Huffington Magazine Issue 21 | Page 90

HUFFINGTON 11.04.12 VICTOR J. BLUE/BLOOMBERG VIA GETTY IMAGES FEATURE_TITLE would do differently. Previously, during the Republican nominating process, he had said that he thought the best course was to let the market work it all out. The White House did not respond to a request for comment. Neither did Geithner. But in July, the Treasury Secretary, who has said he will leave at the end of Obama’s first term, whether he wins reelection or not, spoke to Charlie Rose. Rose asked him if there was anything else the administration could have done to stop the foreclosure crisis. In his response, Geithner blamed Fannie and Freddie for not moving earlier on the program that allows some underwater homeowners refinance at a lower interest rate. He didn’t mention the more prominent modification program, and he didn’t mention principal reduction. All in all, he said, the administration had done what it could with the tools it had, he said. “Our job is to make sure that we are operating at the frontier with the tools we had, he said. “And I believe we did that. I really believe we did that.” Signs are displayed outside of a foreclosed home in Greensboro, N.C.