Daschle needs to go now. I don't care who the replacement is.

[Occam Bandage]

The Obama administration ran in large part on clean governance and transparency. While it was effective in the election, the flipside of that is higher (and sometimes unrealistic) public expectations of conduct--cf. Republicans and 'family values'/sexual morality.

While I believe the Obama administration is hitting nothing but pure notes on its policy-related decisions, I think its hiring decisions have been occasionally distractingly discordant. Richardson collapsed in vague and uncertain scandal. Geithner is undoubtedly (well, undoubtedly everywhere but DU) supremely qualified, but his failure to pay his taxes was disturbing. Obama has issued over a dozen exceptions to his no-lobbyist rule; while this is only a tiny fraction of the thousands of internal appointments the administration has made, it is still over a dozen too many. Geithner might be 'indispensable,' but mid-level bureaucrats and technocrats are not. Finally, Nancy Killifer, his pick for the new role of Chief Performance Officer, has withdrawn due to tax problems.

Now we get to Daschle. I have no significant quarrels with the Daschle pick on policy matters; he is for universal coverage with increased regulation and government funding, and so is Obama. That isn't exactly what I'd like to see, but I can't blame Obama for picking someone he agrees with; the argument there is with the policy and not with the pick. Daschle, however, is quickly becoming an ethical nightmare. He is a veteran of the Washington revolving door between public service and private lobbying. He not only failed to pay his taxes, he hid that for over a month. Sure, the IRS didn't catch it in his audit, but that's only because he never told the IRS that the car even existed. Plus, he lobbied the Obama administration to hire an old equity-firm crony (the same one who provided him the car and driver at the center of his tax problem).

I'm not really sure, at this point, how Obama can stand behind Daschle without unnecessarily spending political capital. I understand the wisdom in picking a Congressional insider to pitch your health-care plan to Congress, and I understand the wisdom in standing beside your picks during the tempest-in-a-teapot phase of political appointments, but I think that the Daschle pick has just crossed the line from "wisdom" to "hard-headed folly."

[IndianaGreen]

1. Single Payer is the only way to go on health reform

Daschle is another of Big Pharma's boys.

[John Q. Citizen]

2. Congress loves Daschle. Especially the Senate. He's a shoe in.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

3. Also, critical mass of public opinion is shifting bigtime away from Daschle

Even though the Senate has a history of being fairly supportive of a President's picks for his Cabinet (and particularly so when the nominee is a current or former member of their "club") at some point the Republicans will have to pull away or look like they support tax cheats to their own base. So, Daschle could end up being the first Senator since Tower to be rejected for a cabinet post.

I think your post is very well-written and clear headed.:thumbsup:

[biopowertoday]

4. I think you are right. This is a mess and Obama backing

him at this point is folly.

[Prism]

5. I can't shake the feeling he's a poison pill

I have this creeping thought that Daschle is being smoothed in so Republicans can hammer the hell out of him once health care legislation comes to the table. Given all his associations and dealings, how will there not be companies and lobbyists lurking about that Republicans can go "Daschle has loaded this bill with perks for his cronies. They don't care about you! Corruption!"

The issue is too important for this walking human minefield.

Please, anyone else, Mr. President.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

6. This is the type of thing that causes the public to vote DEMS out of office

He acts like he is the Governor of Illinois - that he can do
anything he wants and get away with it.

How rich do you have to be to pay your taxes?

Even the corrupt dot their "i's" and cross their "t's".

But sadly, Daschle thinks the rules don't apply to him.

And there's his connections/relationship with the lobbyists in the health industry.

[Sebastian Doyle]

7. Time to call the Doctor

Doctor Dean, that is.......

Is it time to fix health care in this country?



YEEEEEEEAAAAAARRRRRGGGGHHHHH!

[camera obscura]

8. Yesterday I would have said it was an impossibility. But thanks to the NYT editorial I'll put it at

50/50 chances of Daschle withdrawing. This has become a major issue now that the big, less biased newspapers are weighing in.

[razorman]

9. I agree. The president doesn't need this right now.

He campaigned on the idea of change and a more ethical government. These "tax-cheat-of-the-week" cabinet appointments will not help him. While these people may be otherwise qualified, it will appear
to be same old shit that we have always gotten with the good ol' boys club. If we can't break away from all that, how can we chastise the repubs when they do it?

[lib_wit_it]

23. Exactly. Also makes me wonder, though, if any freakin' rich folks pay their damn taxes.

[razorman]

24. I wonder more about why they are given so much slack when they get caught.

You or I would already be fined and/or locked up for what these rich politicians are given a free pass on. Not to mention their new high-paying gubmint jobs.

[lib_wit_it]

26. All crimes by the rich are under-punished. It's infuriating.

[razorman]

27. At least Daschle is gone now. I guess it is true that sunlight is the best disinfectant.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

10. He's gonna go alright,

straight to his new cabinet appointment.

[Uzybone]

11. Agreed, Daschle (the first Harry Reid) should go

[elocs]

12. Here is Rec # 5. Boot his ass out the door. How about some ethical candidates?

There must be some.

[Schema Thing]

13. 140K in taxes alone? that's a hell of a lot of driving!

[global1]

14. Hopefully Obama Will Learn Tonight What Needs To Be Done.....

He is going out on a 'stimulus plan' talking fest to all the networks to tout this plan. Unfortunately - I'm afraid that all of the interviewers will be asking him questions about Daschle and his vetting process. He will not get the platform he wanted to sell his plan and he should get pissed. Hopefully - then it will sink in that he needs to "DUMP DASCHLE".

[bullwinkle428]

25. I'm guessing this is the main reason why the "withdrawal" happened

sooner rather than later!! At least this should take the issue off the table for the stimulus rollout...

[ClarkUSA]

15. Daschle voluntarily cleared this up in June 2008 before he was a Cabinet nominee.

I don't see how what he did was a violation to President Obama's promise of clean governance and transparency.
Daschle came clean, paid up with penalties and was transparent about it even though he didn't have to be. I've
known friends who made similar mistakes. The I.R.S. didn't mind, President Obama doesn't mind, so why should
you? What'd he do that was so damned wrong? In this country, you get a chance to correct your mistakes.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

16. The why didn't he provide the Obama team with the info? Why were they blindsided

about this according to news accounts? IF they had known, it's possible that they would have had a situation where they had to pick between Geithner and Daschle. I highly doubt they would have gone for the tax cheat trifecta knowingly.

[Occam Bandage]

17. I like to think that Daschle fired up DU, read my thread, and said, "yep, boy makes a good point."

:P

[avaistheone1]

18. --->> It's over. Daschle has withdrawn.

Thank God.

[Occam Bandage]

19. Yep. And this thread was clearly the reason. I take all the credit.

:P

[mikelgb]

20. wow, any more desires oh omnipotent one?

you should declare who you need to be the replacement!

[WeDidIt]

21. you got your wish

As a consolation prize, universal healthcare is now DOA.

[Clear Blue Sky]

22. You got your wish. He's gone.