Why is Obama keeping Geithner?

President Barack Obama has offered his Treasury Secretary, Tim Geithner, mixed support. When he was under fire from just about everyone in March, Obama said he had "complete confidence" in Geithner. But at the White House Correspondent's dinner on May 9, Obama joked that he needed to train his new dog Bo so he would be the only living thing in Washington not to treat Geithner like a fire hydrant.

To be fair, Geithner's image is not as fragile as it was a few months ago. But the simple fact remains that he is proving himself to be neither a great thought leader nor an able manager. Why do I believe his leadership is weak? He faces two big problems -- lack of lending and failed financial institutions -- and his approach to both is a re-heat of the failed policies of his predecessor.