Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner tells House Democrats that White House efforts to fix the nation's economy are working -- but he's also urging them to be patient.

Geithner met with Democrats in a closed session Monday night, where one lawmaker urged the administration to "Hurry, whatever you're doing, please hurry."

Members interviewed after the meeting say it reflected the political challenge they faced -- explaining the policies of a president of their party to a public angry over bank bailouts and an unending recession.

House Democratic Leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland compared the current economic situation to a crippled ship, noting that "The boat is not taking on more water, but you haven't yet pumped it out."