin… One thing Bamby can do though, is organize good parties with great bands and lavish food.
Keemo on March 11, 2009 at 9:51 AM
I remember Obama making fun of Americans for not speaking other languages. So far he’s:
1. ticked off the Brits and embarrassed us with a 25 DVD set he picked up at Stuckey’s
2. sent a lame offer to the Russians offering to dump a defense system plan in exchange for their help, which the Russians laughed off
3. picked a SoS who’s a complete ditz and has even more folks laughing at us
LOSER!
AubieJon on March 11, 2009 at 9:52 AM
Some foreign despot is sitting back in the shadows just waiting to pull off an incident. The situation room is going to be filled with a hundred heads shouting “what’ll we do?”…….
crickets…….
Limerick on March 11, 2009 at 9:52 AM
SarahPAC would be well advised to spring for that trip to London at some point this summer.
Nat Hound on March 11, 2009 at 9:52 AM
Rovin on March 11, 2009 at 9:49 AM
And Biden can say, “I told you so!”
Who’s laughing all the way to the bank?
maverick muse on March 11, 2009 at 9:52 AM
+1. Too bad China is becoming the model of how to run a capitalist nation.
hawksruleva on March 11, 2009 at 9:53 AM
Hey, don’t blame the Obama administration for this. Because the election took so long to determine, they were way behind the 8 ball by the time they got the keys to the White House. And of course the previous administration balked them at every turn during the transition. They even popped keys off of the White House keyboards, and it’s not like the dems have the majority in Congress to be able to easily confirm his nominees. AND the press is all over him being all negative and sniping…..
oh, wait………
JeffinOrlando on March 11, 2009 at 9:53 AM
Geithners a little busy getting his Larchmont dig’s ready for sale at $1.6 mil…..probably scheduling a garage sale for this weekend…
Tim Zank on March 11, 2009 at 9:53 AM
don’t you know that turbo tax tim has caller ID at treasury? he takes calls from Iran, Cuba, Venezuala, NoKorea & China only.
kelley in virginia on March 11, 2009 at 9:53 AM
No wonder why some really brilliant minds are predicting the fall of America. They’d all be laughing their collective asses off, if it weren’t for the fact that what America does effects the rest of the world.
Keemo on March 11, 2009 at 9:54 AM
And, don’t forget, those same folks were contesting the 2000 election into Christmas, so Bush only had about three weeks to assemble his cabinet, with Clinton’s team not cooperating. Bush seemed to transition pretty well in less than half the time.
Vashta.Nerada on March 11, 2009 at 9:54 AM
I bet the Rose Garden is littered with cigarette butts!!
Dire Straits on March 11, 2009 at 9:54 AM
The Obots better start thinking of another argument b/c this one expires come June or so. If he’s 6 mos. in and still flailing, the Fineman’s of the world will begin to take notice, or at least float the thought (specifically that he’s a moron). It’ll take a major int’l incident for O’s true incompetence to shine through, this domestic stuff is just the appetizer before the main course.
volnation on March 11, 2009 at 9:54 AM
Pray that we don’t encounter a REAL crisis in the next 4 years.
hawksruleva on March 11, 2009 at 9:50 AM
God can’t help us here.
Bishop on March 11, 2009 at 9:54 AM
Scissors cut both ways.
Reasonable people don’t want more debt.
Socialists want less population.
Look out.
maverick muse on March 11, 2009 at 9:55 AM
Dude- the dog may very well become the symbol of this adminsitration:
A November promise, followed by a search for the perfect answer, which means the promise is broken, but the media at large ignores it.
hawksruleva on March 11, 2009 at 9:55 AM
All kidding aside, isn’t anyone else starting to get worried? I mean really worried. Damn.
Excuse me, gotta go to the gun store (again)……….
FuriousAmerican on March 11, 2009 at 9:55 AM
why can’t Biden answer the phones over at Treasury? oh, that question answers itself.
kelley in virginia on March 11, 2009 at 9:56 AM
He’s being selective.
…Now if it were the Taliban, he would take Their call.
It’s easy to be an armchair quarterback, quite another to play the game first hand.
hoakie on March 11, 2009 at 9:56 AM
A light will shine down upon them and they will have an epiphany and they will say to themselves “we must create or save ONE secretarial JOB” for the treasury dept.
Ris4victory on March 11, 2009 at 9:56 AM
From all those voices at the Convention last summer out in Denver raising a joyful noise unto the Lord…I would have thought Obama could do it all.
Staffing is not rocket science.
Nearly two months into this, and they still haven’t figured out who is who, who counts, and who doesn’t?
What was all that Transition.gov all about from November to January…best transition evah…so we were told?
coldwarrior on March 11, 2009 at 9:56 AM
Does this administration even realize what a world-wide laugingstock they are?
OmahaConservative on March 11, 2009 at 9:56 AM
Excellent.
myrenovations on March 11, 2009 at 9:57 AM
Oh, I doubt they’re sitting back and waiting…. Much of the world is still populated by men of action. It’s just a matter of their evil work bearing fruit.
hawksruleva on March 11, 2009 at 9:57 AM
It’s 3am and your children are safe and asleep. But there’s a phone in the Treasury Department, and it’s ringing. Something’s happening in the world. Your vote has decided that no one will answer that call…no one tested or ready to lead in a dangerous world.
It’s 3am and your children are safe and asleep. Who do you want answering the phone? How about freaking SOMEBODY, ANYBODY?????
Snowed In on March 11, 2009 at 9:57 AM
RATS symbolize this administration, 9:55.
maverick muse on March 11, 2009 at 9:57 AM
You guys are expecting to much from the precedent. He only has a zillion people at his command so back off, give him some room. He can’t be responcible for UK plans gone awry, can he? Hey, he got the girls swing set, didn’t he?
/s
What a tool!!!!!
clinker46 on March 11, 2009 at 9:58 AM
This would be all we’d need—is Obama recieving “a 3am call” and find out his blackberry’s gone on the blink. Put your money in the company that starts re-building those 1950’s bomb shelters.
Rovin on March 11, 2009 at 9:58 AM
God can always help. But why would he? Why would God bless a country that has so thoroughly declared war against everything that is Christian? Why would God bless a country that not only kills babies, but aggressively defends the practice?
King of the Britons on March 11, 2009 at 9:59 AM
Well we knew long ago he doesn’t work well without sleep. In his own words.
hawkdriver on March 11, 2009 at 9:59 AM
All kidding aside, isn’t anyone else starting to get worried? I mean really worried. Damn.
FuriousAmerican on March 11, 2009 at 9:55 AM
I’m with you. I don’t know how much of Obongo this country can take. Just imagine four years of what we’ve seen so far. God help us if there’s a terrorist attack on U.S. soil.
flyfisher on March 11, 2009 at 10:00 AM
Because he doesn’t know where treasury is!!! Or what it is!!
clinker46 on March 11, 2009 at 10:00 AM
The first 50 days have been pretty bad. I don’t think we are going to even recognize this country in 4 years.
myrenovations on March 11, 2009 at 10:01 AM
For the record, this thread has some of the funniest and greatest comments of all time. Thanks everybody.
JeffinOrlando on March 11, 2009 at 10:03 AM
He did. Remember the unprecedented access the Obama team got during the Nov.-Jan. transition?
And Obama still can’t get his admin off the ground, even with these “Take-your-Precedent-to-Work” days.
cs89 on March 11, 2009 at 10:03 AM
God can always help. But why would he? Why would God bless a country that has so thoroughly declared war against everything that is Christian? Why would God bless a country that not only kills babies, but aggressively defends the practice?
King of the Britons on March 11, 2009 at 9:59 AM
With our moral foundations torn asunder to applause, we’re witnessing the destruction of the rest of our country. God is not mocked!
flyfisher on March 11, 2009 at 10:04 AM
Geithner is a victim of Obama (and a victim of his relative inexperience and youth, i.e. hubris.)
He was tapped by someone with ulterior motives, for a job that was wildly beyond his present abilities, but one which gratified his ego to the exclusion of all sense. My guess is he will be destroyed professionally and personally.
JiangxiDad on March 11, 2009 at 10:04 AM
Maybe it would help if our allies just followed Obama on Twitter.
flipflop on March 11, 2009 at 10:05 AM
Because he is too busy running around putting those propaganda stickers on all of the stimulus projects.
myrenovations on March 11, 2009 at 10:05 AM
Is HotAir and a few other blogs the only ones reporting these things…if so, who cares?
right2bright on March 11, 2009 at 10:05 AM
The probem is CW, that
theyObama can’t find any qualified people that have paid their taxes while half of his already approved staff would/should be in jail for tax evasion.Rovin on March 11, 2009 at 10:05 AM
I’m falling off the fence on the side of intent. It looks, to me, that he really wants to be Lincoln. Barry, The Great Reconstructor of the 21st century.
Limerick on March 11, 2009 at 10:05 AM
The outgoing Bush administration staff switched all the B, H and O keys around all the computer keyboards in Washington. This has kept Dear Leader’s staff too busy to work on anything else the last 50 days.
Caper29 on March 11, 2009 at 10:05 AM
This Geitner fella has to go…The O has to go also.
Who will have the testicular fortitude to start impeachment proceedings.
Jed1899 on March 11, 2009 at 10:06 AM
Treasury, where numbers matter, the proof’s in the pudding.
Obamanots can’t count.
Obamanots don’t count.
Obamanots won’t count.
DISTANCE is the first response to displeasure. Obama is the most offending POTUS evah. Schade, his shadow casts ruin on America around the world. Keine Freude!
maverick muse on March 11, 2009 at 10:06 AM
Well we are trying to cut government spending, 800 billion in crap to create 0 jobs. How can we afford $13 an hour to pay a receptionist, we need to cut back somewhere. This is the ghetto economics he is running the country with. The country has become the projects (section 8’s) of america. Brand New Mercedes in the street with rims, tint and a system. Waiting on food stamps and a welfare check. Nonsense spending.
Tremmy on March 11, 2009 at 10:06 AM
Please dear God let the next transition be four years instead of eight…. If the American public doesn’t come to it’s senses and fire the filthy liar before that. Is less than two months into an incompetent, corrupt, and rudderless administration too early to start using the “I” word? In this case, I don’t think it is.
highhopes on March 11, 2009 at 10:06 AM
The incidents are already happening. North Korea saying it will launch a ballistic missile and if anyone interferes it is an act of war. China harassing a naval ship in international waters. Iran’s launching of a ballistic missile and different intelligence agencies concluding it will be nuclear capable soon. Russia’s increasingly aggressive stance with its neighbors; specifically Georgia and Ukraine. They are simply testing the waters.
It happens every single time a new President is elected. They want to see what they can get away with. They tried it with Bush. The Chinese Air Force forced a passive intelligence plane down. Bush didn’t handle it to badly, and for the rest of his administration they more or less behaved themselves. Until almost the end of the Bush era (August 2008) all of the major powers pretty much stayed in line and didn’t do anything that could be considered provocative.
So far, the White House has shown ZERO interest in foreign affairs. Obama has openly stated he cares about his internal policies more than external ones. His handling of Brown only reinforces that image. The other posters are right in saying that the despots of the world smell blood.
txaggie on March 11, 2009 at 10:07 AM
Shoot, you beat me by twelve minutes. Shoulda read more closely…
Oh well, GMTA, or something.
Snowed In on March 11, 2009 at 10:07 AM
This is starting to remind me of the movie “Jurassic Park”‘ right when the T-Rex broke out of his paddock.
Dire Straits on March 11, 2009 at 10:08 AM
He’s is, and he isn’t. This place can’t endure on it’s present course, so he’s changing it, like a fire renews the forest.
JiangxiDad on March 11, 2009 at 10:08 AM
there were already people at treasury to answer the phones. some may have resigned (i.e. moved to New Zealand) when Obama was elected, but there are still govt. civil servants there. My God! What is the unemployment rate? there is somebody out there who can answer the DAMN phone.
kelley in virginia on March 11, 2009 at 10:09 AM
The question is, whose phone calls ARE being taken. George Soros? The UAW? ACORN?
I would suggest the filthy liar and his henchmen are far too busy with their socialist agenda to worry about things like international economic meetings.
highhopes on March 11, 2009 at 10:09 AM
I believe that will happen for Obama as well. Barry is setup for a spectacular fall.
flyfisher on March 11, 2009 at 10:09 AM
Glad we got a President who can walk and chew gum at the same time.
Matticus Finch on March 11, 2009 at 10:10 AM
Truly, the lights are on but nobody’s home.
BacaDog on March 11, 2009 at 10:10 AM
txaggie on March 11, 2009 at 9:47 AM
Excellent point. Apparently, the smartest man ever born has never heard the expression ‘hit the ground running.’
fluffy on March 11, 2009 at 10:10 AM
God can always help. But why would he? Why would God bless a country that has so thoroughly declared war against everything that is Christian? Why would God bless a country that not only kills babies, but aggressively defends the practice?
King of the Britons on March 11, 2009 at 9:59 AM
With our moral foundations torn asunder to applause, we’re witnessing the destruction of the rest of our country. God is not mocked!
flyfisher on March 11, 2009 at 10:04 AM
I pray for His mercy–to wake us up to realization and sorrow of what we have done.
INC on March 11, 2009 at 10:11 AM
By gosh, I noticed that first thing this morning!!!!!
Hire a receptionist…. 792 people applied for a school janitor’s position in Ohio. I’m sure they won’t have a hard time finding a receptionist or two.
Oink on March 11, 2009 at 10:11 AM
Apparently he has, however, heard the expression “running into the ground”.
Snowed In on March 11, 2009 at 10:11 AM
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