Five Longshot Geithner Replacements

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner has had a difficult time of it over the past two months, prompting the occasional calls for his removal after just a little more than a year in the post to grow louder.

The question of who would be the best fit to replace him -- should it come to that --hasn't gotten much attention yet however.

After all, who wouldn't want the job after watching Geithner get hauled in front of Congress to testify about his role in the AIG(AIG) counterparty controversy, or seeing him pushed aside somewhat as President Obama brought Paul Volcker further into the fold, possibly to combat Geithner's perceived coziness with big banks such as Goldman Sachs(GS), Morgan Stanley(MS), Citigroup (C), JPMorgan Chase(JPM) and Bank of America(BAC).

Worth noting are two candidates who didn't make the cut, but who actually addressed the question of whether they'd be interested in the job.

Andy Beal, CEO and 100% owner of Beal Bank, who Forbes called "The Banker Who Said No," said, well, no: "I'm flattered, but I couldn't stand the heat."

And Joseph Stiglitz, the Nobel Prize-winning Columbia University professor: "It would be hard for anyone to say no if the President asked."

Including you?

"Well, yes, probably including me."

As a counterpoint to this list of safe bets for the job, the slideshow that follows focuses on potential longshots.