The reason why Geithner is getting a relatively free pass on the Capitol so far is that he’s a Democratic nominee who is viewed by Republicans as a solid, business-friendly Treasury Secretary who is the best they can expect to do under Obama. But if Republicans let the nomination sail through without a fight, they wouldn’t be performing their duty as an opposition party, and would be setting a bad precedent that could potentially come back to haunt them when trying to oppose future nominees. Though I suppose if Republicans ever return to power and nominate a tax cheat, they’ll be able to say too Democrats, “Hey, we confirmed your tax cheat without much fuss.”
