Can Geithner take a punch?

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner does not look much like a boxer, but today he went toe-to-toe with the Congressional Oversight Panel and ducked their questions about the federal bailout of the financial system with a panache that would have made the great Muhammad Ali proud.

Geithner's testimony before the panel was peppered with as many warnings as most carnival rides. For instance, he said he "welcomed" banks who want to repay the money they received from the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) early. Then, he argued that the Treasury will look at the impact of a bank's repayment on the supply of credit.

"It's important that we get a better capitalized financial system," Geithner said.