Anyone read the NYT's holier-than-thou update to its editorial calling for Daschle to withdraw?

[ProSense]

Update: February 3, 2009

After this editorial was published, Tom Daschle did the right thing – for himself and more important for the Obama administration – and withdrew his name from nomination as Secretary of Health and Human Services. He may have been propelled to do so by the news that Nancy Killefer, who was appointed by Mr. Obama to the newly created position of White House chief performance officer, had also withdrawn – citing her own tax troubles. The withdrawal of Ms. Killefer had left a lot of people, including us, scratching their heads and wondering what had become of President Obama's high ethical standards. It should not be hard for the new president to find high-quality appointees to both of these posts. Before he names them, he might have his team do a little more thorough scrubbing of their tax returns. Americans have the right to know that their appointed leaders pay their full share of taxes.

link

On edit: One would get the impression that Daschle was caught cheating on his taxes when he actually discovered the mistake and corrected it.

It's a serious mistake, but by all accounts it is a mistake.

[Bread and Circus]

1. I don't have a problem with the NYT's taking Obama and Daschle to task, however...

I think their focus is misplaced a bit. To me, the bigger problem is how he has taken so much from insurance companies recently. A honest tax mistake, even if large, is a problem but not necessarily a conflict of interest for reforming health care. However, being in bed w/ Big Health Insurance, would be.

I'm glad Daschle's out. And to be honest, I never liked him as a Senator. He's part of the go along to get along Washington crowd. Another pig at the trough.

[kstewart33]

4. For me, his ties to insurance companies was the deal breaker.

His tax problems seemed like an honest mistake.

But his ties to health insurance companies was a huge conflict of interest.

I like and respect Daschle, but am glad he stepped down.

[avaistheone1]

5. I didn't like how he handled his taxes, but Daschle's connections with all those

lobbyists in the health care industry really turned me off completely.

[uberblonde]

2. The NY Times is awfully vigilant these days.

But then, they always are when it's a Democrat in the White House!

[leftstreet]

3. Wish the Times had gone after Rubin, Geithner, Summers et al

for their ties to Wall Street.

This 'tax cheating' thing is smoke and mirrors. Daschle is a BigInsurance and BigPharma whore, but why are they targeting him and giving the Treasury fuckups a pass?

[terisan]

6. NYT is New York paper. FINANCE is NY industry.. Obama was given big Wall St

contributions-more than Clinton even and they expect his help.

I am not being cute---I believe they expect a lot of favors from Obama for NY.

Daschle is telecommunication , Insurance, Pharmacy--

I guess he is agribusiness and ethanol also--Ny Times has done some great pieces slamming the massive Corporate Farm Welfare Bills-stuff I believe The Chicago papers would never print.

Rubin is Citibank, Geithner is NY Federal Bank, and Summers, when Treasury Secretary insisted that derivatives should not have any oversight.

This seems to be a New York and Chicago administration.

[leftstreet]

11. You nailed that nicely

I don't like it, but guess that sums it up.

[Cash_thatswhatiwant]

7. who did the nyt endorse for president? are they republican?

[Beacool]

10. The NY Times endorsed the local gal.

They endorsed Hillary. Curiously, the RW NY Post endorsed Obama.

:eyes:

[question everything]

8. It is not about his taxes. It is about him being an advisor to insurance companies

whom, supposedly, he would have to regulate.

And not just any insurance company, but UnitedHealth that only last month Andrew Cuomo got to repay million of dollars to cheated cancer patients.

UnitedHealth, that paid its former CEO $100 million a year in total compensation. UniteeHealth that makes money for its executives and share holders by denying coverage for sick people and paying pennies to doctors and hospitals. The UnitedHeatlhs of the world should be eliminated, or, at least, cut down to size if we really are going to get health care reform. And do you think that Dschel could have done this?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x8163233

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x8163303

[ProSense]

9. The NYT editorial is about his taxes. n/t

[ClarkUSA]

12. The NYT is getting back at Barack for not giving them the traditional post-insuguration interview

I'm sure they'll never get one now. At least I hope not.