You will recall John Boehner making the same call earlier this week:
##
Reprinted with permission.
First it was House Minority Leader John A. Boehner, making his pitch to the electorate to be made House speaker in part by calling for Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner to be fired.
Now embattled Democrats are getting into the act.
Rep. Tom Perriello, a Virginia Democratic freshman and one of the most-endangered House members, has called for Geithner’s head, at a town-hall meeting in Ruckersville, Va. In a news release Thursday, the Jefferson Area Tea Party, not Perriello’s best mate, struck a rare note of agreement with the Democratic lawmaker – sort of.
“In calling for Secretary Geithner’s firing, we support Congressman Perriello’s sentiment, with the hope that by replacing our nation’s chief economic policy makers we can begin the path to economic recovery,” wrote Carole Thorpe, chairman of the group.
Thorpe demanded Perriello take his calls to fire Geithner beyond district town hall meetings and issue a news release to the media.
Geithner has become a convenient whipping boy for those on both sides of the political spectrum. To many on the right, he represents the standard bearer for what they view as President Barack Obama’s overly liberal economic policies. The left accuses him of coddling Wall Street.
The White House on Wednesday made a show of support for the secretary, releasing a statement that Obama had been briefed by Geithner and the economic team on the state of the economy – with no indication that any heads would roll.
UPDATE:
Tom Perriello’s campaign and congressional office, as well as the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, has informed Washwire that Perriello’s call for Geithner’s head actually came before Boehner requested his firing.
No word yet on whether the Democratic congressman will meet the Tea Party’s demand for a press release formally calling for Geithner’s resignation.