Life is a learning process. I learned, or rather relearned a valuable lesson this week during my commute to and from work. The lesson was this; the one thing Americans fear, even Americans who would try and convince all that they stand for principle first, is financial ruin.

What spurred this, you ask? The appointment of Timothy F. Geithner as the 75th Treasury Secretary of the United States. During my commute I occasionally listen to talk radio. Yes, yes, it has become the bane of the Democratic Party of late, and the liberal left may yet come for Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and the like (Glenn Beck is probably safe however), but for the time being the right wing talk hosts are speaking carefully about Geithner.

It must be absolutely ripping them up to not feel as if they can go after Geithner for his years of unfiled self-employment taxes, even as he takes the reigns of the Treasury Department and the IRS. You see, Geithner holds a kind of power over these right wingers that not even President Barack Obama wields.

The power of audit, harassment and the specter of financial ruin are Secretary Geithners strength, and it remains

to be seen whether he is of the nature to use these to the advantage of his boss's political party.

For celebrities such as these talk show hosts, with investments, properties and ownership stakes in shows, money for speaking appearances and book signings, charities and advertiser freebies, Geithner is the one liberal who could conceivably end their careers faster than the dreaded "Fairness Doctrine".

While I would not support Secretary Geithner in a right wing audit/witch hunt, it is somewhat amusing to listen to Rush Limbaugh throw some criticism the Secretary's way, then backtrack or qualify his statement. Then on Sean Hannity's talk show a few days ago I heard Anne Coulter even tempering her criticism of Geithner.

You know you have power when Anne Coulter won't even really rip into you. Then, later in the week I heard  Republican Senator or Congresssman sound somewhat reticent and overly polite when Geithners name came up.

I guess the lesson here is that even those who would tell you they stand on principle still find a way to hush! when it is their money on the line, not ours.

Good job guys. I think I will just mail my checkbook to the Treasury first thing Monday morning.