Tim Geithner has gone from being a backroom operator at the Fed, working in the shadow of Paulson and Bernanke during the implosion of the credit markets, to the guy out front; the transition has been a rocky one. First came the incredible tale of tax “mistakes”. Next came the making of a major policy shift, in writing, without any of the diplomacy that his boss is thought to hold so dear. The Chinese haven’t taken the shift lightly and a period of asset market volatility is expected this week, at a minimum, unless Geithner or the President “clarifies” the statement.