With a new administration taking up office space in the White House, the Senate has had its hands full carrying out one of its constitutionally mandated responsibilities.The Constitution requires the president “shall nominate, and by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, … all other officers of the United States, whose appointments are not herein otherwise provided for.”Typically the Senate accommodates the president by approving his nominees. But this has not been the case for President Obama’s nominees.His nominees have been maligned by troubles that would normally spell disaster for a typical citizen.Timothy Geithner was nominated as Secretary of the Treasury. When he went before the Finance Committee, he was forced to apologize for what he called “careless mistakes” that ended up totaling $34,000 in back taxes and interest.Because he worked for the International Monetary Fund, his taxes for Social Security and Medicare were not taken out of his paychecks. He was responsible for paying his own taxes.He failed to pay those taxes and was forced to hand over $16,732 in back taxes and interest for 2003 and 2004 following a 2006 audit by the Internal Revenue Service, according to a Jan. 13 report from CNN.Because the statute of limitations had run out, the IRS was prevented from investigating him for his tax evasion for 2001and 2002.Geithner eventually paid his taxes for these years — but not until Obama had already nominated him for a cabinet position, according to the CNN article.That Geithner was even nominated is infuriating.If a citizen of this country who worked a typical job was found to be withholding taxes, there would be serious consequences.Take the case of a senior civil service attorney serving at the Louisiana Department of Revenue for many years.It was discovered he was not filing state income tax returns. He      resigned his office under pressure.Geithner’s behavior is indicative of a disconnect between the political elite and the common man.When a presidential appointee creates an issue that can be used to cast doubt upon the judgment of the president, it’s time for him to resign.He is the head of the Treasury Department, one of the bureaus housed within the treasury is the IRS — the taxing agency of the federal government.”He’s dedicated his career to our country and served with honor, intelligence, and distinction. That service should not be tarnished by honest mistakes, which, upon learning of them, he quickly addressed,” said Obama’s Press Secretary Robert Gibbs in a press release Jan. 13.The problem is Geithner didn’t address the oversight quickly. Yes, he made restitution for the years he was audited, but it took him an additional three years after his audit to pay his taxes for 2001 and 2002. His defense is shaky as well. We are being asked to accept a Treasury Secretary who apparently can’t understand the tax code.If the Treasury Secretary has difficulty understanding what is required of him by the tax code, perhaps an overhaul of the code is appropriate.Geithner has already shown his distaste for paying income taxes.He should let the American people off the hook.- – – -Contact Drew Walker at [email protected]